The city continues to promote its tourist destinations in particular and its overall image in general through international media channels.
This is the view of Ms. Trần Thị Hoàng Mai, Director of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, regarding ongoing efforts to promote the World Natural Heritage site of Cát Bà Archipelago on CNN, targeting the North American market.
Ms. Mai emphasized that through international media activities, Hai Phong aims to broadcast widely the global significance of Hạ Long Bay – Cát Bà Archipelago, so that international visitors can appreciate the beauty and outstanding universal value of this heritage.
Hạ Long Bay – Cát Bà Archipelago is renowned for its spectacular natural beauty, globally outstanding value, being the culmination of karst evolution, and for comprising seven contiguous ecosystems that provide habitat for numerous rare species.
In the first two months of 2025, Cát Bà was the most searched destination for international travelers on Agoda. This is a positive signal helping Hai Phong’s tourism shine on the global stage.
Speaking with the Business Forum, Mr. Phạm Trí Tuyến, Head of Culture, Science and Information Office of Cát Hải District, said that in 2025 a Hollywood film project will shoot nine episodes set on Cát Bà Island, based on the “League of Legends” video game. He sees this as the most effective international media channel for promoting Cát Bà tourism. Additionally, from May to September 2025, Sungroup's tourism, service and trade project in the central Cát Bà Bay will launch nightly fireworks and vibrant cultural shows to boost tourism.
In late August 2024, Hạ Long Bay – Cát Bà Archipelago was recognized by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) as an International Geopark for its dual global significance in geological history and karst geomorphology.
Đồ Sơn is another major tourist destination in Hai Phong, annually attracting about one-third of the city’s visitors. Early in 2025, Đồ Sơn District organized the 3rd Island Constellation Festival and the extended Đồ Sơn Chầu văn traditional singing performance festival.
According to Vice Chairman Phạm Hoàng Tuấn of Đồ Sơn District, these events are the opening activities in a tourism campaign for 2025, aiming to attract over 4.5 million tourists this year. The district also offers attractions such as the Dragon Hill International Tourist Zone, coastal tourism, and spiritual tourism.
To help Hai Phong tourism reach breakthroughs, city leaders have set specific tasks for professional departments and will consult experts and businesses to create products that match the city’s strengths and potential.
Regarding tourism infrastructure, Hai Phong offers a diverse range of accommodations—including hotels, villas, apartments, guesthouses—and around 600 restaurants serving international cuisine from Italy, France, the USA, Japan, Korea, and more.
To promote tourism development, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hai Phong Tourism Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on tourism activities from 2025 to 2027, boosting Hai Phong’s tourism growth.
Through international media outreach, Hai Phong seeks to highlight the global value of Hạ Long Bay – Cát Bà Archipelago, helping international visitors witness the heritage’s beauty and outstanding universal value.
Sharing with the Business Forum, Mr. Mai Xuân Thắng, Chair of the Hai Phong Tourism Association, stated: “We coordinate with member enterprises to organize promotional activities; proactively link with key source markets domestically (Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, Eastern Expressway corridor...) and internationally (China and countries with direct flights to Cat Bi International Airport—Korea, Thailand).”
He added that they will strengthen promotion of tourism products and destinations on digital platforms, leveraging strengths and iconic events like the Red Flamboyant Flower Festival, Wine Festival, Cát Bà, Đồ Sơn, and Vũ Yên. The focus will be on key attractions like coastal/island tourism, sports/golf, MICE, city tours combined with culture and cuisine.
They will collaborate to share tourism insights and develop flagship products for Hai Phong, jointly organizing promotional activities to tap into key domestic and international markets.
According to the Department, in 2025 Hai Phong aims to attract over 10 million visitors, including more than 1 million international tourists. In the first two months of 2025, Hai Phong welcomed over 1.1 million visitors, of which 150,000 were international.