Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh have announced that 18 luxury cruise ships will bring tourists to Ha Long beginning late this month, signaling a busy year-end season.

The first cruise vessel is expected to dock in Ha Long Bay on October 27, and the other upcoming vessels would arrive in November and December, the provincial Department of Tourism said.

Currently, the number of international visitors onboard each vessel has not been officially released.

Local authorities said the foreign tourists would visit UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay, the Quang Ninh Museum, and explore local culture and cuisine on a city tour.

Last March, the Malta-flagged Mein Schiff 5 cruise ship carried 2,400 German tourists to Ha Long, which is famous for tours through its thousands of limestone karst islands.

According to the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, there were about 100 luxury international cruise ships with each carrying 150,000 – 180,000 foreign tourists to Ha Long Bay before the pandemic.

A series of luxury cruise ships carrying thousands of international visitors have docked at Vietnamese ports since the beginning of this year as tourism gradually picks up steam.

Vietnam has received 8 million foreign tourists so far, and striving to receive 12 million foreign arrivals by the end of this year.