Blackpink’s presence is turning up the heat on Hanoi’s tourism

The arrival of K-pop superstars BlackPink in Hanoi these days is expected to boost the city's tourism industry.

Blackpink will come to Hanoi for the Born Pink music concert. Photo: Blackpink's fanpage

With the band's international fame, each concert night is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans from home and abroad to the capital.
BlackPink's presence is already spurring travel activity in the capital.

As of now, hotels and homestays near My Dinh Stadium in Cau Giay District, where the concert will be held, are fully booked for the first night of the concert.

Nguyen Van Dat, CEO of BestPrice Travel Company, said that before and during the concert period from July 26 to August 1, the demand for hotel bookings skyrocketed, especially for hotels near the My Dinh Stadium area.

"Hotels less than 1 km from the stadium, such as Eastin Hotel & Residences Hanoi and Hyatt Regency West Hanoi, among others, are fully booked even though guests have been looking for rooms long before the concert," he told Tuoi Tre Online.
Hanoi is expected to welcome a whopping 2.38 million domestic and foreign visitors in July, according to the latest report from the Hanoi Tourism Department.

International visitors are expected to reach more than 380,000, while two million domestic tourists came to Hanoi, an increase of more than 11% year-on-year. The total revenue from tourism activities in July is estimated at VND8.6 trillion (US$362.2 million).

Hanoi welcomes 14.7 million visitors in the first seven months of 2023. Photos: Vietnam.travel

About a 10-minute drive from My Dinh Stadium, the Eastin Hotel & Residences Hanoi, one of the luxury hotels in Cau Giay District, has seen a significant increase in room bookings, especially since the concert was officially authorized.

Do Van Nghia, manager of Eastin Hotel & Residences Hanoi, said that with the rumors of BlackPink's concert cancellation, room bookings were somewhat stagnant, but after it was confirmed on July 24, the demand for room bookings rose again.

He added that the hotel's occupancy rate is currently high. Vietnamese guests booking rooms are mainly from the southern provinces, while foreign guests staying at the hotel during this period account for 40-50%, with most coming from China and Singapore.

"Many international tourists travel to Vietnam for this occasion. We have introduced bun cha and pho bo, the iconic dishes of the capital's cuisine and culture, to tourists staying at the hotel," he said.

Bun cha, or rice vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs, is the must-try street food in Hanoi.

In addition to the luxury hotel segment, three- to four-star hotels in the My Dinh Stadium area will also see their occupancy rates reach almost 100% on the first night of BlackPink's concert (July 29).

Nguyen Trong Cuong, a representative of the Western Skyline Hotel, said the hotel has 43 rooms with prices ranging from VND1-1.3 million ($42-$54.8) and was fully booked on July 29. The number of room bookings for the night of July 30 was about 50% of the total rooms, mainly by guests from China, accounting for up to 70%.

Nguyen Xuan Truong, director of sales and marketing at Grand K Hotel Suites Hanoi, said the hotel was almost full during the Blackpink concert, with many guests coming from China and South Korea.

Foreigners who come to Hanoi to see the show are usually high-spending customers, he told VOV.vn. According to preliminary statistics, 75% of the guests who stayed at the hotel during this period were Chinese, including those who booked through Booking.com, Expedia and Trip. There were also groups that booked dozens of rooms through travel agencies.

He added that most guests stay three nights from July 28 to 30, with the highest occupancy rate on July 29. On those days, the hotel's occupancy rate reached about 80%, compared to 40% on normal days.

Not only in the My Dinh Stadium surroundings, hotels, and guesthouses in other areas also saw an increase in room bookings in late July and early August. Many hotels, which cost around VND500,000 - VND2 million ($21 - $84) per night, reported a "fully booked" status.

There are more than 3,700 tourist accommodation facilities with over 70,000 rooms in Hanoi. The occupancy rate of hotel rooms reached over 60% in July.

Dang Huong Giang, director of the Hanoi Tourism Department, said it is the golden time for the city to promote tourism.

"Tourists coming to see the "Born Pink" music concert can explore many attractive tourism products and cultural tours, such as the night tour of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a night tour of the Hoa Lo Prison Relic, or nature and adventure tourism products such as ziplining, hot air ballooning, archery in Long Bien, Ba Vi, Soc Son districts," she said.

In the first seven months of the year, the number of tourists in the capital is estimated at 14.7 million visitors, an increase of 38.7% over the same period last year. Among them, international visitors reached 2.43 million, or 81% of the annual target, while domestic visitors were 12.3 million. The city's tourism revenue is expected to hit VND53.7 trillion (US$2.26 billion), up 68.3% from 2022.

The city aims to earn VND77 trillion (US$3.26 billion) in tourism revenue this year, expecting to attract about 22 million visitors.