Ocean tuna becomes Phu Yen tourism 'ambassador'

Phu Yen fishermen are the ones who invented tuna fishing in Vietnam. Now tuna is not only an attractive culinary dish, a valuable export product, but is also considered an "ambassador" for tourism in this province.

Chefs demonstrate tuna fillets at the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival 2025 - Photo: Provided by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism

According to data from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Phu Yen province, the province currently has more than 400 tuna fishing boats, with an annual catch of about 3,500 - 4,000 tons.

Come to Phu Yen to enjoy ocean tuna

Ocean tuna is processed into dishes that are not only delicious but also eye-catching and attractive - Photo: MINH CHIEN

Traveling to Phu Yen with her family for 3 days, Ms. Le Phuong Thao (34 years old, a tourist from Hanoi) said: “When you come to Phu Yen, you must definitely eat tuna eyes. My friends who traveled to Phu Yen said that the ocean tuna here is fresh and delicious, and the price is very cheap. Coming to the place where the ocean tuna fishing profession originated but not eating dishes made from the fish right here, the fun is not complete.”

Ba Tam Restaurant (Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen) is one of the earliest restaurants selling tuna products, since 1997. The representative of this restaurant said that at first it only served locals, but then tourism developed so now many tourists come to enjoy it, very crowded.

“On busy days, we sell 300-400 tuna eyes per day. There are also dishes such as tuna sashimi, tuna stomach salad... All are prepared with the original flavor, preserving the freshness of the fish, so customers really like them,” said the restaurant representative.

Not only impressing tourists, tuna is also the tourism "ambassador" of Phu Yen province when it is often introduced at festivals, meetings with local businesses and partners...

Recently, in April 2025, at the VITM Hanoi 2025 International Tourism Fair, Phu Yen made a strong impression on tourists and domestic and international tourism businesses with a performance of processing ocean tuna.

The chefs performed the technique of filleting a 70kg tuna. The knife glided lightly along the grain of the meat, and each slice of bright red fish was arranged on a plate and served to the diners.

Previously, in 2022, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Yen province also organized a culinary program to set a Vietnamese record of 101 dishes made from ocean tuna in Tuy Hoa city, with the participation of hundreds of chefs from provinces and cities across the country. This event attracted thousands of visitors to visit and admire the chefs' cooking methods.

Promoting tourism from ocean tuna

Chairman of Tuy Hoa City People's Committee and District Chief of Seongdong District (Seoul, South Korea) watched live performance of ocean tuna filleting in early 2025 in Tuy Hoa City - Photo: MINH CHIEN

Mr. Ho Van Tien - Chairman of Phu Yen Tourism Association - shared that nowadays, when tourists come to any locality, the first thing they care about is cuisine. Therefore, regional dishes are very important in promoting, introducing, and retaining tourists. With Phu Yen, mentioning the province's location means remembering ocean tuna.

“Tuna is a typical specialty of Phu Yen, so we need to build a stronger brand and promote it more widely through programs and festivals, thereby attracting tourists to the locality,” said Mr. Tien.

According to Mr. Nguyen Le Vu - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Yen province - at the VITM Hanoi International Tourism Fair 2025, the tourism industry not only promotes ocean tuna products simply, but also promotes the culture of the coastal village with stories throughout the folk songs, the fishing festival introduced at the fair, and finally tuna will be the highlight, the finished product after each sea trip.

Many tourists come to Phu Yen through cuisine, including ocean tuna. Currently, many hotels often perform ocean tuna filleting to impress visitors, then prepare a variety of attractive dishes on the spot for guests to enjoy on the spot.

"We also organized a tuna cooking competition between restaurants and hotels. Currently, the department is planning to hold a food festival, in addition to introducing dishes made from tuna, there will be other dishes with regional characteristics," said Mr. Vu.

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MINH CHIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ca-ngu-dai-duong-lam-dai-su-du-lich-phu-yen-20250511195641067.htm