Italy's five-star cruise ship, the Costa Serena, docked at Ha Long International Passenger Port in Quang Ninh Province on Friday, bringing 3,040 tourists from Hong Kong. This marks the ship's second visit to Ha Long Bay in the past 20 days, highlighting the growing appeal of Vietnam's northern coastal region to international travelers.

Upon arrival, passengers were taken to explore iconic tourist attractions and experience local culture and products. Pham Van Hiep, director of the port, noted that the continuous arrival of international cruise ships signifies positive growth in Quang Ninh's cruise tourism industry. He emphasized that despite recent challenges like Typhoon Yagi—the most powerful storm to hit the East Vietnam Sea in three decades—international shipping lines remain confident in the province's infrastructure and service quality.

So far this year, Quang Ninh has welcomed 42 international cruise ships with more than 50,000 tourists. An additional 13 cruise ships are expected to bring around 15,000 more visitors before the year's end. The Costa Serena alone is scheduled to return three more times on the Hong Kong - Ha Long - Hong Kong route. With upcoming arrivals like Norway's Viking Orion, which will bring over 1,000 European tourists, Quang Ninh is on track to meet its target of attracting three million international visitors in 2024.

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