After nearly a decade of implementing Resolution 36-NQ/TW on the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Vietnam's Marine Economy and enforcing the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment, many new opportunities have emerged, but numerous challenges have also arisen, including conflicts over maritime use, limitations in the mechanism for allocating sea space, and the need to transition to a blue marine economy model.
The series "Sustainable Development of the Marine Economy" documents the developments in coastal localities, perspectives from experts, businesses, management agencies, and international organizations to identify opportunities, challenges, and institutional "bottlenecks" in the journey to make Vietnam a strong maritime nation and prosper from the sea.
Leveraging the advantages of the ocean to attract tourists.
In mid-May, even before summer had truly begun, Nha Trang's tourist pier was already packed with visitors. From early morning, tourists streamed onto boats heading out into the bay. Canoes and tourist boats continuously cut through the waves, heading towards Hon Mun, Hon Tam, and Hon Tre islands amidst the characteristic turquoise waters of Khanh Hoa province.
A village with crystal-clear blue waters on Nha Trang Bay. Photo: Hotel.
According to reports, Nha Trang's tourist pier receives approximately 3,000-4,000 visitors registering to tour the bay each day. From June onwards, the number of visitors is predicted to increase two to three times, peaking at over 10,000 visitors per day. Not only are the beaches packed with tourists, but many underwater activities such as scuba diving (with equipment), snorkeling (without equipment), and walking on the seabed are also bustling with activity.
This vibrancy reflects the growing appeal of Khánh Hòa's coastal tourism, a province boasting nearly 500km of coastline, hundreds of large and small islands, and famous bays such as Vân Phong, Cam Ranh, and Vĩnh Hy. For many years, the sea and islands have not only been a natural advantage but also a crucial foundation for the province's economic growth. Many new coastal tourism products have developed strongly, such as high-end resorts, cruise tourism, water sports , nighttime beach entertainment, and marine and island eco-tourism experiences.
By 2030, Khanh Hoa aims to achieve total tourism revenue of approximately 9 billion USD; and a total of about 33 million visitors, with international tourists accounting for 40-45%.
In 2025, Khanh Hoa province is expected to welcome approximately 16.4 million tourists, generating tourism revenue of 66.7 trillion VND. In just the first four months of 2026, the province has already welcomed around 3.5 million overnight visitors, with estimated revenue exceeding 27.4 trillion VND, an increase of nearly 35% compared to the same period.
Behind the growth figures lies a clear shift in the coastal tourism industry. Beyond familiar services like jet skiing, parasailing, and banana boat rides, many high-quality experiential products are receiving stronger investment, targeting high-spending tourists and those seeking longer vacations.
Numerous foreign tourists visit Nha Trang Bay. Photo: Hotel.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Tuyet, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared that the coastal and island atmosphere in Khanh Hoa always provides a cool and refreshing feeling; the continuous innovation and warm hospitality make tourists feel secure and comfortable enjoying their vacation.
Mr. Kim Choong Han, a 65-year-old South Korean tourist, expressed his particular admiration for the clean seawater environment and the professionalism and dedication of the local tour guides, which made his trip very enjoyable for him and his wife.
Facing a lot of pressure
Behind this rapid growth lies increasing pressure on the marine and island ecosystem. This is forcing Khanh Hoa to change its approach to developing marine tourism.
It's easy to see the increasing pressure in Nha Trang Bay. The high density of boats, the rapid increase in tourists, the booming diving tourism industry, and the pressure from aquaculture are putting a heavy burden on the bay's environment and coral reefs.
Although it's not yet the peak summer season, a large number of tourists are already flocking to Nha Trang's tourist pier to visit the islands. Photo: KS.
Mr. Dam Hai Van, Director of the Nha Trang Bay Management Board, recently issued an open letter calling on the community to join hands in preserving the city's "green gem." In the letter, he emphasized that every citizen needs to be a "guardian of the sea," every business an "environmental ambassador," and tourists a "companion," urging them not to bring single-use plastics through the docks and not to damage coral reefs in order to preserve the green gem for the long term.
The current problem facing Khánh Hòa's coastal tourism is no longer a lack of tourists, but rather the management of the coastal tourism space. Mr. Phạm Minh Nhựt, Chairman of the Khánh Hòa Provincial Tourism Association, stated that the province currently has approximately 21-22 businesses offering diving services, but only 4 diving sites have been licensed. The planning for diving sites in Nha Trang Bay, as well as other coastal areas such as Vân Phong, Cam Ranh, Ninh Vân, and Bình Hưng, remains unclear. Meanwhile, the zoning between speedboats and wooden boats is not clearly defined, and the management of aquaculture cages is not strict, putting significant pressure on the marine environment.
