While exercising, relaxing the mind, and discovering more natural beauty both on land and underwater, scuba diving has become a popular form of tourism in Vietnam in the past three years, especially among young people. Scuba diving opens up new perspectives, attracting visitors to experience the pristine seas of Cu Lao Cham (Quang Nam), Hon Yen (Phu Yen), Con Dao (Ba Ria-Vung Tau), Phu Quoc (Kien Giang)...
Scuba diving tourism is well known in Vietnam partly thanks to interactions on social networks. Many tourists join scuba diving tours because of their passion for the impressive shimmering frames of the underwater world. However, scuba diving is classified as an extreme sport , even with a lot of practice, the marine environment still has many potential unstable factors for divers.
But because of that, scuba diving tourism still brings "addictive" adventures, attracting a large community. On social networks, there are more than 20 groups gathering scuba divers. The largest group with nearly 10,000 members regularly shares beautiful locations, diving experiences, equipment suppliers, reputable certified diving centers...
In particular, the diving experience not only brings a lot of interesting knowledge but also nurtures the awareness of environmental protection and cherishing the homeland's sea and islands. Some diving clubs maintain the mobilization of divers and tourists to participate in cleaning up trash and cultivating coral to preserve and restore part of the marine environment. We can mention the Da Nang Free Diving group founded by Mr. Dao Dang Cong Trung (Da Nang), or the Reef Master Vietnam group initiated by Mr. Nguyen Ha Minh Tri (Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa)...
Diving in Vietnam today can be divided into two types: deep diving with oxygen tanks (scuba diving) and free diving with snorkels (free diving). According to a survey, many units in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) have grasped the demand and opened professional diving training courses, providing international standard diving equipment, granting certificates from the World Association of Professional Diving Instructors (PADI) or the International Society of Scuba Diving (SSI). The course usually includes at least five sessions with a price of 6-9 million VND, while diving tours at tourist destinations range from 1 to 3 million VND depending on the time and accompanying services.
Recently, Phu Quy Island (Binh Thuan) has been a top "hot" name because of its year-round warm weather, blue sea and white sand, many beautiful diving sites with ideal depths and amazing coral reefs. Mr. Pham Tan Hiep, a tour guide on the island, said that every week he welcomes about 150-300 guests, most of whom choose the diving service with photography and video recording. The tour is professionally designed and safe, then guests post beautiful photos online, attracting more people to pay attention and come. Visitors are also instructed and reminded of safety rules and how to protect the marine environment, such as: do not litter, do not use sunscreen or toxic chemicals, do not touch, break or trample on corals...
Possessing a long coastline, many rich island and bay ecosystems, and a rich coastal cultural identity, Vietnam is considered to have great potential for developing diving tourism products. In 2020, Forbes magazine (USA) named Nha Trang in the top 10 destinations not to be missed by diving "fanatics".
In 2023, the prestigious European travel news site Traveldudes honored Vietnam as one of the most attractive diving destinations on the planet with at least four beautiful diving spots: Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Cu Lao Cham. Under the clear blue water, the marine ecosystem with coral reefs of thousands of colors, shimmering seaweed fields, diverse species of sea anemones, shrimp and fish... captivates tourists. Each sea area has its own characteristics in terms of ecology and activities. Scuba divers can participate in many other fun and experiential activities such as stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), surfing, visiting fishing villages, enjoying local cuisine...
In addition to the famous traditional diving spots, some coastal localities in the central region have recently gradually developed a type of tourism combined with diving, including Ly Son Island (Quang Ngai), Hon Kho Island (Binh Dinh), Vinh Hy Bay (Ninh Thuan)... In the north, the only licensed recreational diving service is available on Thanh Lan Island (Co To Island District, Quang Ninh) from April 2023.
Recently, on June 12, the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province announced a plan to pilot recreational diving at four locations in Nha Trang Bay to serve tourists, including: the north of Hon Rua Island (Vinh Hoa Ward), the artificial reef area in Vinh Hoa Ward, the northeast of Tri Nguyen Island (Vinh Nguyen Ward) and the border area between Bai Tranh and Bai Soi (east of Tri Nguyen Island).
According to assessments, the coral reefs and marine ecosystems in these areas are rich, the exploitation of diving sites does not affect waterway traffic and is convenient for transporting tourists... For many years, Nha Trang city has been a favorite destination for international divers and recently has continued to become a bright spot attracting domestic tourists to learn about diving.
According to many tour guides and tourism experts, the potential of scuba diving tourism in Vietnam has been confirmed, but in reality it has not met the increasing demand, especially during the peak tourist seasons of the year. For sustainable development, coral diving sites need to be researched, planned, and fully licensed by local authorities for investment and business units. In addition, the issue of protecting the ecosystem and minimizing pollution from this specific tourism activity also needs to be focused on, such as setting out clear regulations and appropriate sanctions for travel companies or tourists who violate the regulations.
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