Music 'paves the way' for tourism in the land of tea.

According to Booking.com's Travel Trends 2025 report, up to 62% of Vietnamese travelers have traveled to attend a music event in 2024, and 38% consider this an important factor when choosing a destination. This shows that music is no longer just "accompanying" travel, but is directly guiding travelers' experiences.

Artistic performances during the opening ceremony of the Thai Nguyen Tourism Season 2026.

This reality was partly demonstrated in Thai Nguyen during the opening activities of the 2026 Tourism Season, notably the two art programs with the themes "The Symphony of Lakes on the Mountains - Tea in the Clouds" and "Echoes of Heritage Amidst the Vast Forests of Ba Be".

The participation of artists such as Diva My Linh, Vo Ha Tram, Double 2T... along with a series of cultural, sports , and eco-experience activities attracted over 120,000 direct visitors, while generating nearly 10 million views and millions of interactions on social media platforms.

Notably, each large-scale music event also creates a ripple effect across many other sectors such as accommodation, transportation, food, commerce, and advertising. A single concert can attract tens of thousands of visitors using hotels, restaurants, transportation services, shopping for local specialties, or checking in at tourist attractions.

According to the assessment of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thai Nguyen province, in May 2026, the total number of tourists visiting Thai Nguyen is estimated to reach over 1.04 million, including approximately 30,500 international tourists and over 1 million domestic tourists. Total revenue from tourism activities is estimated at 1,456 billion VND.

The surge in tourist arrivals in Thai Nguyen in May was mainly due to the ripple effect from the opening events of the 2026 Thai Nguyen Tourism Season, themed "Lake on the Mountain - Tea in the Clouds." Large-scale art programs, combined with the promotion of culture, tourism, and ecological experiences, contributed to attracting a large number of tourists from within and outside the province to visit and experience the area.

Ms. Ha Thi Bich Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: "For Thai Nguyen, the advantage lies not only in its natural landscapes but also in its cultural depth. The melodies of then and sli folk songs, the sound of the tinh lute of ethnic minorities; the cultural space of tea; or traditional festivals can all become materials for building unique music tourism products. If famous artists are harmoniously combined with local identity, Thai Nguyen can completely create 'signature' programs that are attractive enough to draw domestic and international tourists."

Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, commented: For music tourism to develop sustainably, the important thing is not to organize many concerts, but to form a synchronized ecosystem. From accommodation infrastructure, transportation, performance spaces to digital media and accompanying experiential products, everything needs to be invested in systematically. A successful festival is not just about a few hours of performances, but about making tourists want to stay longer, spend more, and return in subsequent seasons.

In the context of increasingly fierce competition among destinations, cultural identity will be the deciding factor in differentiation. Simply chasing trends or celebrity names will easily lead to programs becoming similar and quickly losing their appeal.

Conversely, when music is placed within the distinctive cultural context of the tea-growing region, every moment of the performance that spreads across social media becomes an effective "advertising ticket" for Thai Nguyen tourism.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/du-lich-thai-nguyen/202605/am-nhac-mo-duong-cho-du-lich-xu-tra-82e6157/