The cruise ship Dream Cruise brought nearly 400 tourists, mostly from China, to northern Quang Ninh province on January 26.

This is the first time the cruise liner has returned to Ha Long since the outbreak of Covid-19 on the Sanya (China) - Ha Long (Vietnam) route.

During their two-day stay, the passengers will tour Ha Long Bay, join city tours to explore the local culture and cuisine, and also visit some nearby attractions.

From now until March, Dream Cruise is scheduled to make at least one visit to Ha Long every week, depending on the number of bookings.

Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh Provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Huyen Anh said the province is among localities with the most modern international seaports in Vietnam, so is focusing on attracting international cruise tourists.

In the fourth quarter of 2023 it welcomed 23 cruises with 23,000 passengers.

There are 60 international cruise ships registered to dock at Ha Long International Port this year, carrying some 80,000 passengers.

Thirteen cruises registered to dock at the port in January, with nearly 20,000 tourists from Europe, the US, and China on board.

Quang Ninh has set a target of welcoming 17-20 million visitors this year, including 3 million foreigners.

Total tourism revenue is to hit VND39.1 trillion ($1.58 billion).