When music becomes the driving force for Vietnam tourism development

The wave of music tourism is becoming a phenomenon in Vietnam, when "concert fever" from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City not only stirs up fans but also creates a clear boost for the local economy, opening up a new direction in the strategy of developing tourism and night-time economy.

Music shapes new tourism

In just two years, the Vietnamese music market has witnessed an unprecedented explosion of live performance events. From international tours by BlackPink and G-Dragon to domestic concert series such as Anh trai vu ngan cong gai (The Brother Who Overcame a Thousand Congestions), Y-CONCERT, or new generation cultural festivals such as Genfest MBILLION and Nhung Thanh Citadel Mong (The Dreamy Cities), music has gone beyond the realm of entertainment, becoming a social phenomenon and a new driving force for tourism.

Performance DTAP x Muoi x People's Artist Bach Tuyet. Photo: TT

According to Booking.com’s analysis, concerts are gradually replacing the role of traditional “tourist destinations” in shaping tourists’ travel decisions. After G-Dragon announced his concert in Hanoi , the number of searches for accommodation during the event (November 6-9, 2025) increased by more than 250% compared to the same period last year, pushing many hotels around My Dinh Stadium into a state of “full rooms” in just a few days.

Similarly, when Y-CONCERT 2025 announced the participating artists, searches for accommodation in Hanoi on December 19-20 increased by 60%, showing the strong pull of the music event on the accommodation market.

These figures reflect the fact that Vietnamese people are increasingly willing to “travel for music”. The Travel Trends 2025 report also shows that 62% of Vietnamese tourists have traveled just to attend concerts or festivals, while 38% consider music an important factor when choosing a destination.

Mr. Branavan Aruljothi, Country Director of Booking.com Vietnam, commented: “A generation of Vietnamese travelers is seeing music journeys as a way to express themselves. They travel not just to listen to music but to live in an atmosphere of connection, creativity and emotion.”

Dragon Pony and thousands of audiences joined the music party on the evening of November 1 at the Korea Spotlight 2025 program in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Organizing Committee

That attraction makes each concert a real “community event”. When BlackPink lit up My Dinh or BTOB, DPR CREAM & ARTIC, ARrC and Dragon Pony stirred up the Korea Spotlight 2025 stage in Ho Chi Minh City with thousands of audiences joining in, creating a vibrant festival image that spread across social networks. Music, therefore, is being seen as a form of experiential tourism, where visitors not only spend money on tickets but also contribute to activating the entire value chain: Transportation, accommodation, cuisine, shopping and night economy.

With the explosion of social media, music has become a powerful catalyst for travel behavior. 68% of Vietnamese travelers said they were inspired by online platforms, 33% were influenced by movies or entertainment programs. A video recording of the audience cheering in unison, a viral stage moment or a trending song can become a reason for thousands of people to “pack up and go”.

From “concert season” to local economic development strategy

The year 2025 marks a “real concert season” in Vietnam when international events continuously land and attract tens of thousands of audiences. Among them, the Korea Spotlight 2025 show on the evening of October 31 at Capital Theatre (Ho Chi Minh City) became the center of attention.

The stage opened with Dragon Pony with a youthful indie style; followed by ArrC, a multinational band combining Asian cultural elements; the duo DPR CREAM & DPR ARTIC stirred up with modern techno and R&B beats and closed with BTOB, a second generation K-pop group, in the joyful atmosphere of more than 1,500 audiences and thousands of online views.

Videos of cheering audiences at music concerts make young people want to "pack up and go". Illustrative photo.

Mr. Sung Im Kyoung, Director of KOCCA Vietnam shared: “Vietnam is becoming a dynamic center of the Asian music ecosystem. Korea Spotlight is not just a performance, but also a bridge for artists and audiences to create new cultural values.”

The Korea Spotlight program, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea (MCST), organized by KOCCA, has been deployed in Thailand, Australia, Japan, Germany, Vietnam, Spain and Mexico this year, in which the Vietnamese version was chosen to perform on Halloween as a cultural festival connecting the two countries.

At the same time, the Korea - Vietnam Content Forum 2025 (held on October 30 in Ho Chi Minh City) also gathered more than 100 representatives of the two countries' music industries. Here, businesses such as Kakao Entertainment, Kreation Music Right, Believe Vietnam and Zing MP3 shared their vision for cooperation, from artist training, copyright (IP) development to fan community building. This forum is considered a "strategic bridge" between Korea's global entertainment capacity and Vietnam's booming music market.

Not only do these activities suggest directions for the development of the music industry, they also demonstrate the local economic value that concerts bring. Experts estimate that each major music event can trigger at least five service industries that benefit directly: Tourism, aviation, accommodation, food and beverage, and advertising.

The audience was excited during the opening performance of the band Dragon Pony at Korea Spotlight 2025. Photo: BTC

It can be seen in Hanoi, G-Dragon's concert or Y-CONCERT 2025 helped hotel room occupancy reach nearly 100%, many restaurants and cafes around the stadium operated at full capacity.

Therefore, the Vietnamese Government has oriented to exploit this potential through Decision 1129/QD-TTg on developing the night-time economy, encouraging urban areas to develop a chain of art - tourism - trade activities after 6 p.m. Because music concerts not only prolong the length of stay but also create short-term jobs, helping localities to maximize tourism revenue.

However, for this trend to be sustainable, Vietnam needs to invest in specialized performance infrastructure. Currently, most large concerts are still held in stadiums or temporarily renovated sports centers. The development of multi-purpose music complexes (arenas) with a capacity of 20,000-50,000 seats, along with a fast-track licensing mechanism and tax incentives for cultural enterprises, will help Vietnam become a competitive destination in the region.

From dazzling concerts to cross-border collaborations, music is asserting its power as a creative economy. Each stage lit up not only ignites emotions, but also opens new routes, itineraries and opportunities for Vietnam tourism on the regional map.

Hai Yen (News and Ethnic Newspaper)

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/khi-am-nhac-tro-thanh-dong-luc-phat-trien-du-lich-viet-nam-a193711.html