Hanoi (VNA) - Hosting the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) is viewed as a “golden opportunity” for Vietnam to popularise its nature and people and to promote its reputation internationally, according to Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Ha Van Sieu.

Vietnam will be the host of the region’s largest sports event after 19 years and it is also the first major event of the region after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The regional biennial event will see the participation of almost 10,000 athletes, coaches and officials of 40 sports.

The tourism industry is striving to provide reception, accommodation and transport services for athletes, officials, spectators and visitors for a common goal of successfully hosting the regional games, Sieu said.

He noted that the sector has been accelerating awareness and tourism promotion campaigns to take advantage of this opportunity.

SEA Games 31’s competition events will take place from May 5 - 23 in Hanoi and 11 nearby cities and provinces in northern Vietnam. Tapping into the long-waited chance, hosting localities and travel agencies have launched various tours exclusively designed for both domestic and international fans. 

Vietravel is selling two travel packages which include tickets to SEA Games football matches at Phu Tho’s Viet Tri Stadium. In both packages, travellers will depart from Hanoi to Viet Tri to enjoy the match of their choice before exploring Sapa (Lao Cai) and Ninh Binh in a six-day tour, or Sapa and Ha Long (Quang Ninh) in a seven-day tour.

The firm is the first in Vietnam offering tours for fans of Vietnam’s national U23 team at SEA Games 31, making sure that football lovers will have an exciting experience with the young men and tourist destinations in the north, she added.

The VNAT is also promoting a variety of tours around Hanoi on its special webpage for SEA Games 31 at . They include sightseeing tours to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; Ho Chi Minh Museum; Temple of Literature; Hoan Kiem Lake; Vietnam Museum of Ethnology; and Duong Lam Ancient Village with Mia Pagoda, Mong Phu Temple and Phung Hung Temple.

Visitors can explore Vietnam’s history through a tour to the Vietnam National Museum of History (VNMH) and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long or learn about French architecture in Hanoi via a tour to the VNMH, Hanoi Opera House and Tonkin Palace (State Guest House).

There are also the Huong Pagoda hiking tour through Trinh Temple, Thien Tru Pagoda and Huong Tich Cave; and cycling tours to Co Loa Ancient Citadel and Bat Trang Pottery Village in the suburbs of the capital city and other tourist attractions in the inner city.

The 15-km cycling tour to Bat Trang starts from Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the city, through Hang Ngang and Hang Dao Streets, Dong Xuan Market, Long Bien Bridge, and Long Bien Dike to reach the centuries-old craft village located on the bank of the Red River.

Arriving at the village, cyclists can take a walking trip from Bat Trang Temple to explore its pottery-making tradition, architecture and lifestyle as well as a number of historic and cultural relics. 

A one-day cycling tour called “Trang An Quintessence” will guide travellers through well-known streets around Ho Tay and Hoan Kiem lakes and enable them to explore Hanoi’s cultural and architectural heritages, such as Quan Truong Gate, Cua Bac, Hanoi Flag Tower, Hoa Lo Prison and Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

In Quang Ninh where competitions of seven sports is to be held, nine tours have been made available for SEA Games visitors by Honggai Tours Quang Ninh in collaboration with Heritage Travel Centre./.