Beach tourism and summer vacations – Resorts in Vietnam

Post:Reno Mueller

Vietnam - a hidden beauty

Vietnam has a favorable topography and climate for developing coastal resorts. Most coastal areas boast clear, clean waters, free from pollution caused by industrial or human activities. Importantly, unlike many other resorts around the world, there are no dangerous marine creatures along the coast, allowing you to enjoy swimming, diving, surfing, and a wide range of other water sports. And of course, you can also enjoy delicious fresh seafood along the coast and a variety of tropical fruits. You will feel completely safe and secure while traveling here, as most resorts and hotels prioritize the health and safety of their guests.

This brings both advantages and disadvantages. The first advantage is the pristine natural environment with its biodiversity and wildlife. In addition, the cultural and historical aspects remain intact, and the cost of food, accommodation, entertainment, and tourism is still relatively low. Tourists can enjoy a wonderful vacation without spending a lot of money.

However, the infrastructure, tourism products, and entertainment options in these tourist areas are still limited. In particular, transportation within the region and accompanying services such as car rentals are underdeveloped. Sanitation quality is also low, especially in rural areas. These shortcomings are being addressed through improvements in standards and services.

Popular destinations

Vietnam is divided into three regions, with coastal resorts mainly concentrated in the central and southern parts. The areas with the strongest tourism development are Hue, Da Nang, and Hoi An, partly due to convenient air and road transport, and also because the coastline is rapidly becoming "internationalized" by global real estate investors. One example is My Khe Beach, with its white sand stretching over 30km from Da Nang to Hoi An. It is considered one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches in Asia. As Vietnam's third largest city, Da Nang is a major economic and commercial center, while Hue and Hoi An attract tourists with their unique cultural and religious features and are two UNESCO World Heritage sites. For those interested in history, the Cham Museum in Da Nang, built in 1915 by the French, is a must-visit, showcasing historical and cultural treasures.

The second largest coastal region stretches 350km from Van Ninh through Nha Trang, Cam Ranh, and all the way to Vung Tau. This coastal area boasts numerous beaches of varying sizes, making it an ideal choice for domestic tourists. In recent years, international tourists have increasingly focused on destinations near major cities in Vietnam, particularly Nha Trang and Vung Tau. Both are renowned for their top-tier hotels meeting international standards, catering to both domestic and international tourists, and possessing strong growth potential thanks to improved air travel services, future international connections, and increasingly developed infrastructure.

Northern Vietnam boasts only two notable seaside resorts: the World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay with Cat Ba Island, and Do Son in Hai Phong. Both locations have international tourism potential but are highly dependent on weather conditions. Therefore, tourism businesses in these areas must overcome these limitations by offering indoor entertainment options to attract more tourists.

Many other markets are also developing, such as Sam Son beach in Thanh Hoa or Cua Lo, Vinh, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Mui Ne, and Phan Thiet in the South. These beaches mainly attract domestic tourists, with a small number of international visitors and backpackers. In the future, these destinations will experience significant growth, provided that air travel services develop and infrastructure improves.

Pioneering island regions in the tourism industry include Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Thailand, Con Dao Island in the south of the country, and Cu Lao Cham Island in Da Nang. Tourists can reach these areas by plane or boat. Many investors have developed high-quality resorts in these destinations. With such development and the proliferation of marinas on the islands, these areas are sure to attract domestic tourists seeking longer vacations and foreign visitors looking for unique experiences in peaceful settings.

Besides the beaches, Vietnam also has "heat-escape" destinations like Da Lat in the South or Sapa in the North. However, to date, the lack of amenities has somewhat affected the attractiveness of these places. Da Lat, in particular, with its newly upgraded airport, is attracting a large number of hotel investors from around the world.

Vacation trends

In the future, the development of tourism infrastructure with better air services and road networks in major coastal resorts will attract a large number of international tourists and continuously boost domestic tourism. Currently, many tourist areas focus primarily on attracting foreign tourists, but this may soon shift to domestic and regional customers. Many tourist areas have good prospects not only for leisure tourism but also for MICE tourism, cruises, or weddings. While previously most Vietnamese people took long vacations during the spring or summer holidays, now short vacations throughout the year are increasingly common, often combined with business trips.

Overall, beach and coastal tourism in Vietnam still has much to offer. Many resort areas are gradually becoming favorite destinations for tourists, and with countless ideal beaches yet to be explored, choosing a summer destination is only limited by imagination and the time available to experience all these wonderful places.

The Thanh