Vietnam's Nha Trang targets night beaches in 7-model nighttime economy push

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Tuesday, Nha Trang chairman Nguyen Thanh Son said the ward administration was completing the plan to submit it to the relevant authorities for consideration.

According to the plan’s consulting unit, the proposal covers seven nighttime economic models, including recreational activities on the beach, such as beachside bar areas, and a night beach combined with water sports.

The other proposed models include tourist information points and WiFi stations, bicycle rentals, team-building activities, a nighttime pedestrian street combined with a book street, and artistic lighting.

The plan is aimed at extending the time tourists spend visiting tourism and cultural attractions, developing yacht services and night tours in Nha Trang Bay, and improving support services and visitor experiences around the clock.

In the long term, the plan seeks to establish a distinctive nighttime economy chain combining the sea, streets, food, culture and entertainment, with interconnected experiences for visitors, both domestic and international, according to Nha Trang authorities.

The plan is expected to focus in 2026 on reviewing and selecting existing nighttime services for development. From 2027 to 2030, the ward aims to complete the model, attract investment and develop large-scale nighttime entertainment and recreational complexes.

The plan will also update planning for the area east of Tran Phu Street and study the possible development of floating restaurants and tourist boats, while assessing suitable areas and time frames for street vendors, according to the ward administration.

Earlier, at a conference on implementing Khanh Hoa’s tourism development strategy for 2026-30, with a vision to 2045, Nguyen Quyet Thang, head of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said Khanh Hoa has favorable conditions for developing the nighttime economy.

However, nighttime economic activities in the province remain largely based on traditional services and have yet to effectively tap its advantages in marine and island resources, culture and coastal urban spaces, Thang said.

He suggested that the province prioritize developing key nighttime economic clusters in Nha Trang, the northern Cam Ranh Peninsula, Bai Dai, Van Phong and major tourist islands.

The goal should be to gradually turn Nha Trang into a destination capable of providing continuous 24-hour tourism experiences and strengthen its position as an international marine tourism hub in Vietnam and the region, Thang said.