Hanoi (VNA) - Beyond offering opportunities for people to reconnect with their roots and experience distinctive historical and cultural values, traditional festivals are emerging as strategic resources that promote tourism and support local economic growth.
Running from February 18 to May 11, the Huong Pagoda Festival in Hanoi has drawn large crowds. On the opening day alone, tens of thousands of visitors arrived despite cold and rainy weather. Earlier, from the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the site welcomed nearly 136,000 visitors, up 138% year-on-year.
The Giong Festival at Soc Temple in Hanoi drew over 45,000 people during its three main days, while the Yen Tu Historical Complex in Quang Ninh welcomed more than 60,000 pilgrims in just three days after opening. Meanwhile, the Ba Chua Xu Festival at Nui Sam in An Giang province, now in its second year since being recognised by UNESCO as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is expected to attract millions of visitors.
These figures highlight the growing appeal of festivals and their contribution to increasing visitor numbers and tourism revenues. Alongside more professional and orderly organisation, a shift in mindset among local cultural authorities - viewing festivals not only as spiritual practices but also as cultural tourism products - has significantly enhanced their attractiveness.
Interactive heritage tours and experiential activities are becoming key highlights. At the Con Son – Kiep Bac Spring Festival 2026 in Hai Phong, upgraded tourism routes have helped boost visitor numbers, with nearly 138,000 arrivals recorded between February 26 and March 8, up 30% year-on-year. New initiatives, including night tours and themed art performances at the Giong Festival and upcoming Hung Kings Temple Festival in Phu Tho, are also creating fresh visitor experiences.
Across many localities, festivals are evolving beyond traditional cultural gatherings into drivers of heritage-based economic development. This transformation both preserves cultural values and enhances the competitiveness of local tourism destinations.
According to UN Tourism, festival tourism contributes more than 50 billion USD annually to Asian economies and over 200 billion USD worldwide. With more than 8,000 festivals, most linked to historical sites and long-standing cultural heritage, Vietnam holds significant potential to develop this tourism segment. National tourism strategies and cultural development policies have identified festival tourism as a priority direction, underscoring its importance for both cultural preservation and economic growth.
Despite positive results, only a limited number of festivals have been effectively upgraded. Many still lack distinctive highlights, while overcrowding during peak periods contrasts with low visitor numbers at other times. The overall ecosystem of festival tourism products remains underdeveloped, limiting longer visitor stays and higher tourism revenues.
Nguyen Van Tai, Director of Vietsense Travel, stressed the need for selective investment rather than widespread, uncoordinated development. Authorities should prioritise festivals with outstanding cultural value and strong tourism connectivity, while using festivals as catalysts linked with entertainment, cuisine, accommodation and experiential services to extend visitor stays.
From a research perspective, Pham Hai Quynh, Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute, noted that many festivals lack a distinctive identity. He called for a shift from administrative management to visitor experience management, incorporating storytelling and digital technologies such as QR codes and virtual reality to deepen engagement, particularly among international visitors.
He also highlighted opportunities arising from administrative boundary adjustments, which could help connect heritage spaces and form thematic tourism routes. Although seasonality remains inherent, festivals can sustain vitality year-round through heritage experience spaces integrated with resort tourism, craft villages and culinary culture, ensuring both preservation and sustainable economic development./.
