Quang Ninh (VNS/VNA) – The first-ever Halong Sailing Festival will be held at the Tuan Chau Port in Quang Ninh city from December 15 to 19, featuring teams from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines.
It will be the first event of its kind held in Ha Long Bay, a renowned UNESCO world heritage site.
The event is expected to attract 12 teams, five from Vietnam and seven from abroad, along with international referees and experts.
Ha Long Bay boasts a unique seascape of islands and islets along with an increasingly developed tourism infrastructure and service sector, while Quang Ninh possesses favourable conditions for the growth of sailing.
The sport not only demands technical skill, tactical acumen and teamwork, but also embodies a spirit of exploration, a rich maritime culture and a lifestyle deeply connected to the sea.
Offering distinct advantages for recreational sailing, the bay is sheltered by mountain ranges both offshore and along the coast, creating a very safe environment for maritime activities.
The first festival aims to showcase Ha Long Bay's maritime tourism potential and establish the region as an international sailing venue. It is also an attempt to make Quang Ninh a destination for major international events in the near future.
Nguyen Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the sailing festival is a huge opportunity for Quang Ninh to develop sport tourism products.
If successful, the festival will become a key draw for visitors at the end of the year, which is typically the low season for tourism in the coastal city.
Tung said the sailing event would help Quang Ninh expand its market and boost tourists' spending. In addition to its reputation as a tourist destination, Ha Long would also make a strong impression in the international maritime sporting community.
While in Quang Ninh, visitors will be able take part in sport, tour the heritage site, relax on the beach, experience local culture and cuisine and participate in international exchange activities.
Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay team won the global Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in the 2023–24 season. This achievement gave Ha Long a name in the international sailing community, a strong base to help establish the bay as maritime and beach sport destination.
Following that success, the Halong Sailing Festival 2026 is expected to help Ha Long Bay and the rest of Quang Ninh gain recognition as potential hosts for other major events.
Le Tien Dung, representative of the Tuan Chau International Passenger Port Joint Stock Company and member of the Seanata Vietnam team, said his company would work with relevant units and local authorities to organise annual events, aiming to host the World Sailing Championship in 2030./.
Nha Trang to host Asian sailing regatta for first time
The regatta is part of the 2026 Khanh Hoa Sea Festival and is jointly organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Seanata Sailing Yacht and Technical Services Company.
