Hosting the Miss World Competition for the first time, Vietnam has a special opportunity to promote and introduce the image of its beautiful country to international friends. As part of this journey, Quang Ninh was selected as the opening destination, bringing Ha Long Bay, along with its distinctive cultural values, landscapes and tourism products, closer to global audiences. The 111 contestants present in Quang Ninh directly experienced and felt the destination, becoming “ambassadors” spreading the beauty and appeal of this heritage land through widely shared stories and images.
Expressing her delight at the welcome in Quang Ninh, Miss World Organization Chairwoman Julia Morley highly appreciated the choice of the province as the first destination on the Miss World 2026 journey. According to her, Quang Ninh not only possesses modern and convenient infrastructure and services, but also brings together distinctive heritage values, including Ha Long Bay and Yen Tu, as well as profound cultural depth and identity. The harmonious combination of natural beauty, heritage and friendly, hospitable people will create a special journey where Miss World’s beauty shines alongside the beauty of the heritage, helping bring the image of Vietnam closer to international friends.
For the contestants, the journey in Quang Ninh was not simply part of the competition schedule, but also an opportunity to directly experience the beauty of the area’s nature, culture and people. Upon arriving in Quang Ninh on August 8, many international contestants joined the “Halo Bay Show” water music program at the Halong Marina seaside urban area. Performances on the water, combined with sound and lighting, created a brilliant artistic space, bringing fresh and impressive emotions to the beauty queens.
Reigning Miss World 2025 Opal Suchata shared: “The Miss World 2026 contestants and I were truly impressed by the vibrant, dazzling beauty of the water music show beside the heritage bay. The combination of sound, light and water created a highly captivating artistic space. Our experiences at other destinations in Quang Ninh, such as the Provincial Museum - Library, the Đức Ông Trần Quốc Nghiễn Temple and sailing a three-masted boat on Ha Long Bay... also left us with many unforgettable impressions. We created so many beautiful moments together and will certainly carry cherished memories of this land with us.”
Through these direct experiences, Quang Ninh became more than just a destination known through promotional images; it became part of the memories of 111 women from many countries and territories. Every photograph, video, story and impression shared by the contestants during their journey in Quang Ninh helped bring the heritage land’s image closer to the public through television, digital platforms and social media, creating a natural, vivid and far-reaching effect.
According to Comrade Le Ngoc Thanh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss World’s selection of Quang Ninh as the first destination on its journey in Vietnam presents a major opportunity for the province to introduce its land, people, heritage and distinctive tourism products to international friends. In particular, the real-life experiences of the Miss World 2026 contestants will provide vivid, authentic content for promoting Quang Ninh tourism, from landscapes and cuisine to local culture. After the competition, the Department will continue advising the Provincial People’s Committee on implementing communications and promotion activities, connecting with key markets, tourism businesses and travel agencies, harnessing the media impact and converting Miss World’s reach into concrete, long-term tourism value.
To become the opening destination of Miss World 2026, Quang Ninh demonstrated not only its tourism resources but also its capacity to organize and serve large-scale international events. Departments, sectors and localities coordinated with the Organizing Committee to develop the program and prepare accommodation, services, transportation, security, safety and other conditions for the delegation. Thorough and professional preparations, together with a system of hotels, resorts, cruise vessels and high-quality experiential products, helped meet the stringent standards of an event of international stature.
Miss World 2026 not only provides an opportunity to spread the image of Quang Ninh’s heritage, culture, people and land, but also serves as an occasion to affirm the province’s capacity in infrastructure, services and international event organization, while expanding international exchange and cooperation across many fields. As tourism moves toward products combining leisure, culture, sports and entertainment, accompanying Miss World 2026 will help enhance the destination’s appeal and affirm Quang Ninh’s position on the world tourism map.
