According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, the city now houses 3,760 accommodation establishments with 71,246 rooms. Specifically, there are 607 hotels and apartment complexes rated from 1 to 5 stars, accommodating 26,641 rooms. The majority of guests in 4- and 5-star hotels are usually business travellers or short-term tourists.

Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said that Hanoi lacks large-scale hotels offering more than 1,000 rooms and comprehensive services, including accommodation, sports, and entertainment. While the restaurant and culinary service infrastructure is developing, it remains decentralised and not well-integrated with local hotels and resorts to create effective value chains.

Minh suggested lodging facilities develop specific tourism packages aimed at attracting domestic tourists during off-peak seasons, and create supply chains linking accommodation with leisure and entertainment services.

From a tour operator's perspective, Nguyen Manh Than, Chairman of the Hanoi Tourism Association, recommended hotels to team up with travel companies to jointly develop comprehensive packages conducive to those participating in group tours.

Le Hong Thai, Director of the Hanoitourist travel company, said apart from hotel-driven demand stimulation policies and discounts, Hanoi needs to offer more experience tourism products to encourage longer stays among visitors.

In response to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s stimulus programme urging Vietnamese people to travel within their homeland, the Hanoi Department of Tourism is launching a series of experience activities at the local 4- and 5-star hotels.

Director of the Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang noted that the capital has a large number of staycationers and international students, hence it will intensify efforts to cater to the groups.

She said accommodation service providers need to collaborate with airlines and travel companies to develop suitable tourism products that extend visitors' stays. Meanwhile, reasonable pricing policies are crucial to attract Hanoians to travel within Hanoi./.VNA