Southern localities ramp up preparations to attract National Day holiday-makers

Southern localities are preparing conditions to bring their advantages into full play to attract tourists over the upcoming four-day National Day holiday (August 31-September 3) – the last long break this year.

A corner of Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)
A corner of Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – Southern localities are preparing conditions to bring their advantages into full play to attract tourists over the upcoming four-day National Day holiday (August 31-September 3) – the last long break this year.

With their diverse range of tourism products, a stable climate, and increasingly well-developed transportation infrastructure, the coastal and island destinations in the Southeast and Mekong Delta regions are set to be attractive to tourists during this holiday.

Notable places include the coastal city of Vung Tau, the districts of Con Dao, Xuyen Moc, Long Dien, and Dat Do in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, as well as the cities of Phu Quoc, Ha Tien, and Rach Gia, and Kien Hai and Kien Luong districts in Kien Giang province.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau, positioned as the gateway to the East Sea for the Southeast region, is ideal for both domestic and international tourists to Ho Chi Minh City, and then to Vung Tau and Con Dao. Additionally, tourists from nearby localities in the Southeast or the Mekong Delta can conveniently reach Ba Ria - Vung Tau using various land and water transportation options.

According to Trinh Hang, Director of the provincial Department of Tourism, to prepare for the upcoming holiday, resorts and destinations in the locality are planning to supplement and innovate their products and services, and stay ready to offer attractive experiences through new resort products, health and wellness services, sports activities, art performances, and distinctive culinary experiences.

In the last National Day holiday, the province welcomed over 535,000 visitors, with accommodation occupancy rates averaging around 80-85%. For this year’s break, it expects to continue attracting a large number of tourists, added Hang.

Meanwhile, according to Kien Giang province’s Department of Tourism, one of the new tourism products is the double-decker bus tour exploring Phu Quoc island operated by Sun Group. This tour offers visitors a fresh view of the island city from the upper deck. Phu Quoc is also stepping up dissemination to raise awareness of accommodation, dining, and transportation service providers adhering to the city’s tourism code of conduct.

Also in Kien Giang, Ha Tien, a coastal city with many outstanding tourist attractions such as Mui Nai beach, Thach Dong tourist site, Da Dung mountain relic site, and Ha Tien night market, is decorating and arranging miniature landscapes and service countres, thus creating new features to attract tourists.

In the Mekong Delta region, localities such as Dong Thap, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, Can Tho, and Ca Mau have many tourist attractions associated with colorful orchards, gardens of flowers and ornamental plants, rustic villages, and friendly people, bringing visitors various interesting experiences.

To connect and create tours for visitors to explore and experience various destinations during the holiday, travel agencies are offering a diverse range of tour packages both domestically and internationally.

For instance, Saigontourist Travel Service Company is introducing a series of tours to Southwestern localities such as Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Can Tho, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau. These tours focus on presenting tourists with the picturesque landscapes, cultural insights, and distinctive cuisine of the region. It also offers tours to the Northwest region of the country, where visitors can admire the natural scenery, terraced fields, and hamlets of ethnic minority groups./.

See more

Con Co “steel island”: a green gem in the open sea. (Photo: VNA)

Con Co “steel island”: a green gem in the open sea

Unlike well-established destinations, this small island quietly preserves its layered heritage: tens-of-thousands-year-old basalt formations, pristine tropical forests and enduring wartime memories. Together, they create a distinctive “green gem” in the open sea, subtle yet captivating enough to hold any visitor.

The Hue–Da Nang “Central Heritage Connection” train takes passengers along one of Vietnam’s most spectacular coastal railway routes. (Photo: nhandan.vn)

Heritage rail journey brings new identity to central Vietnam tourism

The heritage train offers passengers not only a means of transport, but also a sense of connection linking destinations across central Vietnam, tourism with transport, and nostalgic memories with contemporary experiences. While older travellers are reminded of journeys from decades ago, younger passengers and international visitors are discovering a greener, culture-rich way to explore the region.

Many Vietnamese travellers love to plan the trip by themselves even when it requires a lot of time. (Photo courtesy of Booking.com)

Vietnamese travellers enjoy planning for trips

The Booking.com’s Travel Trends 2026 data revealed that a growing number of Vietnamese travellers, about 74% of respondents, are channelling “Main Character Planning Energy”, where planning and booking is just as enjoyable as the trip itself.

Hai Tac Island in An Giang province is increasingly attractive to visitors. (Photo: VNA)

Slow travel increases connections, reshapes tourism trends

Rather than rushing to “check in” at as many attractions as possible, slow travel allows visitors to immerse themselves in local life. Travellers may spend time wandering through a highland market, learning to cook a traditional dish, cycling around a coastal fishing village, or simply enjoying the tranquil rhythm of life in the countryside.

Sunlight streams into the Dinosaur Eye while visitors join the Son Doong adventure tour (Photo: VNA published)

Quang Tri province boosts tourism promotion through international television, films

A special documentary on Son Doong Cave, the world’s largest cave, was aired on March 29 in the renowned “60 Minutes” programme of CBS News. The report retraced the discovery of Son Doong Cave and years of expeditions conducted by the British Cave Research Association, offering global audiences a comprehensive look at the cave through scientific, historical and human perspectives.

The Dien Bien Phu campaign headquarters has become a popular tourist attraction in Dien Bien province. (Photo: VNA)

Dien Bien Phu tourism cable car project receives in-principle approval

The project aims to effectively tap the area’s natural landscapes, geographical advantages and distinctive historical value, while creating a high-quality tourism product with strong competitiveness. It is also intended to preserve, honour and promote the value of the Dien Bien Phu Victory special national historical relic site.

Da Lat station is the hub of the roughly 84-km Phan Rang–Da Lat railway (Photo: VNA)

Da Lat city's century-old railway station doubles as tourist draw

It now functions as both a transport hub and a sought-after photo spot. In the early morning, with mist still threaded through the pines, the station radiates an old-world calm. Visitors arrive at dawn to breathe the mountain air and capture iconic images of the highland city.

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province. (Photo: VNA)

Quang Ninh - magnet for affluent Indian travellers

Alongside wedding tourism, Quang Ninh is also seeing robust growth in arrivals of Indian MICE travellers. Delegations of hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of visitors have been coming to the province for conferences, seminars and incentive travel programmes combined with leisure stays.