Nghe An aims for sustainable year-round tourism.

Beyond its summer beach advantages, Nghe An is gradually repositioning its image as a tourist destination through a year-round tourism development strategy. From infrastructure investment and product diversification to exploiting the depth of its culture and ecology, the province hopes to make tourism a key and sustainable economic sector in the coming years.

From summer tourism to the aspiration of attracting visitors year-round.

For many years, every summer, Cua Lo beach has been bustling with tourists coming to relax and swim. But when the hot weather ends, the tourist atmosphere here gradually quiets down. The reality of "busy for a few months, deserted for the rest of the season" means that Nghe An's tourism, despite its rich potential, has not yet fully exploited its inherent advantages.

Therefore, developing year-round tourism is becoming a strategic direction for the province to extend the length of stay, enhance experiences, and create sustainable growth momentum for the "smoke-free industry".

2026 marks a new milestone as Nghe An province will for the first time organize the Cua Lo Tourism Festival throughout the year with the theme "Cua Lo – The Call of the Sea in All Four Seasons". Instead of focusing only on the peak summer season as before, a series of cultural, sports , and entertainment activities will be organized seasonally to create continuous appeal for the destination.

Cua Lo is transforming, shifting from seasonal tourism to year-round tourism to attract and retain visitors.

According to Mr. Tran Xuan Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An province, the biggest goal of the program is to gradually eliminate the seasonality of beach tourism, aiming to build Cua Lo into an attractive year-round destination.

To achieve this, the province is planning to develop many new tourism products. Among them, the proposal to organize regular fireworks displays in the Ngư Island area through a socialized model is expected to create an additional highlight for nighttime beach tourism. Alongside this is the "Legend of Song Ngư" live performance show, combining folk songs and traditional music with modern performance technology to provide a unique cultural experience for tourists.

Nghe An province is also promoting the organization of many major events in Cua Lo, such as art programs, cultural festivals, and beauty contests, in order to create a media effect, promote the image of the destination, and attract tourists to return.

Beyond its beaches, the western region of Nghe An province is also identified as a crucial "piece" in the strategy for developing year-round tourism. With its cool climate, pristine landscapes, and unique cultural identity of ethnic minorities, many localities are gradually effectively exploiting ecotourism, community-based tourism, and experiential tourism.

Hoa Tien Village (Chau Tien Commune) is one of the outstanding destinations for community-based tourism in Nghe An province. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in the ancient Thai culture with traditional stilt houses, the sound of the khene (a traditional Thai musical instrument), folk dances, and unique local customs. In 2025, the locality is expected to welcome approximately 13,000 visitors, including many international groups.

The Hoa Tien community tourism village (Chau Tien commune) attracts visitors.

According to local leaders, preserving natural forests and pristine ecological spaces not only helps protect the environment but also creates a significant advantage in sustainable tourism development. With the increasing demand for experiencing nature and local culture, western Nghe An is expected to become an attractive year-round destination.

Invest in infrastructure and create unique products to retain tourists.

Nghe An is considered a province with many advantages for tourism development, possessing a diverse ecosystem from the sea and plains to the mountains. The entire province has an 82 km long coastline with many beautiful beaches such as Cua Lo, Bai Lu, Quynh Phuong, Dien Thanh… along with a system of caves, waterfalls, primeval forests and many attractive exploration destinations.

Besides its abundant natural resources, Nghe An is also a land rich in historical and cultural traditions, with over 2,000 historical relics and scenic spots; many unique folk festivals; and especially the Nghe Tinh folk songs – a UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

However, despite its great potential, Nghe An's tourism industry has not yet truly achieved its full potential. Seasonality remains very evident, with the majority of tourists concentrated from April to July, while the remaining months are quite quiet. This leads to many accommodation and service establishments operating inefficiently during the off-season.

Furthermore, tourism products outside of the summer season lack diversity. Wellness tourism, health and wellness tourism, night tourism, and large-scale entertainment activities have not yet developed to their full potential. Infrastructure in some tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta is still inadequate; and the supply of high-quality human resources for tourism remains limited.

Hang Bua is a famous scenic spot and archaeological site in western Nghe An province, classified as a national historical and scenic site in 1997.

According to Mr. Phan Dinh Nho, Deputy Director of Nghe An Tourism Joint Stock Company, developing year-round tourism requires the simultaneous implementation of many solutions, from planning, infrastructure, and promotion to human resource training and digital transformation.

Most importantly, we must develop tourism products with unique characteristics for each season. Summer should see strong development of beach tourism; autumn should focus on ecotourism and exploring the Mekong Delta; and the beginning and end of the year should prioritize cultural, spiritual, and resort tourism.

In recent years, many key infrastructure projects have contributed to the development of tourism in Nghe An province. The completion of the Vinh - Cua Lo Boulevard has shortened travel time from the city center to the beach to less than 20 minutes, expanding the development space for the coastal tourist city.

In addition, new forms of tourism such as MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), water sports, community tourism, and wellness tourism are gradually being developed to enhance the visitor experience.

According to the Nghe An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the coming time, the province will continue to develop more night-time tourism products such as pedestrian streets, seafood markets, art spaces, and modern entertainment areas to increase the length of stay and spending of tourists.

Besides investing in infrastructure and products, digital transformation is also identified as a crucial solution to enhance tourism competitiveness. The application of technology in promotion, booking services, payments, and customer experiences will contribute to building a more professional and modern image for tourism.

Tourists enjoy swimming at Cua Lo beach during the April 30th holiday.

In the two years from 2024 to 2025, Nghe An's tourism sector recorded many positive signs. In 2024, the entire province welcomed approximately 9.45 million visitors with revenue exceeding 28,500 billion VND. In just the first half of 2025, the number of visitors reached approximately 6.2 million, a significant increase compared to the same period.

These figures show that Nghe An's tourism is undergoing a significant transformation. However, to achieve sustainable development and become a key economic sector, the locality needs to continue to persistently pursue the goal of developing year-round tourism, using culture as a foundation, ecology as an advantage, and unique experiences as a competitive factor.

With its inherent potential and clear strategic direction, Nghe An is expected to gradually overcome its seasonality and become an attractive year-round destination in the North Central region and the whole country.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nghe-an-huong-den-du-lich-bon-mua-ben-vung-post1843740.tpo