Though the number of international tourists in Vietnam rose by 36 percent, travelors in Hanoi in the first quarter of 2010 dropped by 7.2 percent.

At the Hoan Kiem Lake.

Travel firms said that there are many reasons but primarily blame construction, though they point out that room charges and service prices are on the rise.

After the traditional New Year (mid-February), many of the city’s major tourist sites, Hoan Kiem Lake, Thanh Nien road, Tran Quoc pagoda, Hang Dau old water tower and the Old Quarter, have been repaired to celebrate the city’s 1000^th anniversary.

Vietran Tour’s director Dinh Nguyet Anh said that many tourists ask to change hotels after one day in the Old Quarter.

“The repairs should have been completed a long time ago to welcome visitors. Cities in the world often begin repairs several years before their great events,” Anh complained.

Travel firms also said that Hanoi’s tourism attractions are simple. Visitors only need to spend one day in the city to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter.

Le Hong Thuong, deputy director of Vietsky Travel, suggests that tourists dislike traffic jams and dust, which is common in Hanoi.

Vietran Tour’s Dinh Nguyet Anh said that her firm has organized tours to traditional martial art clubs at the instruction of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism but not many tourists are buying it.

Hanoitourist’s Luu Duc Ke said that the tours to craft villages in Hanoi or Hanoi’s neighboring provinces are new so the number of tourists doesn’t rise. Hanoitourist plans to design a tour to the Village for Culture of Ethnic Groups or homestay tour in Ba Vi but this project has not been implemented yet.

PV