The first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand (January 2) became a highlight to stimulate tourism for Viet Tri City, Phu Tho in the first days of 2025.
According to Lao Dong's records at 5 p.m. on January 2, the number of visitors to the city is increasing day by day. Most of the accommodation facilities along Hung Vuong and Tien Dung streets are "full".
A tech taxi driver shared: "These days, my ride-hailing app is constantly popping up with notifications. Customers travel in groups, groups, and families to eateries and stadiums. Today, at peak times, I ran 30 trips...".
Most of the fans in Hanoi and some neighboring provinces will come to Viet Tri on the match days. In addition, tourists from further away choose to come a day in advance, or even longer.
Ms. Le Minh Ngoc (Thanh Hoa) - a long-time fan of the Vietnam team shared: "I was in Viet Tri from the semi-final match (December 29) to today's final match (January 2), because the match schedules were quite close together. Apart from the match days, I mainly explored local culture and cuisine, visited Hung Temple... According to the plan, I will return home tomorrow".
Several groups of tourists from the southern provinces have also arrived in Viet Tri. After the match ended, they stayed here for another night and then moved to Hanoi tomorrow morning (January 3) to return to Ho Chi Minh City.
Responding to Lao Dong, Mr. Nguyen Dac Thuy - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho province, said that these days the locality is actively improving the landscape, facilities, and coordinating functional forces to ensure conditions for the final match of the ASEAN Cup 2024. At the same time, this sporting event is an opportunity to promote Phu Tho tourism in particular and the national image in general.
"We have established a Steering Committee and inspection teams to ensure service quality at accommodation establishments, food hygiene and safety, security and order, and traffic safety. Tourism service establishments and restaurants pledge not to raise prices or 'rip off'," said Mr. Thuy.
At the same time, the Department has a program to announce tourism programs, place leaflets at hotels introducing key tourist attractions such as Xuan Son National Park, Ao Vua, Thanh Thuy hot spring... so that tourists have reference information during their stay in Phu Tho.
Mr. Tran Thanh Son, General Director of Saigon - Phu Tho Hotel, said that businesses in Phu Tho also see the potential for developing sports tourism and golf tourism through events.
"Sports tourism products have been available since the 31st SEA Games. Phu Tho Tourism Association has coordinated with the Phu Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Phu Tho Provincial Tourism Promotion Center, and travel agencies to develop tours combining watching sports events," said Mr. Son.
Enterprises in Phu Tho are gradually creating new experiences and diversifying products to extend tourists' stay and reduce seasonality to attract more tourists besides the annual Hung Temple Festival peak.
