Hanoi Tourists?

Seems like a boring photo, but interesting to me WRT context. Photo taken on ramp at Gia Lam Airport, Hanoi on a truly historic fight by our USAF C-130 crew there shortly after a ceasefire in 1973. As mentioned previously in blog, we transported NVA peace delegates back to Hanoi from Saigon ... this was not long after the heavy bombing of Hanoi in the Christmas Linebacker II air campaign. The airport understandably had primitive facilities, and lots of collateral destruction. Guess I was surprised to see what seemed to be a large group of western-dressed women boarding a Soviet made prop-driven aircraft looking very much like tourists ... with many well wishers bidding them farewell from the patched building in the background. Would really like to know the truth and story behind this happening as it did not make sense at the time. An NVA dressed man can be seen at the head of the passenger line with the wing of the Soviet aircraft overhead.