Khanh Hoa province proposes improving the legal system to ensure consistency between marine spatial planning and tourism planning. Photo: KS.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province, there is still overlap between the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment and the Land Law, the Investment Law, and the Construction Law. The biggest difficulty is the lengthy process of allocating sea areas to businesses, and the lack of synchronization between marine resource management and tourism development planning. Some projects that conform to the planning are still hampered by procedures for allocating water surface or coastal protection corridors. At the same time, there are no specific guidelines for new models such as marine ecotourism, resort tourism combined with conservation, marine sports tourism, and floating service facilities.
This department is advising on the management of tourism space according to functional zones; controlling investment density and visitor numbers in accordance with the environmental carrying capacity, especially in conservation areas such as Nha Trang Bay, coastal islands and marine protected areas.
Developing tourism into a key economic sector.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa province, beach tourism remains a crucial pillar and the most outstanding competitive advantage of the locality. However, the province has determined that it must shift from developing "in terms of quantity" to "improving quality," taking the values of "green - smart - high-class - sustainable" as its guiding principles.
This spirit is clearly reflected in Resolution No. 14-NQ/TU on developing tourism in Khanh Hoa into a key economic sector for the period 2026-2030, with a vision to 2045, which was recently issued by the Provincial Party Committee.
Tourists visit VinWonders Nha Trang on Hon Tre Island. Photo: Hotel.
By 2045, Khanh Hoa aims to be globally recognized as one of Asia's leading coastal tourism destinations, offering high value-added products and services.
A notable new feature of this Resolution is the clear definition of the requirement to reorganize tourism development space towards linkages and complementarity between regions, sub-regions, and dynamic areas, instead of focusing primarily on the Nha Trang coastal strip as before.
Accordingly, Khanh Hoa is redefining the role of each development area. Nha Trang - Vinh Hy continues to develop marine and island tourism and heritage sites; North Van Phong aims to become an international-class coastal tourism city; and the northern part of Cam Ranh peninsula and Ninh Chu will develop high-end resorts, healthcare, and marine entertainment.
Meanwhile, mountainous areas such as Khanh Son, Khanh Vinh, Nui Chua, and Phuoc Binh are being integrated into a chain of ecotourism, community-based tourism, and local cultural experiences.
This reorganization of space reflects a significant shift in Khánh Hòa's thinking regarding marine economic development. The sea is no longer merely a place for exploiting resort services, but has become a connecting axis between coastal cities, islands, logistics, culture, forest and mountain ecosystems, and local communities.
Foreign tourists visiting Nha Trang enjoy swimming and sunbathing. Photo: Hotel.
From a locality renowned for its seaside resorts, Khanh Hoa is moving towards a larger-scale, more sophisticated ocean-based tourism economic model. In this model, the sea is not just a resource for tourism exploitation, but a space for integrated development where economic growth must go hand in hand with ecosystem conservation, marine spatial reorganization, and improving the quality of life for coastal communities.
From June 4-6, 2026, in Cua Lo ward (Nghe An province), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the People's Committee of Nghe An province, will organize a series of communication events in response to World Environment Day (June 5), World Ocean Day (June 8), the Month of Action for the Environment, and Vietnam's Sea and Islands Week 2026.
1. National Forum on Environment and Climate - From Policy to Action
- Time: 8:00 AM, June 5, 2026
- Location: Vinpearl Cua Hoi, Cua Lo Ward, Nghe An Province.
- To participate online: ID: 942 6837 3034. Password: KH0605.
2. National Workshop “Improving Institutions and Policies to Promote Sustainable Marine Economic Development”
- Time: 2:00 PM, June 5, 2026
- Location: Vinpearl Cua Hoi, Cua Lo Ward, Nghe An Province.
- Online participation: ID: 934 2999 5099. Password: HT0506.
3. Art program “Vietnam's Sea - A Journey to Green Space”
- Time: 8:00 PM, June 5, 2026
- Location: Binh Minh Square, Cua Lo Ward, Nghe An Province.
4. National Launch Ceremony in response to World Environment Day, World Ocean Day, the Month of Action for the Environment, and Vietnam's Sea and Islands Week in 2026; Launching the movement "All citizens join hands to protect the environment, for a green, clean, and beautiful Vietnam"
- Time: 6:00 AM, June 6, 2026
- Location: Binh Minh Square, Cua Lo Ward, Nghe An Province.
5. Blue Economy Exhibition - Sustainable Agriculture and Environment
- Time: From June 4-6, 2026
- Location: Binh Minh Square, Cua Lo Ward, Nghe An Province.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/khanh-hoa-with-a-vision-of-ocean-tourism-economy-d812211.html
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