Despite recording positive growth signals from the beginning of 2026, Quang Ninh’s tourism industry is entering the peak season under considerable pressure from economic volatility. However, with a proactive spirit and flexible response, the province, localities and businesses have quickly launched a series of demand-stimulating programs and attractive tourism products, while organizing a chain of unique cultural and sporting events to attract visitors and deliver many memorable experiences.
A vibrant series of exciting events
Quang Ninh Province’s 2026 Culture, Sports and Tourism Week welcoming summer, themed “Ha Long Carnaval 2026 - Wonders Lighting Up a New Era,” will take place from 25/4 through 3/5. It is expected to attract 1.3 million visitors, contributing to the target of welcoming 5.92 million visitors and generating estimated total revenue of VND 18,176 billion in Q2/2026.
According to Ms. Nguyễn Thùy Yên, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, through a series of distinctive cultural, sporting and tourism activities, the event aims to awaken national pride, honor and promote the nation’s fine traditional cultural values, spread the image of Quang Ninh people, and broadly promote the province’s outstanding potential and advantages. These include, in particular, the value of Ha Long Bay, a World Natural Heritage site and symbol of majestic nature, and the Yên Tử Monuments and Landscapes Complex, a World Cultural Heritage site and one of the leading destinations in the region and internationally. The event is also an opportunity to strongly promote tourism, develop trade, services, cultural industries and the night-time economy; attract domestic and international visitors; increase service revenue; and create momentum for socio-economic development.
The highlight of Quang Ninh Province’s 2026 Culture, Sports and Tourism Week welcoming summer is the opening art program, “Ha Long Carnaval 2026 - Wonders Lighting Up a New Era,” scheduled to begin at 20:00 on 30/4 at 30/10 Square (Hạ Long Ward), with a capacity of up to 50,000 people. The program will include a parade, a ceremony and artistic performances.
Alongside these will be a series of special events promising to create a vibrant, brilliant festival atmosphere to welcome visitors. These include the street carnival “Dance of the Five Continents” - Quang Ninh Welcomes Summer, taking place from 28/4-2/5 along the coastal road in Hạ Long, Hồng Gai and Bãi Cháy wards toward 30/10 Square; the street music performance “Sounds by the Bay,” from 28/4-3/5 at 30/10 Square and along the Bãi Cháy coastal road; and a competition to design and create distinctive Quang Ninh parade vehicles, which will parade from 28/4 - 2/5 along the coastal road in Hạ Long, Hồng Gai and Bãi Cháy wards toward 30/10 Square.
In addition, events such as the Đức Ông Trần Quốc Nghiễn Temple Festival will take place over two days, from 29-30/4, at Đức Ông Trần Quốc Nghiễn Temple. The “festival waves” light performance by heritage tourism boats on Ha Long Bay will run from 28/4-2/5 in the coastal area, from Hòn Gai Beach - Ha Long International Passenger Ship Port to Tuan Chau International Passenger Ship Port. A total of 50 tourism boats will be decorated with synchronized artistic lighting systems and move in formation along the coastal route, combined with music and coastal lighting effects to create a distinctive visual highlight.
From 25/4-3/5, residents and visitors will also have the opportunity to attend Quang Ninh Summer Film Week 2026 at the Planning, Fair and Exhibition Palace, the Provincial Museum - Library, the Yên Tử Monuments and Landscapes Complex, Vân Đồn, Cô Tô and Móng Cái; an exhibition of literary, artistic and sculpture works from the mining region at 30/10 Square and along the Bãi Cháy coastal road; International Cuisine Street - Ha Long at 30/10 Square (Hạ Long Ward) or Sun Canival Square (Bãi Cháy Ward); “Fly Up with the Wonder” hot-air balloon performances and experiences at 30/10 Square and Bãi Cháy tourism area, Bãi Cháy Ward; and an OCOP product fair and introduction to Vietnamese folk art forms at Sun Canival Square, the Planning, Fair and Exhibition Palace and 30/10 Square, featuring 120 local booths along with a series of distinctive sporting activities.
At the Yên Tử Monuments and Landscapes Complex, the Yên Tử Welcomes Summer 2026 art program will also take place on 19/4, with a capacity of 10,000 people. The program will promote the value of the Yên Tử World Cultural Heritage site and commemorate the death anniversary of the Second Patriarch, Pháp Loa. The event affirms the enduring value of Trúc Lâm thought, with its spirit of engagement with the world and harmony, guiding people toward a wholesome and peaceful life. It is also an occasion to educate about tradition and spread the cultural and Buddhist heritage values associated with the sacred heritage area of Yên Tử, contributing to the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese cultural identity.
