Consumer demand of people and tourists increases

Development fulcrum

While many localities are still struggling to find ways to recover and adjust their growth models, Hue has proactively taken advantage of its culture, people and heritage urban space to turn services into a pillar in its development strategy.

The strongest driving force for this breakthrough is tourism. In the first half of this year alone, Hue welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors, an increase of 71% over the same period in 2024. Of which, the number of international visitors reached more than 1.1 million, a significant number, reflecting the strong attraction of the ancient capital. Hue Festival 2025 with a series of music , culinary, ao dai fashion events... organized in a new and creative way has contributed to repositioning the image of Hue as a tourist city rich in identity and experience.

No longer a “city of festivals” in the traditional sense, Hue is strongly transforming itself into a professional tourism approach, linking culture with the market, connecting local resources with international standards. Models such as community tourism, green tourism, experiencing craft villages, traditional cuisine , etc. are being invested in more systematically, bringing direct and sustainable income to local people. Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of the Department of Tourism, commented: “Many new products launched in recent times have contributed to enhancing the position and image of Hue on the tourism map of Vietnam”.

Along with tourism, a series of other service industries also improved significantly. In the first 6 months of the year, revenue from accommodation and catering services increased by nearly 20%, travel and tourism increased by 35.8%, and healthcare and education services increased by 6%. Total retail sales of goods and social consumer service revenue reached nearly 32,000 billion VND, up 15.3% over the same period. In particular, domestic purchasing power increased by 28%, reflecting a strong recovery in consumer confidence, creating more momentum for economic growth.

Director of the Department of Finance, Mr. La Phuc Thanh, assessed: “Services continue to be the main driving force of Hue City’s economy, not only thanks to its high growth rate but also its strong spreading ability. Focusing on industries related to culture and heritage will be the strategic direction for the city to create a breakthrough in the second half of the year and the following years.”

In addition to key industries, transportation and logistics services have begun to show positive movements. Chan May Logistics Center has been started, promising to become a strategic goods connection point of the Central Highlands region. In particular, the rapid development of e-commerce is creating an urgent need for a modern supply chain, requiring Hue to accelerate investment in logistics infrastructure and information technology.

Another bright spot in the services picture is employment. The majority of new jobs came from services such as retail, hotels, restaurants, transportation, information technology, logistics and education.

Tourism industry makes strong breakthrough in the first 6 months of the year

Breakthrough from institutions, infrastructure, people

Services are a sector that can spread quickly, create good livelihoods, attract effective investment and are environmentally friendly, in line with the sustainable development orientation that Hue pursues. However, to create a real breakthrough, growth is only a necessary condition. The bigger problem lies in institutions, infrastructure and human resources.

Currently, many service industries in Hue are still developing separately, lacking connections and have not formed a strong enough ecosystem. In addition, the shortage of high-quality human resources, especially workers with digital, management and foreign language skills, is becoming a major bottleneck. Without a systematic training and attraction strategy, Hue will find it difficult to retain large-scale service enterprises.

Infrastructure issues are also an urgent requirement. From urban transport systems, seaports, logistics centers to digital infrastructure… have not yet reached the desired quality. Strategic projects such as coastal roads, Chan May Logistics Center, telecommunications infrastructure, digital technology… need to be accelerated to create room for development of key service industries.

According to Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, to create a real breakthrough, Hue must move from institutions to actions. In particular, administrative reform, procedure simplification and comprehensive digital transformation are important breakthroughs to improve the investment and business environment and enhance provincial competitiveness.

Mr. Binh said that Hue will effectively implement the "four pillars" including: Breakthrough in science - technology - innovation and digital transformation; international integration with people and businesses at the center; comprehensive innovation in law-making; and promoting the development of the private economy - an important pillar of growth. On that foundation, the city will develop a green economy, a digital economy and transform the growth model from breadth to depth, prioritizing industries that create high added value, gradually reducing dependence on resources and cheap labor.

Hue’s greatest strength lies not only in its heritage, landscape or geographical location, but also in its ability to create soft values, products and services that carry the spirit of Hue and its identity, yet are still in tune with the modern world. That is what creates the difference and long-term competitiveness for the city.

“In the development orientation, services will continue to play a central role with clear pillars: Tourism is the spearhead; specialized healthcare, high-quality education, finance, seaports and logistics are the core; high-tech industry is the breakthrough spearhead and marine economy is the essential foundation,” Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh affirmed.

Article and photos: Le Tho

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/theo-dong-thoi-su/dich-vu-dan-loi-tang-truong-156156.html