The allure of innovation
Sitting in the cabin of the Cat Hai - Phu Long cable car, admiring the blue sea and majestic mountain ranges, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (42 years old, from Hanoi) excitedly shared: "In 2024, my family spent nearly 4 hours queuing for the ferry under the scorching sun of almost 40 degrees Celsius. This year, following the recommendation, I left my car at the mainland terminal and bought cable car tickets for the whole family. It only took a little over ten minutes to get to Cat Ba Island, so we could relax and take beautiful photos."
As the intense daytime sun gradually subsides, the central area of Cat Ba becomes bustling again as many tourists flock to the VUI-Fest Cat Ba 2026 Creative Night Market. After a year of trial operation, this space has been expanded with many attractive experiential activities such as enjoying street food, watching performances by international artists, immersing themselves in DJ performances, fire dancing, and enjoying artistic fireworks displays held weekly. The vibrant music blends with the sound of the waves, creating a festive atmosphere that lasts until late at night, helping to encourage tourists to explore the night-time economic activities instead of just having dinner and returning to their accommodations as before.
Alongside the vibrant activity in Cat Ba, the Do Son tourist area is also transforming itself into a high-end resort center combining cultural and spiritual tourism. A highlight of summer 2026 is Hai Phong's first-ever large-scale celebrations at the Tuong Long Pagoda and Thap Tuong Long International Tourist Area and the Doi Rong International Tourist Area. These events will not only add appeal to Do Son but also contribute to diversifying tourism products, helping the locality gradually reduce its dependence on seasonality.
At the square beach in the Dragon Hill tourist area, the clear blue water, thanks to modern artificial seawater filtration technology, is attracting thousands of visitors every day. Ms. Le Thi Mai, owner of a homestay and seafood restaurant in Zone II of Do Son, excitedly said: "Since the beginning of 2026, thanks to cultural events, major golf tournaments, and the improved infrastructure of Dragon Hill, the occupancy rate for weekend bookings has consistently exceeded 90%. Visitors are spending more on high-end experiential services, not just coming to eat crab, swim, and then leave."
Hai Phong's appeal extends beyond the domestic market. On Lan Ha Bay – a member of the Top 10 most beautiful bays in the world – the number of international tourists is experiencing remarkable growth. In ancient villages like Viet Hai and Lien Minh, the sight of foreign tourists cycling through the national forest, kayaking through caves, or trekking has become commonplace.
By refreshing its core products, flexibly upgrading its transportation infrastructure, and resolutely improving service quality, the city of Hai Phong is asserting its position as a key tourist destination in the North.
Affirming Hai Phong's tourism position.
Before the peak tourist season, at a meeting to assess the situation and review the tasks for 2026 of the Hai Phong City Tourism Development Steering Committee, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Minh Hung emphasized that during the summer – the peak season – focus should be placed on two key areas: Cat Ba and Do Son, while effectively exploiting the Con Son - Kiet Bac national historical site complex and other areas. Specifically, Cat Ba should develop in a green, ecological direction. Do Son should aim for civilized, clean, and beautiful beach tourism, operating year-round.
Following these directives, the Cat Hai Special Economic Zone and Do Son ward, along with other communes and wards with tourist attractions, have regularly reviewed and addressed traffic issues and ensured environmental hygiene. Local authorities have also tightened management of tourism services, resolutely dealing with harassment and price gouging, and ensuring security and order.
To support localities and boost tourism attraction activities in the city, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is organizing many activities to promote Hai Phong tourism, such as: surveying and holding discussions to develop an experiential tourism program "The Season of Ripe Fruits in the Eastern Region"; promoting and introducing Do Son as a tourist destination and holding a workshop on "Identifying Do Son tourism in the new development space"; organizing a series of cultural, culinary, and tourism activities in the central flower garden area and the City Theater during the Red Phoenix Flower Festival - Hai Phong 2026; publishing a promotional publication "Delicious Dishes of Hai Phong" in 2026 to publicize and promote the unique cultural values and tourism products, contributing to stimulating demand and attracting tourists to Hai Phong...
The Department advised the People's Committee of Hai Phong City to participate in signing and issuing the Plan on tourism development cooperation between Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city for the period 2021 - 2025 and proposed further cooperation contents; coordinating the implementation of tourism activities in 2026 between the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hai Phong city and the Hai Phong Tourism Association.
With synchronized and innovative activities, creating unique attractions, and strengthening business management of services, the number of tourists visiting Hai Phong has continuously increased, especially during this summer season. In June 2026 alone, Hai Phong welcomed approximately 2.58 million visitors, generating estimated revenue of nearly 3,100 billion VND. This contributes to raising the total number of tourists to Hai Phong in the first six months of 2026 to over 8.7 million, a 15.7% increase compared to the same period in 2025, with estimated revenue exceeding 10,000 billion VND.
THU HUONGSource: https://baohaiphong.vn/soi-dong-mua-du-lich-he-hai-phong-546591.html
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