Organizing an integrated series of attractive tourism events to open the summer enables businesses and organizations to proactively promote and introduce their offerings to visitors. According to Mr. Nguyễn Hà Hải, Chairman of the Board of Directors of THK Tourism Trade Services Joint Stock Company (Hạ Long Ward), the province’s events have created conditions for travel companies to proactively introduce and promote destinations to visitors. With Chinese tourists as its primary market, as soon as we received information about these events, we worked with our partners and received positive feedback. Many tour groups have chosen this period to travel to Quang Ninh, giving them the opportunity to immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere and experience local culture.
Proactively stimulating demand and upgrading services
According to information from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in Q1/2026, Quang Ninh welcomed approximately 6.3 million visitors, an increase of about 10% compared with the same period in 2025. Domestic visitors were estimated at nearly 4.9 million, while international visitors were estimated at 1.4 million. Total tourism revenue in Q1/2026 was estimated at VND 15,687 billion, up 20% compared with the same period in 2026. This is an important foundation for the tourism industry to enter the peak season with high growth expectations.
However, alongside these positive signals is growing pressure from global political and economic volatility. Rising fuel and energy costs have directly affected airfares and transport charges, increasing tourism businesses’ input costs. As a result, it has become difficult to keep package tour prices stable, forcing businesses to adjust their selling prices.
In response to economic fluctuations and changes in consumer behavior, the tourism industry is showing a proactive adaptation trend as it enters the peak season with greater flexibility. Rather than focusing on long-haul, high-cost products, many businesses have quickly adjusted their strategies and strongly developed short-day tours, nearby destinations and options with reasonable spending levels. This is considered a suitable direction in line with current consumption trends, while also helping maintain a stable flow of visitors. At the same time, improving the quality of experiences has become a top priority.
Speaking about the company’s proactive adaptation, a representative of Vietravel’s Quang Ninh branch said: In response to market impacts, the company proactively prepared early for the peak season by restructuring its products toward greater flexibility, focusing on short-day tours, in-depth experiences and a range of price levels. At the same time, the business strengthened coordination with airline and accommodation partners to stabilize supply and control costs. It also tightened cost management and worked with transport partners, seeking operators that use fuel-efficient and green fuels to reduce costs to some extent. The key focus is improving service quality and introducing more products with strong local and distinctive cultural identities, creating diverse options for different visitor segments.
Accommodation establishments have also quickly developed and introduced products for summer tourism, initially targeting the Hùng Kings’ Commemoration holiday and the 30/4-1/5 holiday period. FLC Ha Long Hotel has introduced preferential packages designed to optimize the experience, priced at only VND 1,540,000-1,990,000/person for accommodation in standard rooms, breakfast buffets and main meals during the day. In addition, businesses are proactively connecting and developing onshore resort packages combined with visits to Ha Long Bay or dinner cruises, creating fresh and unique experiences for visitors.
Alongside businesses’ adaptation efforts, localities are also proactively stimulating demand and offering new tourism products. Ms. Ngô Thị Minh Sao, Deputy Head of the Culture - Social Affairs Division of Cô Tô Special Zone, said: The locality has identified the continued development of Hồng Hải Smart Tourism Village; piloting water recreation services and tours to the three major islands of Cô Tô, Thanh Lân and Trần; and gradually developing flag-raising ceremonies affirming sovereignty on the islands into official tourism products. It will also upgrade the “Cô Tô Digital” ecosystem, integrating utilities for management and visitor services, with completion targeted for Q2/2026; develop the night-time economy in the food street, along the coastal road and around the regulating lake; build Tình Yêu Beach to standard; develop a visiting product at the Shrine in Hamlet 2; develop experiential tourism linked to marine ecological agriculture at Hòn Ngang; and organize cultural, sporting and tourism activities commemorating the 65th anniversary of Uncle Hồ’s visit to the island…
This summer, the number of tourists visiting Móng Cái 1 Ward is expected to rise sharply. The locality has focused on training tour guides with in-depth knowledge of culture and beliefs so they can accurately and fully convey the destination’s values to visitors. In addition, transport infrastructure, accommodation facilities and food services around tourist attractions will be upgraded in a coordinated manner to improve the quality of experiences. In particular, effectively developing and exploiting the “night-time economy” is considered a key solution. Street cultural and artistic activities, singing and performances combined with shopping and cuisine will help attract and retain visitors. At present, the Trà Cổ coastal area - the core zone of the national tourism area - is also being urgently renovated to restore its original pristine appearance, representing one of the locality’s efforts to prepare for long-term, sustainable tourism development.
By organizing a large-scale, diverse and attractive series of cultural, sporting and tourism events, helping refresh visitors’ experiences, together with flexibly implemented demand-stimulation programs ranging from service incentives to tour and route connections, Quang Ninh will not only increase its appeal during the peak season but also continue affirming its role as a dynamic, unmissable destination for domestic and international visitors.
