Hue is known as the green city. Photo: Ngoc Hoa

In addition, besides Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the most searched destinations include two popular beach destinations : Da Nang and Phu Quoc. Following them are Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat, and then Hue and Phan Thiet. These figures show encouraging signs of a strong recovery for Vietnamese tourism in general.

However, in terms of rankings, Hue tourism is not yet highly searched for, which partly reflects its lack of competitiveness, even though Hue is considered one of the "sacred places" for tourism with diverse and outstanding potential.

Clearly, for a locality to attract the attention of tourism markets, it needs to have indicators of its destination and products. For example, Ha Long Bay has been repeatedly honored by international media outlets, magazines, and travel websites as the destination with the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Hanoi is the most beautiful destination in Southeast Asia. Hoi An is a wonderful destination for family vacations. Sapa is one of the most beautiful small towns in the world . And Saigon is famous for its banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich)...

In Hue, several landmarks have also been recognized. For example, at the end of 2023, clam rice and sesame candy were awarded Asian records – a title aimed at promoting the culinary values ​​and famous specialties of Vietnam.

In 2023, Hue was also ranked 28th among the cities with the best food in the world by the Taste Atlas website, featuring famous dishes such as beef noodle soup, tapioca dumplings, clam rice, grilled pork skewers, sweet soups, steamed rice cakes, husband and wife cakes, and fermented shrimp...

These accolades are seen as a golden opportunity to promote and spread the culinary values ​​of Hue, as cuisine is considered the soul of every destination. It's a real marketing opportunity, given the wide reach of the Taste Atlas website, which connects with 9,000 local restaurants, introduces over 10,000 dishes to readers, and features thousands of reviews and research from culinary experts and chefs. The website also aims to become a global map of traditional dishes made from local ingredients.

In other areas of tourism, Hue also has honored brands such as Azerai La Residence Hue, recognized by the World Tourism Awards as Vietnam's Leading Boutique Hotel in 2023; and Banyan Tree Lang Co Hue, also honored as Vietnam's "Leading Luxury Beach Resort".

Beyond sesame candy, clam rice, beef noodle soup, and attractions like Azerai La Residence and Banyan Tree Lang Co, Hue boasts many other emerging tourist attractions (the city of ao dai, the green city, the heritage city, the imperial city, the city of books, the festival city, the city of bicycles, resort tourism, spiritual tourism, health tourism...).

Or simply, an ancient village like Phuoc Tich, a fishing village like Ngu My Thanh, a tea-growing village like Thuy Bieu, a street known for its banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) like Nhat Le, a street of ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) and embroidery like Phan Dang Luu, or an ancient town like Gia Hoi - Bao Vinh... all can be outstanding and attractive tourist destinations.

Perhaps, for Hue, the potential is already evident. The question is how to transform those indicators into truly attractive and effective tourist destinations and products.

It is truly concerning that, amidst this green goldmine, Hue's name remains relatively unremarkable on the national tourism map in terms of ranking, not only in terms of search results from international tourists via Google in 2023.

Some statistics also show that, in terms of tourist numbers and revenue, Hue is lagging behind many provinces and cities, whereas about 20 years ago, the ancient capital of Hue was one of Vietnam's top destinations, with the advantage of cultural and heritage tourism. Over time, many products have become saturated, while the renewal or upgrading of existing products is still a struggle. Along with that is the challenge of communication strategy, for example, how to spread awareness and capitalize on the recognized and established tourism titles.

Kim Oanh