Revitalizing tourist destinations in Nghe An to attract visitors.
In recent years, Nghe An has been attracting an increasing number of tourists, creating opportunities to boost the development of the "non-polluting industry" (tourism). However, to attract a large number of tourists, especially international visitors, it is necessary to constantly refresh destinations, adapting them to each stage to meet the needs and tastes of tourists.
Develop a comprehensive program.
According to a report by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the first six months of the year, the province is estimated to have welcomed and served more than 6.75 million tourists (109% compared to 2025), of which the number of overnight visitors is estimated at 4.26 million. Total tourism revenue is estimated at 20,896 billion VND, of which tourism sales revenue is estimated at 8,350 billion VND (114% compared to the same period in 2025).
This is the result of the efforts and creativity of localities, areas, destinations, and tourism service businesses. This includes efforts to revitalize certain products and destinations to create appeal for tourists.
Cua Lo Ward is a leading locality in revitalizing its tourist destinations to attract visitors to the coastal town. This year, the most notable new feature is the first-ever Cua Lo Tourism Festival, a program structured as a series of events spanning the entire year instead of focusing solely on the summer season as in previous years.
Visitors to Cua Lo can not only enjoy swimming in the sea but also participate in cultural and sporting activities, festivals, the sea carnival, food festivals, and art programs. In addition, the tourism infrastructure continues to be upgraded comprehensively.
Along the entire beach, additional freshwater showers, public restrooms, changing rooms, and other amenities have been invested in to serve tourists in a civilized and modern way, improving the quality of service and the visitor experience.
Ms. Nguyen Thu Binh, a tourist from Hanoi, said: “During this vacation in Cua Lo, I noticed that there are really many new features here. The sea is clear blue, the beach is wide, spacious, and cleaner. From the prices to the service attitude and the quality of services, I and many other tourists are very satisfied.”
Another important highlight is the diversification of tourism products. Cua Lo is developing cultural experience tours, spiritual tourism, night tourism, cruises on the Lam River, activities on Ngu Island and Lan Chau Island, and programs experiencing traditional folk songs and fishing village culture. This gives tourists more choices beyond traditional beach tourism products.
With innovations in development thinking, tourism products, infrastructure, and service quality, Cua Lo is aiming to become a modern coastal tourism center of the North Central region, an attractive destination not only in the summer but all year round for domestic and international tourists.
Mr. Phung Duc Nhan – Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo Ward
Besides Cua Lo, several other destinations are also demonstrating efforts to revitalize themselves and have initially achieved important results. Notably, Hon Mat Eco-tourism Area (Nghia Loc) is regularly renovated to suit each season.
In 2026, Hon Mat Island will have several notable new features and advantages: It will transition from a purely tourist destination to an eco-tourism (farmstay) model; and it will diversify its experiential activities such as lake cruises, kayaking, SUP, pedal boats, team building, bonfires, and outdoor BBQs, suitable for families, students, and group tours.
Muong Dan tourist destination in Tien Phong commune is known for the beauty of its seven-tiered waterfall complex, ancient villages, and the unique customs and traditions of the Thai ethnic group. This year, to attract more visitors, tourism professionals in Muong Dan regularly organize exchanges between Thai cultural clubs from communes in the western region to attract more tourists.
People from Que Phong, Chau Tien, Quy Chau, and even Mon Son came here to exchange and perform. “The exchange program between Thai cultural clubs from many villages has enriched cultural and artistic activities. This has attracted a considerable number of visitors to explore and experience Muong Dan,” shared Lu Thanh Long, owner of Lam Khang Homestay.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Mau, a tourist from Hanoi, said: “Recently, returning to Nghe An, I noticed that some destinations have begun to change and be renovated to create highlights and attract tourists. This can be considered a positive sign for the province's tourism to continue to thrive and effectively exploit its valuable resources.”
Continue to refresh the destination.
Tourism experts believe that the increase in tourist numbers and revenue in Nghe An in recent years is partly due to efforts to revitalize the destination. However, the majority of tourists here are still domestic, or even from within the province, with very few international tourists or those staying for extended periods.
Therefore, revenue from tourism is not yet very high, and Nghe An is not yet a truly attractive destination for tourists from major cities and international visitors.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An – Deputy General Director of Fiditour – Vietluxtour Travel Joint Stock Company (Ho Chi Minh City) believes that, overall, tourism in Nghe An still mainly consists of "back to the roots" programs, which are not enough to "retain" tourists, especially those from the South. To be attractive enough, in addition to maintaining traditional tours, it is possible to immediately exploit sports, adventure, and mountain climbing tourism destinations associated with Puxailaileng peak (Na Ngoi) and the Giang River and Pha Lai ferry (Mon Son).
According to Ms. Le Thi Phuong Anh, Director of SAB Travel Company (Vinh Loc ward), many domestic and international tourists returning to Nghe An share the same opinion that the destinations here have changed very little. While acknowledging that some things should remain unchanged, especially at historical sites, at least some annual changes are needed to create a more memorable experience for tourists.
Clearly, in the context of increasingly fierce competition among localities, revitalizing tourist destinations should be seen as a regular, ongoing task, not just a temporary activity.
For Nghe An, in addition to improving infrastructure and services, it is necessary to focus on developing distinctive products based on the unique advantages of each region. The coastal area needs to strongly develop night tourism, fisheries-related experiential tourism, water sports, and high-end resorts.
The western region needs to further explore the cultural values of the Thai, Mong, and Khmu ethnic groups in conjunction with community tourism; and at the same time develop trekking, nature exploration, and adventure tourism products in Puxailaileng, Pu Hoat, Giang River, or Pu Mat National Park...
By reinventing itself based on existing values, Nghe An's tourism industry not only retains domestic tourists but also gradually conquers the international market. This is also the path for the province's "smoke-free industry" to develop in a professional and modern direction, becoming an important driving force for economic growth and promoting the image of Nghe An homeland.
