Hanoi continues to promote waterway tourism activities.

Hanoi Department of Tourism has sent report No. 236/BC-SDL to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the current status of waterway tourism activities in Hanoi city in the period of 2023-2025.

Hanoi has 7 major rivers flowing through it with a total length of 556km. Among them are large, widely connected river systems such as: Red River, Duong River, Da River, Cau River... The Red River section passing through the capital is 163km long. These rivers have been planned and connected, contributing to the formation of a national inland waterway network, capable of reaching all regions of the country.

Red River. (Photo: Ngoc Thanh/vnexpress.net)

In the recent period, the City has actively advised the Government to issue Decisions, in which, regarding tourism planning, it has determined the planning and development of 04 river tourism corridors, including: Tourism corridor along the Red River; Tourism corridor along the Day River; Tourism corridor along the To Lich River; Tourism corridor along the Cau River, Ca Lo River and Tich River. The City has identified these as key tourism routes and corridors that need to focus on attracting investment and development in the coming period.

Regarding the number of tourists and revenue from waterway tourism: Hanoi currently has waterway tourism products on the Red River. Statistics on the number of tourists using Hanoi waterway products over the years, specifically: 2,909 in 2023 and 7,352 in 2024, and 2,585 in the first 9 months of 2025. Revenue from waterway tourism activities in 2023 reached 1,564,039,616 VND, in 2024 reached 3,066,967,517 VND, in the first 9 months of 2025 reached 1,826,740,000 VND.

Currently, there is one company operating waterway tourism routes along the Red River, Thang Long GTC Joint Stock Company, with 18 employees taking on positions in road tourism activities. The number of vehicles and tourist boats operating on the Red River route is 2 with capacities of 40 seats and 72 seats respectively. Thang Long GTC Joint Stock Company is operating 9 tours on the Red River, including 5 full-day tours, 2 half-day tours and 2 afternoon-evening programs.

Hanoi City has identified the work of building mechanisms and policies for developing waterway tourism products as one of the key, fundamental, and foundational tasks for effectively implementing other groups of tasks and solutions. In the recent period, the City People's Committee has actively directed departments, branches, localities and related units to research and propose the construction of many new groups of mechanisms and policies with high practicality.

According to assessment, in the past period, this type of waterway tourism product has gradually attracted a large number of domestic and international tourists. The indicators for the development of waterway tourism continue to increase, maintaining a rapid growth rate. Many new tourist routes have been formed and developed with diverse and attractive service quality, meeting the needs of tourists such as the routes: Hanoi - Hung Yen, Hanoi - Bac Ninh ...

For businesses operating and organizing waterway tourism routes in the City: Currently, units exploiting river tourism products in the City are basically operating effectively, with good business results, and tending to grow and develop year by year. Companies are continuing to research and expand new tourism routes connecting Hanoi to provinces such as Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Phu Tho, etc. In addition, many prestigious central and local businesses are also researching, proposing and wishing to participate in developing waterway tourism products in the City.

In summary, it can be affirmed that initially, waterway tourism products have had positive results, making important contributions to the overall development of the City's tourism, and are increasingly affirming their role as a potential and key tourism product of the Capital in the coming period.

In the coming time, in order to promote the development of waterway tourism in the city, Hanoi will focus on a number of key tasks. In particular, promoting new investment solutions to complete the infrastructure system, prioritizing land allocation according to the subdivisions on both sides of the Red River and urban development areas, satellite cities to build art works, services, green spaces to serve tourism and cultural development.

Continue to renovate and improve the internal infrastructure system and connecting traffic infrastructure at waterway ports; at the same time, attract socialized resources to invest in the construction of large, modern waterway ports with professional services to serve the development of waterway tourism activities; Research and build model tourist ports; publicize detailed planning of a number of large ports; pilot the exploitation of passenger transport and tourism on rivers, especially the Red River... to attract investors with practical efficiency.

Prioritize the allocation of resources to upgrade inland waterway infrastructure such as renovating channels; ensuring navigation clearance; enhancing traffic connections between waterways and roads. Strengthen decentralization and management for localities to proactively implement management and investment according to planning.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/ha-noi-tiep-tuc-day-manh-hoat-dong-du-lich-duong-thuy-20251023103548525.htm