Hanoi (VNA) – As part of its strategy to reposition itself as a high-quality, professional, and value-driven destination, Hanoi is intensifying efforts to target high-spending markets with stringent service standards, and Japan is identified as one of its priority markets.

From May 25 to 29, the municipal Department of Tourism, in coordination with localities and tourism enterprises, is hosting a famtrip delegation of 28 Japanese travel companies coming for tourism survey in Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Quang Ninh.

The participating firms are major outbound operators from across Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kansai and Hyogo. They are expected to serve as important intermediaries in bringing more Japanese tourists to Vietnam in the coming time.

According to the municipal Department of Tourism, unlike traditional promotional campaigns, famtrip programmes offer international partners first-hand experiences, allowing them to directly experience and assess destinations' service quality and capacity.

During their stay in Hanoi, the delegation has a chance to experience a range of new tourism products designed to enhance cultural immersion and premium travel experiences, including lotus tea making in West Lake, night tours to Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature), double-decker bus city tours, pottery workshops, rides on the “Five City Gates” train, and cyclo tours around the Old Quarter, alongside high-standard accommodation and culinary services.

These experiences reflect Hanoi’s tourism development orientation toward enhancing cultural experiences, extending visitor stays, and increasing international tourists’ spending. A key highlight of the programme was a business-to-business (B2B) networking session held in Hanoi on May 28, bringing together Japanese and Vietnamese tourism enterprises to introduce products, design tour packages, and explore long-term cooperation opportunities.

A notable feature of this famtrip was its inter-regional experience-based approach, rather than presenting individual destinations separately.

During the five-day itinerary, the Japanese business delegation surveyed and experienced a range of high-quality tourism products and services in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Quang Ninh, with Hanoi served as a central hub offering deep cultural experiences, heritage exploration, and the distinctive pace of urban life.

In the first five months of 2026, Hanoi welcomed an estimated 15 million tourist arrivals, up more than 17% year-on-year. International visitors totalled about 4 million, an increase of over 28%, while total tourism revenue was estimated at 62.77 trillion VND (over 2.38 billion USD), up more than 20%.

The continuous hosting of international famtrip delegations highlights Hanoi’s increasingly proactive tourism promotion strategy, with a strong focus on improving visitor experience quality to attract more high-value international tourists to the capital./.