At the beginning of summer 2026, Quang Ninh tourism continues to make its mark with an appealing series of new products, from night tourism, light festivals and local cultural exploration to community-based tourism... This is gradually shaping a more multifaceted, multi-experience and in-depth tourism ecosystem.
During the 30 April–1 May holiday, visitors to Quang Ninh could easily sense the excitement, with beaches, island routes and attractions packed with people. At night, a wide range of appealing artistic, entertainment, culinary and light festival activities were held. This shows that the tourism sector is gradually addressing the “major challenge” of extending visitors’ stays and increasing their spending.
The most notable highlight of this summer is the “explosion” of night tourism products along the heritage waterfront. Among them, VuiFest Ha Long Night Market quickly became a “new hotspot” attracting large numbers of visitors. The street stretches for approximately 1km along the bay, from the Ha Long International Passenger Ship Port to the Lighthouse (Bai Chay Ward), and has been developed as an integrated nighttime experience complex combining shopping, cuisine, street art and modern performance technology.
More than simply a traditional night market, VuiFest has been developed as an open festival space where visitors can enjoy local specialties while immersing themselves in the atmosphere of street festivals, 3D mapping projections and artistic shows.
In particular, Carnaval Ha Long 2026 continues to affirm its role as the “leading force” in the province’s strategy to renew its tourism products. The program has been upgraded with a combination of live performances, lighting technology and interactive experiences. The most impressive feature was the light performance by 76 tourist boats on Ha Long Bay, creating a brilliant “river of light” amid the heritage site. A model vehicle parade representing 54 communes, wards and special administrative zones, together with a dynamic stage system, transformed the carnival into a vibrant cultural space where community elements and local identity were highlighted more clearly. The approximately 80,000 visitors who flocked to the event during the holiday demonstrated the strong appeal of this new festival model.
Another notable development is Quang Ninh’s efforts to “awaken” the depth of local culture through its tourism products. In Ha Tu Ward, traditional cultural values are becoming the material for creating distinctive tourism products. Visitors do not merely observe but also directly participate in the traditional activities of the San Diu people and fishing-village residents, such as making bạc đầu cakes, singing courtship songs and buying and selling seafood… The development of cultural tourism products in Ha Tu Ward has mobilized the direct participation of the community. Local residents, artisans, young people and others join in organizing, performing and conveying cultural values, giving visitors authentic experiences. Alongside this, tours featuring three-sided sailing boats have also attracted considerable interest. These traditional boats are closely associated with the lives of Quang Ninh’s fishermen, with a rustic and leisurely appearance amid the sea and sky of the heritage landscape.
At the famtrip program to survey new tourism products organized by the Quang Ninh Tourism Association at the end of April, travel companies highly appreciated the efforts of businesses and local authorities to improve visitors’ experiences. Mr. Tran Xuan Hoang, Director of Wevision Trading Services JSC, commented: “The notable feature of summer 2026 is the clear change in travel consumption behavior. Whereas low prices were often the top priority in the past, visitors are now willing to pay more in exchange for more suitable and higher-quality experiences. Quang Ninh’s tourism products have recently been shifting toward wellness, closeness to nature and strong local character, keeping pace with modern trends, and will certainly be well received by visitors.”
At the same time, the official opening of the connecting route between Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay has created a broader interregional tourism space. This is not simply the opening of an additional sightseeing route; it also reflects a regional connectivity approach to tourism development. As the experiential space expands, the ability to retain visitors also increases, while creating more opportunities for accommodation, culinary and entertainment services to develop as a chain. This summer has also witnessed major changes in tourism development on island routes such as Co To and Van Don. Many localities are proactively creating distinctive products linked to community life and local culture, particularly the flag-raising ceremony at the Special National Monument of the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site on Co To Island.
In the coming period, Quang Ninh will continue to improve the quality and diversify its tourism products, focusing on sea and island tourism, high-end resort tourism, spiritual cultural tourism, cruise tourism and MICE tourism. At the same time, it will develop new tourism products such as sports tourism, night tourism and experiential tourism to meet visitors’ diverse needs. Quang Ninh also encourages businesses to develop new tourism products associated with the World Heritage values of Ha Long Bay and Yen Tu, as well as the province’s distinctive destinations. Localities will continue implementing the “One tourism product per commune or ward” program, contributing to the creation of distinctive products and enhancing Quang Ninh tourism’s competitiveness.
