The northern province of Ha Giang welcomed 12,000 tourists, including 105 foreigners, during the Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet, raking in an estimated VND12 billion in tourism revenue, according to the Ha Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

Although several potential visitors canceled their tours to Ha Giang due to the complicated nature of developments relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), these achievements can be viewed as positive compared to the general situation of the domestic tourism sector.

The majority of tourists designed independent trips while the number of visitors booking accommodation makes up roughly 30% of the total.

Most visitors came to the province to meet their relatives, travel for spiritual tourism, or check-in at tourist sites in the locality such as Vi Xuyen district and four districts in the Dong Van Plateau Geopark.

The People's Committees at municipal and district levels, tourism associations, and travel firms strictly followed epidemic prevention regulations while welcoming guests to the province.

In addition, visitors had a heightened sense of awareness about the necessity to take preventive measures, such as wearing facemasks, washing hands with antiseptic, filling in medical declarations, and maintaining a safe distance in public places.

During Tet, a number of localities in Ha Giang province organised a wide range of cultural and sporting activities, along with traditional festivals, as a means of allowing guests to discover and experience the cultural values ​​of the ethnic people who inhabit the local area.

Moreover, the Tourism Association also implemented a scheme aimed at stimulating tourism by offering discounts of between 10% and 20% on the costs of tourism service to mark the occasion.