Southeastern region eyes ways to increase tourism competitiveness
The southeastern region, which comprises of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc and Binh Duong provinces, is striving to promote tourism by developing strong products, increasing connectivity, and forming new tours.
Con Dao island district in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) 𝔍– The southeastern region, which comprises of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc and Binh Duong provinces, is striving to promote tourism by developing strong products, increasing connectivity, and forming new tours.
In the regional development masterplan for the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the tourism sector is envisioned to develop in a professional, modern, and quality direction, and be highly competitive.
Specifically, Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria - Vung Tau are defined to be the driving force for regional tourism development, while Vung Tau city will be turned into a high-quality international-class tourism centre.
The masterplan also sets forth main measures of strengthening regional links to promote and improve tourism development efficiency based on outstanding resources and connected transportation systems; and develop inter-provincial and inter-regional tourism routes linked with unique local products.
Last year, the six southeastern localities welcomed over 65 million tourists, accounting for 54% of the country’s total. However, experts and managers agreed that the region still holds a lot of potential that has yet to be tapped fully.
Bui Vien night street is an attractive destination to foreign tourists to HCM City (Photo: VNA)
Ho Chi Minh City, as the nucleus and growth pole of the region, is promoting the development of its advantageous economic sectors, including tourism and services. From its advantage of being a special urban area with diverse natural and cultural tourism resources, the city continues to improve quality and diversify products, with focus on local unique ones.
According to Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung, the city is aiming to welcome 39 million domestic visitors and over 7 million international tourists by 2025. By 2030, tourism will truly become its key economic sector, thus helping turn the city into the leading tourist centre in Southeast Asia, and a classy, attractive and highly competitive tourist destination not only domestically but also regionally and internationally.
The municipal Department of Tourism said that recently, it has developed and released a handbook of the city’s typical tourism products which gives visitors suggestions about traveling to cultural and historical destinations, river cruises, experiencing urban life, enjoying cuisine, and exploring suburban areas, mangrove ecosystems, and urban agriculture.
In the first half of 2024, the metropolitan is estimated to serve over 17 million domestic and over 2.67 million foreign tourists, and enjoy a year-on-year revenue growth rate of 14.6%.
Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Le Ngoc Khanh said that the province - home to Con Dao island - is Vietnam’s renowned spiritual tourist destination, and has sent delegations to other localities in the region to seek ways to boost tourism connectivity, and form cultural, historical, spiritual, and island tours.
Vice Chairwoman of the Binh Phuoc provincial People's Committee Tran Tuyet Minh pointed out that with the Bu Gia Map National Park and its location bordering Cambodia, Binh Phuoc has a lot of potential for tourism development, and wants to join the whole region to further develop its tourism. It is positioned as a gateway connecting the Central Highlands region with Ho Chi Minh City and southeastern provinces, and its advantage of possessing many historical and cultural relic sites.
The locality is striving to welcome 1.7 million visitors by 2025, of whom international visitors will account for 3.2 - 4%; and increase the length of stay in the province to an average of 1.15 days/visitor./.
Various measures are being taken by authorities and businesses in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau to keep up with the green tourism trend to attract more travellers.
Recognising tourism as one of the breakthroughs for socio-economic development, the southwestern province of Tay Ninh has been focusing on various solutions and resources to create new impetus for the non-smoke industry.
The first and only direct service connecting the two countries at the moment is set to operate three times per week using the modern wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Mu Cang Chai is home to nearly 83,000 hectares of forest, including almost 60,000 hectares of unspoiled natural woodland. Recognising this potential, local authorities have embraced a holistic strategy that protects biodiversity while promoting tourism.
Phu Quoc ranks among the top 10 leading tourist islands in Asia. As the largest island in Vietnam, it boasts stunning natural beauty, with expansive coral reefs resting beneath the sea and a number of beautiful, poetic beaches such as Sao, Truong, and Khem, known for their fine white sand and crystal-clear waters.
Vietnam's national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are among the exhibitors, promoting key destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phu Quoc, as well as distinctive tourism products.
Alexander Musikhin, Vice President of ATOR and CEO of the Intourist travel agency, highlighted Vietnam as a top destination offering a unique blend of beach holidays and cultural excursions.
According to Seoul’s Tourism Industry Department, approximately 20,000 Vietnamese visitors travel to the city each year for medical treatment. Vietnam consistently ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of medical tourists to Seoul.
An analysis of accommodation search data based on check-in dates for June and July revealed that Nha Trang surpassed all other destinations in popularity among Korean users.
The programme is organised by the Khanh Hoa provincial Youth Union and the “Khanh Hoa people speak English” Project, and aims to promote the culture, history, cuisine and other tourism products of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa to international visitors.
VNAT Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh called visa a golden ticket to pulling in crowds, but he is clear that it needs coordinated efforts across multiple sectors to keep the momentum going in this fast-moving global travel scene.
As a tourism hub, Hanoi is now actively developing strategies to attract Muslim travellers. In recent years, the city has seen a notable uptick in visitors from countries with large Muslim populations.
When tourists witness firsthand the passion and care of farmers, they’re willing to pay higher prices because they see the genuine worth behind every product.
During the first five months, China continued to be Vietnam's largest source market of tourists, followed by the RoK, China’s Taiwan, the US, and Japan.
After more than three months of operation, the popularity of the free tours in Bac Ninh province shows no signs of cooling down. Many tourists return every week in hopes of experiencing all the tours and visiting every destination.
Typical products of Phu Tho are being showcased at the Lao Cai International Travel Mart 2025, held in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai from June 5-8.
Featuring 130 stalls and delegations from 120 travel agencies representing more than ten countries and territories, the event is expected to provide a platform for establishing partnerships and attracting more visitors to Lao Cai in the future.
Kicking off the festival on the evening of June 7 will be the grand music concert titled “Nha Trang Say Hi”, featuring popular artists from the trending show “Anh Trai Say Hi”. The event will be broadcast live nationwide and conclude with a fireworks display over Nha Trang Bay.
Data from Booking.com reveals that during the peak summer vacation in June and July, beach trips continue to be a top priority for Vietnamese travellers.
The northern midland province of Phu Tho has carried out all-round measures to improve tourism infrastructure, services, and offerings, elevating visitor experience and reinforcing the province’s unique cultural identity.
Hanoi has directed lodging providers and tourist destinations to bolster preparations in staffing, service quality, security, and sanitation. Community-based lodging platforms such as Airbnb are also being promoted strongly to expand housing supply during the holiday period.
