Hue to launch tourism stimulus on airport reopening

Thua Thien-Hue will launch a tourism stimulus campaign on the occasion of Phu Bai Airport reopening on September 20, which is two months earlier than expected.
Phan Tien Dung, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, informed the stimulus campaign would include a series of cultural and tourism events to celebrate 20 Hue relic sites and the tenth anniversary since Nha nhac (royal music) was recognized as a world heritage.
The campaign will offer tourists reduced hotel room rates, extra services and attractions and free Nha Nhac performances. It is scheduled to take place from September 1 to 25.
“We have worked with businesses in the province and will soon inform travel firms of the reopening of Phu Bai Airport and the stimulus campaign,” said Dung.
Phu Bai Airport was temporarily closed for runway repair on March 20. During the airport shutdown, visitors to Hue by air had to land at Danang Airport and then travel by road to Hue. Tour operators had to hire cars to transport tourists.
Dung said the airport shutdown did not reduce the number of tourists to Thua Thien-Hue as drastically as expected. In the first seven months of 2013, the province welcomed more than one million tourist arrivals, an increase of 3% year-on-year, including about 400,000 international arrivals.
“We organized new tours and offer tourists more promotions during the airport closing, so the number of visitors did not decrease,” he said..