Beyond summer beaches: How Vietnam's northern coastal hub plans to link UNESCO sites and rivers for year-round travel

The strategy was presented at a tourism promotion conference on Wednesday, attended by representatives from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, local officials, airlines and travel companies.

According to Duong Duc Hung, head of the Hai Phong Institute of Applied Science and Development, the city's greatest advantage lies in its diverse landscape of forests, mountains, rivers, coastline and island heritage areas.

Under the new tourism vision, Hai Phong plans to position Cat Ba as a global premium eco-tourism destination; Do Son as a northern Vietnam center for entertainment and night-time economy; the historic urban core as a hub for heritage tourism, creative industries and night-time experiences.

A key development proposal is the creation of a coastal tourism triangle linking Do Son, Cat Ba and Ha Long.

Officials said future high-speed waterway connections could reduce travel times between the destinations to less than one hour, allowing visitors to experience multiple attractions in a single trip.

Hai Phong also benefits from UNESCO-recognized heritage assets, including the Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago and the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son-Kiep Bac heritage complex.

Ha Van Sieu, deputy head of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, said successful destinations often build their brands around cultural heritage.

He added that Hai Phong's local traditions and community life could help create distinctive tourism products that stand apart from competing destinations.

Tran Van Ngoc, deputy director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, acknowledged that the city has traditionally been associated with beach tourism during the summer months.

However, since its administrative merger with the former Hai Duong Province in July 2025, Hai Phong has gained additional tourism resources.

"Summer offers island and beach tourism, while autumn, winter and spring provide opportunities for spiritual tourism and experiential travel," Ngoc said.

The port city is currently implementing four tourism development programs and preparing plans focused on heritage-based economic development and the night-time economy under the branding campaign 'Amazing Hai Phong.'

Nguyen Thanh Loc, head of Vietnam Airlines’ Hai Phong branch, said Cat Bi International Airport is expected to handle about 2.7 million passengers this year.

To stimulate travel during off-peak months, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is prepared to cooperate with tourism operators to offer discounted flight-and-hotel packages.

Loc also proposed enhancing service quality across transportation, hospitality, marine tourism and community-based tourism while further developing major events such as the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival and the Red Flamboyant Festival as signature visitor experiences.

Such offerings could help extend tourists' stays and attract visitors during off-peak months, he said.