Hanoi, Vietnam, used WTM London from 3 to 5 November 2026 to invite British and European tour operators to build holidays around the capital’s heritage, food and evening attractions. Ten Hanoi tourism businesses and organisations exhibited inside Vietnam’s national pavilion, where travel associations and businesses signed cooperation agreements. British travellers can already fly directly from London to explore the Craft Villages of Hanoi and join the city’s night tours. The fair also opened discussions about hosting two international exhibitions in Hanoi. Both remain proposals.
What WTM London delivered for Hanoi
The signed agreements cover how Hanoi suppliers and overseas operators can develop and sell trips together. The table gives an editorial assessment of the share of this story devoted to each subject. The percentages total 100% and describe the coverage. Hanoi’s measured visitor figures appear separately below.
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| News Component | Share of Story | Officially Verified Finding | Relevance to Travellers | Official Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destination marketing and trade agreements | 35% | Ten Hanoi exhibitors presented the capital. Tourism associations and businesses signed cooperation agreements. | Buyers met suppliers who can arrange visits. | Vietnam Government Portal |
| International visitor demand | 25% | Hanoi recorded an estimated 6.67 million international visits in January–September 2026, up 22% year on year. | Shows the size of the overseas market before the fair. | Government tourism figures |
| Heritage and village visits | 20% | Bat Trang offers pottery workshops, a ceramics market and a museum. | Visitors can choose between making pottery and seeing finished work. | National tourism guide |
| Proposed exhibitions | 15% | Talks covered a 2027 site visit for a possible 2028 ITB fair and a separate 2027 study for a World Travel Market event. | Neither fair has confirmed dates in Hanoi. | Tourism ministry |
| Entry requirements | 5% | Full British citizen passport holders can visit Vietnam for up to 45 days without a visa for tourism or business. | The existing exemption covers eligible short visits. | UK government guidance |
The agreements give local suppliers a way to reach buyers abroad. The public announcement gives no departure dates, prices or booking totals for any new holiday packages. For someone comparing tours of the Craft Villages of Hanoi, the useful detail is what an operator includes in a particular trip. A stop at a market offers a different experience from a session at a potter’s wheel.
How Hanoi chose what to take to WTM London
On 19 October 2026, Hanoi adopted a tourism plan that linked heritage, food, crafts and evening activities to a longer stay in the capital. On 3 November, the city opened its display in London with traditional music, maps, videos and guides in English. During the three-day fair, local exhibitors met tour operators, hotels, airlines and other transport providers. Their programme covered food, night tours and green tourism as well as the capital’s historic sites. Alongside those meetings came separate discussions about Hanoi’s suitability as a host city for travel exhibitions. City promotion programme
Hanoi identified two practical reasons for seeking partners in Britain. A direct air link and an existing visa exemption already made it easier for British visitors to reach Hanoi. The purpose of exhibiting was to develop what they could do once there. At WTM London, Hanoi also invited investment in air connections and digital visitor services. The discussions produced no new flight schedule or change to entry rules.
Why an established British market mattered
Between January and September 2026, Hanoi received an estimated 27.5 million tourist visits, up 6.2% on the same months of 2025. International visits accounted for about 24.3%, or roughly one in four. The city estimated tourism receipts at 113.2 trillion Vietnamese dong, up 13.3% over the same period. These totals cover the capital. They show neither how much reached village households nor how much British holidaymakers spent. Hanoi’s written plan targets 47 million to 50.5 million annual visits by 2030. In London, the tourism ministry cited the rounded range of 47 million to 51 million. Hanoi’s nine-month figures · City targets · Ministry briefing
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Hanoi recorded more than 221,000 UK visits in those nine months. Across Vietnam, British arrivals rose 9.7% on the same period in 2025. That percentage applies to the country as a whole. For an operator considering the Craft Villages of Hanoi, the city count establishes that there was a British market before the November fair. The figures predate any trips sold through the London agreements. Government account of the UK market
What the Craft Villages of Hanoi offer beyond a shopping stop
At Bat Trang, about 14 kilometres from central Hanoi on the Red River, visitors can try shaping clay themselves and see finished pieces at the ceramics museum. The market sells everyday bowls and dishes alongside ornaments and objects used for worship. Van Phuc offers a different kind of visit. Weavers work cloud and lotus patterns into silk, and visitors can follow the stages from reeling the fibres to dyeing the cloth. Van Phuc village guide
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Hanoi’s plan aims for overseas visitors to stay an average of 3.5 to four days by 2030. A village workshop by day and a ticketed evening at the Temple of Literature show how an operator could fill a longer stay. Duong Lam offers another choice for visitors interested in food. Households there serve meals, offer overnight stays in traditional homes and demonstrate how they make fermented soy sauce. City tourism plan · Duong Lam rural tourism guide
Planning a Vietnam trip after WTM London
For British visitors, the decision that matters is how long they intend to stay. The fair leaves existing entry arrangements in place. Travellers using a different passport should check the Vietnamese foreign ministry’s rules for their nationality. Vietnamese visa exemptions
- Check the passport. It must be undamaged, have two blank pages and remain valid for at least six months on arrival.
- Check the entry stamp. Use the same passport to enter and leave. Confirm the permitted departure date before leaving border control.
- For a longer stay, check the e-visa. It can cover up to 90 days. Single entry costs US$25 and multiple entry costs US$50. Select the correct entry and exit points. Official e-visa fees
Travellers flying directly from London arrive at Noi Bai International Airport. For a domestic connection, clear immigration in Terminal 2 and use the free shuttle to Terminal 1. Visitors staying in Hanoi can take bus 86 to the main railway station. For travel in 2027, the city’s plan calls for a list of seasonal experiences and annual events to be published during November and December 2026. City programme
The Hanoi dates to watch after WTM London
For travellers, WTM London highlighted what a Hanoi stay can include, from the Craft Villages of Hanoi to an evening at the Temple of Literature. For the travel trade, the agreements give local suppliers and overseas buyers a basis for developing those trips. A proposed site visit in 2027 would assess Hanoi for an ITB fair in 2028. A separate working group plans a feasibility study in 2027 for a World Travel Market event. Travellers can use the city’s forthcoming calendar to plan a holiday. Hotels and delegates should await official confirmation before treating either exhibition as a firm booking.
