China attracts Vietnamese tourists to Zhangjiajie

Famous for being chosen as the filming location for the hit series Journey to the West and Avatar, Zhangjiajie City (Hunan Province, China) is attracting Vietnamese tourists with its surreal beauty.

Zhangjiajie (China) is famous for its majestic landscape of more than 3,000 giant stone pillars - Photo: BTC

Zhangjiajie is a famous destination in China known to tourists for its majestic scenery of more than 3,000 towering stone pillars. Adventurous experiences with the 99 bends of Tianmen Mountain Avenue or walking on the world's highest and longest pedestrian glass bridge.

From a small number to a leading customer market

According to statistics from the Wulingyuan National Forest Park and Scenic Area Management Department (Zhangjiajie, China), from a destination known to only 14-15 Vietnamese tourists in 2012, Zhangjiajie has now attracted more than 102,000 Vietnamese visitors. Recalling the time 12 years ago, Mr. Truong Quoc Hung - Chairman of the Hanoi UNESCO Travel Club - said that at that time Zhangjiajie was still a rather strange and new land to the majority of Vietnamese people. The only information that Vietnamese businesses knew about this destination was that it was a world natural heritage recognized by UNESCO. After a survey in February 2012, Zhangjiajie became one of the prominent destinations in the routes when introducing Chinese tourism. At first, it was difficult for Vietnamese tourists to come to Zhangjiajie, because they could only travel by road or rail. By 2018, the first international flight from Hanoi to Zhangjiajie was launched, followed by four other international flights from Ho Chi Minh City and many others. In the first half of 2024 alone, Zhangjiajie welcomed more than 42,000 Vietnamese visitors.

Beautiful scenery in Zhangjiajie attracts Vietnamese tourists - Photo: Organizing Committee

Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam Trinh Dai Vi said that Vietnamese tourists have become one of the important sources of foreign tourists in Zhangjiajie City. Currently, Vietnam is the leading international tourist market of Zhangjiajie. Mr. Vi hopes that Vietnam and China will jointly research and develop more attractive and unique tourism directions, bringing tourists from both countries rich and unique experiences. According to Mr. Cu Le Quan - Business Director of Duyet Canh Truong Gia Gioi Hunan International Travel Joint Stock Company, one of the main reasons why Zhangjiajie is attractive to Vietnamese tourists is the convenience of direct flights. "I remember that during the September 2nd holiday last year, the number of visitors to Zhangjiajie was sold out since July and this year is the same. We use Vietnamese airlines to bring a comfortable experience to Vietnamese people. Currently, we have three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Each flight carries about 260 passengers," Mr. Quan shared.

The number of Chinese visitors to Vietnam in the first 7 months of 2024 increased by about 200% compared to the same period last year - Photo: NGUYEN HIEN

Two-way promotion for tourism development

Not only is the number of Vietnamese tourists to Zhangjiajie in particular and Chinese destinations in general growing rapidly, the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam is also recovering strongly. According to statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam in the first 7 months of 2027 reached 2.1 million, ranking second after South Korea, notably this number increased by about 200% over the same period last year. Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu said that two-way promotion activities and connecting flights are currently favorable conditions to promote Chinese tourists to Vietnam, as well as Vietnamese tourists to China. Currently, Vietnamese tourists to Zhangjiajie have many travel options, the most convenient of which is the direct flight from Hanoi to Zhangjiajie. "It only takes more than 2 hours of flight for tourists to arrive in Zhangjiajie City, where there is the scenic spot of Wulingyuan National Forest Park. Shortening travel time helps tourists ensure their health and comfort during the trip. During the upcoming holiday, about 3,000 Vietnamese tourists will go to China for the holidays. On the contrary, the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam has also increased, the destinations favored by Chinese tourists this year are Nha Trang and Phu Quoc," said Mr. Pham Minh Tu - General Director of Indochina Holiday Company.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trung-quoc-thu-hut-du-khach-viet-den-truong-gia-gioi-20240816210710492.htm