New boost for eastern Ho Chi Minh City tourism

Happy Vietnam

New boost for eastern Ho Chi Minh City tourism
With comprehensive infrastructure and diverse tourism offerings, the eastern coastal area is emerging as a key growth driver for the southern metropolis’s tourism sector.
Visitors enjoy activities at Aqua Adventure Water Park in Rach Dua ward, Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: SGGP)

HCM City (VNA) – Major infrastructure upgrades, new tourism products and improved transport connectivity are giving a strong boost to tourism in the eastern coastal area of Ho Chi Minh City.

During the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, more than 213,000 visitors travelled to Vung Tau ward alone for beach leisure, sightseeing and pilgrimage, nearly matching the total number recorded for the whole former Vung Tau city during the same period last year. The surge reflects the positive impact of infrastructure improvements and expanded tourism services.

A key highlight is the completion of the Thuy Van coastal boulevard upgrade project, with total investment exceeding 1 trillion VND (over 38 million USD). The area now features new public spaces and attractions such as a square, Tam Thang Tower, Whale statue, a food street and pedestrian facilities.

A series of cultural and festive activities there during Tet, including a food festival, spring flower displays, book street events and light shows, also helped attract visitors and encourage longer stays.

In nearby Rach Dua ward, thousands of tourists flocked to Sun World Vung Tau – Aqua Adventure, a 15-hectare water park invested by Sun Group and equipped with advanced technology. The complex, which has earned world and national records, is expected to become a new tourism anchor for the coastal area.

Transport infrastructure is also playing a crucial role. The nearly 54km Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, with total investment of over 17.8 trillion VND, will shorten travel time from the centre of Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province to the coast and ease congestion on National Highway 51.

Meanwhile, the upgraded coastal road DT994, Vung Tau – Lam Dong, is forming a continuous tourism corridor linking major beach destinations such as Long Hai, Ho Tram and Binh Chau in eastern Ho Chi Minh City.

Looking ahead, a planned sea-crossing road and bridge connecting Can Gio and Vung Tau, expected to start construction in 2026, will cut travel time from central Ho Chi Minh City to about one hour.

With comprehensive infrastructure and diverse tourism offerings, the eastern coastal area is emerging as a key growth driver for the southern metropolis’s tourism sector./.

See Also

Hanoi hosts concert to welcome Lunar New Year

The concert served as a New Year greeting, conveying hopes and aspirations for a year of new achievements, with musical works praising the peaceful beauty of Vietnam, honouring the glorious Party and great President Ho Chi Minh, and celebrating the vibrant spirit of spring across the country.

Buffalo body-painting competition delights festival-goers

A buffalo body-painting competition took place on February 22 (the sixth day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse) as part of the Doi Son ploughing festival 2026. The event was a distinctive activity that added an artistic highlight to the festival.

Bringing Chuon Village scroll heritage to the world

Once a distinctive form of traditional calligraphic folk art from Hue that fell into obscurity for more than a decade, Chuon Village scroll prints are now experiencing a strong revival thanks to the persistent efforts of young people determined to restore the heritage. Reviving this art form not only honours the nation’s long-standing historical and cultural values but also creates a special attraction for international visitors during the vibrant Lunar New Year season.

Enhancing Vietnamese language skills for preschool children in the border highland commune of Pa Tan

Implementing the Government’s project on “Strengthening Vietnamese for preschool and primary students in ethnic minority areas,” Trung Chai Preschool in Pa Tan commune, Lai Chau province, has applied various creative and effective methods tailored to local cultural life. Children regularly practise reading, speaking and writing, while taking part in folk games and outdoor activities to enhance language acquisition and daily communication skills, helping them confidently enter new learning environments. Photo: Quy Trung – VNA

Da Nang welcomes cruise tourists in first days of Lunar New Year

On February 19, 2026 (the third day of the Lunar New Year), the cruise ship Seabourn Encore, operated by Tan Hong Travel Company, docked at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang, carrying more than 1,000 people, including 580 tourists from the United Kingdom, France and the United States, along with nearly 500 crew members. Photo: Tran Le Lam – VNA

Crowds enjoy spring outings around Hoan Kiem Lake

On the afternoon of February 19, 2026 (the third day of the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo), crowds flocked to streets surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake, creating a vibrant spring atmosphere in the cool and pleasant weather. Numerous domestic and international visitors joined the festive spirit, enjoying Hanoi’s distinctive cultural space in the early days of the year. Photo: Hoang Hieu – VNA

Spring pilgrimage to Thang Long’s four guarding temples

“Thang Long tu tran” (the four guarding temples of Thang Long) are four ancient and sacred temples of the former imperial capital (now Hanoi). At the beginning of the Lunar New Year, visitors come to offer incense and pray for health, good fortune, and peace, while paying tribute to the deities who safeguarded the ancient citadel. By tradition, the pilgrimage follows an East–West–South–North order, beginning at Bach Ma Temple, then proceeding to Voi Phuc Temple, Kim Lien Temple, and finally Quan Thanh Temple.

Ethnic cultural identity promoted amid integration

The northwestern mountainous province of Lai Chau is home to 20 ethnic groups, each adding a unique cultural colour to the province’s rich human landscape. Amid deepening integration, local communities continue to preserve and promote traditional cultural values, turning culture into an inner strength and a solid foundation for sustainable development.