Amid the blue sea, Co To is gradually positioning itself from a familiar vacation spot into a “green, smart, and friendly” destination. With steady growth momentum and a clear development orientation, Co To special zone not only strives to achieve the goal of attracting nearly 400,000 visitors in 2026, but also aims for a sustainable tourism model, elevating visitor experiences in a modern and more approachable way.
Starting right from early May 2026, visitors to Co To will fully enjoy a vibrant festive atmosphere through a series of programs and events. The summer welcome event series is also tied to activities commemorating the 65th anniversary of Uncle Ho's visit to Co To Island on May 9 (1961-2026). The locality will hold a Flag-raising Ceremony, incense offering, flower laying in remembrance, gratitude, and reporting achievements to Uncle Ho at 7:00 AM on May 9 at the Special National Relic of the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site on Co To Island. This will be followed by the Opening Ceremony of Summer Tourism 2026 under the theme “Green Co To - Symphony of Aspirations” at the Square in front of the Special National Relic of the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site on Co To Island.
Co To special zone plans to organize the beach cleanup program “Joining Hands for a Green Sea” at several beaches, central coastal areas, and suitable tourist spots; and a kayak race welcoming the summer tourism season 2026 at Tinh Yeu (Love) Beach (the area in front of the Square). In addition, the Summer 2026 Tourism Stimulus Program is being implemented with discount activities for accommodation, dining, transportation, sightseeing, and experiential services; encouraging the creation of combo packages, promotional deals, and gifts to attract visitors.
Furthermore, to prepare for the peak summer travel season of 2026, local business households have proactively collected waste and ensured environmental sanitation to serve the tourist season. At the two beaches of Van Chay and Hong Van, business households have removed palm-leaf umbrellas and installed iron frames with movable tarpaulins suitable for weather conditions, minimizing damage during storms and squalls. The Service Provision Center leads the upgrade of Hong Van and Van Chay beaches towards professional standards, while completing lighting systems, greenery, urban landscaping, and signage to serve tourists. The beaches are expected to open starting April 22.
Comrade Dinh Duc Minh, Permanent Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Co To special zone, stated: To ensure safety for visitors, functional agencies are intensifying inspections and strictly handling water motorbikes and banana boat towing that do not meet operating conditions. The Economic Division continues to inspect the quality and technical safety conditions of piers, wharves, and tourist waiting areas; while managing docking points and passenger boarding/disembarkation for island sightseeing tours. Competent units will also inspect and guide the standardization of food safety conditions at tourist service establishments; inspect water recreational activities and small island tours; and enforce price listing, selling at listed prices, and preventing visitor solicitation.
Over recent years, Co To special zone has positioned itself to build the “green island” brand with determination spanning from infrastructure planning to tourism operations. Adhering to this direction, in 2026, the locality continues to develop along three main pillars: positioning the destination brand with the orientation “Co To - a green, smart, friendly, and safe island”; developing infrastructure, improving service quality, and constructing and operating a digital ecosystem to serve management, promotion, and visitor support.
In particular, the special zone focuses on achieving sustainable environmental goals, such as: eliminating single-use plastics in tourism activities, collecting and treating 100% of marine waste at beaches, and ensuring 100% of business establishments have clean water and conservation solutions. At the same time, it strives to have over 80% of tourism workers trained in professional skills; integrate 100% of tourism facility data into the Co To Digital app; and include 100% of eligible accommodation establishments and restaurants in the digital management system.
Right from the start of 2026, the locality focused on completing key infrastructure highlights, striving to finish the Greater Co To roadway and the lighting system along Vu Van Hieu Street before March 31. Along with this is the upgrade and synchronized management of Hong Van and Van Chay beaches, and striving to build Tinh Yeu Beach to meet regulatory standards; continuing to strengthen inspections of fire prevention and fighting, price listing, food safety, and handling visitor solicitation, contributing to building a stable and compliant tourism business environment.
One of Co To's highlights is its approach to developing tourism products: instead of relying solely on landscapes, the island is crafting in-depth experiences. In particular, the Flag-raising Ceremony is oriented to become a signature tourism product. There, visitors not only sightsee but also learn about history, appreciate fine national traditions and values, and deepen their sense of pride. The Hong Hai Smart Tourism Village model is being piloted; tours visiting the three major islands (Co To – Thanh Lan – Tran Island) open up more diverse journeys of discovery; activities such as experiencing a fisherman's life, participating in marine ecological agriculture at Hon Ngang, trekking, and photography help visitors gain profound and memorable experiences with island life. The special zone has also determined to continue developing the night economy along the culinary street, coastal ring road, and regulating lake area; build Tinh Yeu Beach up to standard; and develop sightseeing products at the Village 2 Shrine…
With a comprehensive strategy covering products, events, and infrastructure, Co To expects to create an attractive, vibrant appeal for island and sea tourism, powerfully drawing visitors in 2026.
