Blessed with over 128km of coastline and the largest lagoon system in Southeast Asia, covering up to 22,000 hectares, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue is making the most of its natural strengths to develop sea-based tourism.
Con Son eco-resort and tourism complex, located in Phu Thuan commune, Phu Vang district, on the bank of Thanh Lam lagoon, was granted a licence by the provincial government last week. The 42-hectare high-end project has a total investment of 1.01 trillion VND (43.4 million USD).
It is designed to accommodate up to 15,000 guests per day. Besides accommodation, the complex provides a wide range of services, from restaurant, mobile catering, to amusement, souvenir and local specialty shops. It also expects to bring to visitors greater experience of local culture and fishermen’s daily life.
The project is scheduled to be operational in March 2023.
Shortly prior to this, Thua Thien-Hue approved a 134-hectare eco-tourism complex in Hai Duong commune, Huong Tra town near Tam Giang lagoon that will cost more than 2.1 trillion VND.
The province is also calling for investment to a similar project in Loc Dien commune, Phu Loc district to tap into the beauty of Cau Hai lagoon.
In 2018, the province permitted Banyan Tree Holdings company from Singapore to increase its total investment at Laguna Lang Co integrated resort to 2 billion USD. The added capital has been used to build nearly 1,000 more hotel rooms (from 2,180 to 3,178) and 1,073 villas (from 1,180 to 2,253). Some 250 million USD of the added capital is being invested in a 2.64-hectare casino entertainment complex for foreigners.
Located near Lang Co Bay, the first phase of the Laguna Lang Co project includes Angsana Lang Co Hotel with 229 rooms and Banyan Tree Residences with 57 villas and an 18-hole golf course, with an initial capital of nearly 300 million USD.
About 17km away from the Laguna Lang Co, final touch is being put on the Minh Vien international tourism site which will offer 200 – 300 rooms once the first phase of the project completes in the end of this year.
The province’s Lang Co area currently houses six resort complexes, 45 hotels and motels, providing about 1,200 rooms and 1,800 beds. The area has seen an annual growth of over 25 percent in tourist arrivals and 20 percent in revenue from tourism. The number of visitors to Lang Co accounted for around 16 percent of the total tourist arrivals in the province. Last year, it welcomed more than 1.3 million holidaymakers, earning about 1.4 trillion VND (60.2 million USD).
Thua Thien-Hue aims to further develop sea-based tourism with a focus on Lang Co – Chan May area and Tam Giang – Cau Hai lagoon by 2020.
By 2025, Lang Co – Canh Duong tourist area in Lang Co township is set to welcome over 1.5 million visitors, about 600,000 of them foreign visitors.
In 2018, Thua Thien-Hue welcomed more than 4.3 million visitors, a rise of 14 percent, with the number of foreign visitors up 30 percent. Tourism revenue reached 4.47 trillion VND, up 27.1 percent against 2017.
It targets to attract about 4.7 million visitors in 2019, with 45 percent being foreigners, a rise of about 7 percent year on year.
The province targets 4.9 trillion VND in tourism revenue in the year, up 10 percent compared to the previous year.
On educational cooperation, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Thanh Binh praised long-standing collaboration in training, research and academic exchanges, noting that the Vietnamese language now is taught at around 30 universities across China.
Technology is similarly enriching exhibitions at the Vietnam Women’s Museum in Hanoi. Wartime letters, a typewriter and other artefacts linked to former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh have been digitally integrated with collections held at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Through projection mapping, 3D displays and a virtual reality recreation of the Paris Peace Agreement, visitors can engage more deeply with the life and achievements of one of Vietnam’s most prominent diplomats.
As international arrivals surge and global travel trends shift toward safer, culture-focused destinations, Vietnam is positioning itself to move beyond budget tourism and compete through high-value experiences and service quality.
Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the VBS Patronage Council, called on Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, and followers to continue serving society with mindfulness and compassion, uphold the noble traditions of Vietnamese Buddhism, and spread the light of kindness to foster a better life for all.
In recent years, many localities across the Dong Van Karst Plateau have strengthened efforts to integrate traditional culture preservation into schools. "Khen" performances, linen weaving, folk songs and traditional games are gradually becoming more familiar once again to younger generations.
Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird said: “We are thrilled to support this musical collaboration between Australia’s Matthew Ifield and Vietnam’s Mỹ Anh. Creative connections and exchange between young people in Australia and Vietnam will help build cultural understanding between our nations”.
The Vietnam Film Institute in coordination with the Embassy of Sweden will jointly organise the Vietnam–Sweden Children’s Film Week in Hanoi in early June, featuring free screenings of Vietnamese animated films and Swedish children’s classics.
Vietnamese Buddhism has consistently upheld the spirit of “protecting the nation and serving the people” while accompanying the nation in promoting social ethics, strengthening great national unity, and advancing national development.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, has officially launched the “Korea Season 2026” program series in Vietnam.
With a score of 69 out of 100, Hanoi stood out for its remarkable visual diversity, boasting more than 1.8 million unique colours captured across the analysed images.
The growing presence of Vietnam in international music videos is therefore more than a story of beautiful imagery. It is also a test of how the country positions itself within the global cultural landscape.
According to Vu Ngoc Lam, Country Director of Agoda Vietnam, travellers are becoming more selective when choosing accommodation, prioritising properties with strong reviews, quality amenities and distinctive dining options. This trend reflects a growing emphasis on the overall travel experience, alongside peer-based quality assurance.
Hanoi is currently home to the largest number of craft villages in Vietnam, with around 1,350 villages engaged in traditional trades and handicrafts.
With its majestic landscapes, rich ethnic cultures and immersive tourism experiences, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Old Town of Lijiang are becoming increasingly attractive to Vietnamese travellers, while also contributing to stronger tourism and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and China’s Yunnan province.
The increase in flights from Russia, the CIS and Belarus to Da Nang not only helps diversify the city’s international visitor markets but also reflects growing confidence among international travel companies in Da Nang’s attractiveness and tourism capacity.
The Command Cave tour offers domestic and international visitors an opportunity to explore the values of the World Natural Heritage site of Phong Nha-Ke Bang while commemorating the victories and sacrifices of forces operating along the Truong Son route.
The introduction of a 10-year multiple-entry visa policy, together with a series of new tourism promotion programs, is creating fresh momentum for the Vietnam–South Korea tourism market in 2026.
The representative of the Vietnam Cinema Association stated that in the context of today’s fourth Industrial Revolution, the requirement to respect and ensure historical authenticity through cinema has become more important than ever, as digital platforms and cyberspace have enabled the widespread dissemination of cross-border media products.
According to the digital travel platform Agoda, travel searches by Vietnamese users show a clear shift toward lesser-known destinations offering more personalised and immersive experiences, spanning coastal, mountainous and cultural tourism.
PSNews - "We have always affirmed that the greatest strength lies in the people, and the greatest creativity also comes from the people. When millions of positive stories are shared and spread simultaneously, we are not only promoting the image of our country, but also helping to strengthen social trust, enhance consensus, elevate national prestige, and proactively counter false and distorted information about Vietnam in the international arena", said Trinh Thi Thuy - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Head of the Organizing Committee of the award.