Positive signs from the beginning of the year.

In the first two months of 2026, the province's economy recorded many positive developments. Tourism flourished. GRDP growth, budget revenue, and export turnover all increased. This positive signal creates momentum and a solid foundation for the province to successfully achieve the targets and tasks set for 2026.

The numbers are improving.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, I had the opportunity to revisit many key tourist areas in the province, including Nui Cam commune, Vinh Te ward, and Cu Lao Gieng commune. Everywhere was bustling with laughter and chatter, and crowds of people flocked to visit. From early morning, stalls selling local specialties were packed with shoppers. The spring atmosphere was evident in every step of the tourists and in the busyness of the people providing tourism services. During the 9-day Tet holiday (from the 26th of the 12th lunar month to the 5th day of the 1st lunar month), the entire province welcomed over 1.7 million tourists, a 37% increase compared to the same period in 2025; including nearly 100,000 international tourists. In January 2026 alone, the number of international tourists increased by more than 48% compared to the same period.

Tourists buy local specialties to eat during Tet (Lunar New Year) and as gifts. Photo: MINH HIEN

Mr. Dinh Van Chac, Head of the Cam Mountain Tourist Area Management Board, said: “On the first and second days of Tet alone, Cam Mountain welcomed more than 28,000 tourists for sightseeing and relaxation. This number not only confirms the attractiveness of the destination but also shows the strong development and clear acceleration of the tourism industry right from the beginning of 2026.” The development of tourism creates a ripple effect on many other fields. In January 2026, budget revenue reached 1,903 billion VND, of which domestic revenue was 1,861 billion VND.

In the field of industry and trade, Mr. Nguyen Thong Nhat - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, stated: “The industrial production index in January increased by 21.46% compared to the same period last year; export turnover increased by 6.42%; import turnover increased by 2.23%; and total retail sales of goods and service revenue increased by 27.02%. These are positive signs at the beginning of 2026.” Another noteworthy point is that the number of newly established businesses increased 2.87 times compared to the same period last year. This development shows that market confidence is gradually being strengthened, the investment and business environment continues to improve, continuing the growth momentum established in 2025.

Supermarkets are fully stocked with goods to serve people's shopping needs during the Tet holiday. Photo: MINH HIEN

New motivation

2026 marks the first year of implementing the resolution of the First Provincial Party Congress, term 2025-2030, in the context of completing the administrative boundary reorganization and operating the two-tiered local government model. The development space is expanded, connecting the plains, forests, and seas; the border and the interior; forming a comprehensive advantage for the marine economy , border gate economy, logistics, and tourism.

In that picture, transportation infrastructure plays a crucial role. For example, the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway project, phase 1, is 188.2km long; the section through An Giang province alone is nearly 57km. The province aims to open the entire route to traffic in 2026. Central Committee member, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Ho Van Mung, analyzed: “This expressway will not only shorten travel time from Chau Doc to Can Tho to about 1 hour, but also alleviate pressure on National Highway 91, which has been overloaded for many years, strongly stimulating tourism and related services. At the same time, it will directly connect the international border gate area with the downstream seaport system of the Hau River, creating a foundation for the development of border logistics and trade with Cambodia and ASEAN.”

Tourists buy local specialties at tourist areas and attractions. Photo: MINH HIEN

Simultaneously, the targets set for 2026 demonstrate a clear determination to accelerate growth. The province plans to mobilize approximately 113,500 billion VND in total social investment; GRDP at current prices is estimated at 335,000 billion VND; budget revenue at 32,362 billion VND; the digital economy accounting for about 8% of GRDP; and the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) striving to be among the top 15 provinces and cities nationwide. Achieving a GRDP growth target of 10.71% or higher is a significant challenge in the context of a volatile global economy, an unstable export market, and increasing pressure for institutional reform. To achieve this goal, the province cannot rely solely on expanding scale, but must improve the quality of growth. “We are not pursuing growth at all costs, but are focusing on removing bottlenecks, unlocking resources, and creating substantive progress in each sector to achieve the set targets,” affirmed Comrade Ho Van Mung.

The provincial People's Committee's operational spirit in 2026 is concretized by the motto "6 clear points": Clear person, clear task, clear time, clear product, clear responsibility, and clear authority. Public investment continues to be identified as seed capital, focusing on key infrastructure projects to guide and activate social capital flows. Alongside this is the reform of administrative procedures, the acceleration of digital transformation, and the development of the private economy in accordance with the resolutions of the Central Government.

Not only did An Giang start the year with positive figures in the first two months, but more importantly, it is transitioning from a stable phase to a growth phase based on spatial restructuring, completion of strategic infrastructure, and improvement of governance quality. This encouraging start to the year is the result of thorough, flexible, and creative preparation aimed at creating momentum for double-digit growth and moving towards a more efficient and sustainable economic structure in the coming years.

MINH HIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/tin-hieu-vui-tu-dau-nam-a477707.html