With a 300km long coast line and diverse terrains from rivers, mountains to sea and hot springs, along with many special national historical sites, Ba Ria – Vung Tau has favourable conditions to develop high-class leisure tourism combined with sight-seeing and sport tourism.

An overview of Bai Truoc beach in Vung Tau city, with Bach Dinh relic and the provincial museum prominent on the left. (Photo: Huynh Ngoc Son/VNA)

The province’s location in the southeastern region, bordering many southern economic hubs such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Binh Thuan provinces, is also an advantage for Ba Ria – Vung Tau to attract both domestic and international visitors. 

* Developing diverse tourism products

In the 11-month period from January to November this year, Ba Ria – Vung Tau welcomed around 12 million visitors, equal to nearly 350% of the yearly plan and up 248% from the same period last year, according to the provincial Tourism Department.  The outstanding result is attributable to the province’s efforts to upgrade and diversify its tourism products and services.    

Over the recent past, Ba Ria – Vung Tau has invested in many high-class leisure tourism properties, which has helped the province attracted both domestic and international tourists. Some examples are Morito Beach Ho Tram, Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion, Hyatt Regency Ho Tram Resort & Spa, Binh Chau Hot Spring Resort, and Coastar Estates Ho Tram. 

Tropicana Ho Tram (Xuyen Moc district), part of the Novaworld Ho Tram Tropicana project, offers many high-class services such as a 16ha water park, a 5,000 sq.m salt water pool, a playground for children, a kayaking route, a Kid Farm and a cuisine complex (Photo: Huynh Ngoc Son/VNA)

Besides luxurious accommodations, local tourist and service firms have developed various entertainment, leisure, cuisine and health care services to create added value to visitors’ vacation trips to Ba Ria – Vung Tau.  For example, during the National Day holiday in September, a music gala called Let’s Charm Fest was held at Charm Resort Ho Tram, and the Hamptons Plaza Ho Tram commercial-service street was inaugurated, offering international-standard services and the Hamptons Pier, the first pier in Vietnam and the longest in Asia. Those events created a pleasant surprise to visitors and added excitement to their stay.

Nguyen Dinh Khang, a tourist from Thu Duc City in Ho Chi Minh City, said the The Grand Ho Tram Strip leisure and entertainment complex in Ba Ria – Vung Tau’s Xuyen Moc district is only 100km from Ho Chi Minh City, and just over 35km from Vung Tau city, so it is convenient for tourists to travel there.

He added that the complex offers various luxury services along with many promotional campaigns, so visitors always feel satisfied and refreshed after each vacation there. 

Tourists at the Binh Chau Onsen in Novaworld Ho Tram project in Xuyen Moc district. (Photo: Huynh Ngoc Son/VNA)

A representative of the five-star Marina Bay Resort& Spa in Vung Tau city said the facility attracts visitors, especially those travelling with families, during holidays or on weekends, because it is located in Tran Phu street, the most romantic road in the city that runs between the mountain and a beautiful beach. 

In addition, the resort offers a wide range of experimental services like activities designed to help users relax, or romantic dinners. Service packages are also tailored to meet the needs of different types of visitors. 

According to Vice Chairwoman of Vung Tau city’s People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Vung Tau now has diverse tourism forms and products, such as weekend leisure tourism, sea sport tourism, sight-seeing tours to historical relics and landscapes, MICE (Meeting-Incentive-Conference-Event) tourism, and eco-tourism. 

The tourism industry has step by step combined tourism with cultural and art events and sport competitions. Local travel agencies have paid attention to creating new tours and routes, especially tours inside the city for visitors arriving on cruise, and river and sea tours.

Vung Tau currently counts more than 1,200 tourism accommodation establishments, including 14 luxury ones. Over the past two years, new types of accommodations have emerged, such as condotel, tourist villa and homestay. Each year, Vung Tau city serves about 6 million of visitors who come for sightseeing or leisure purposes.

Tourists enjoy hot spring services at the Binh Chau Onsen in Novaworld Ho Tram project in Xuyen Moc district. (Photo: Huynh Ngoc Son/VNA)

* Maintaining civilized, safe and attractive environment for tourism

According to leaders of the province Tourism Department, to achieve sustainable development and maintain its reputation as a key destination in the national tourism map, Ba Ria – Vung Tau has always attached importance to building and maintaining a civilized, safe and attractive environment for tourism. All localities in the province have implemented specific and practical measures to ensure that every visitor feels that Ba Ria – Vung Tau is really a civilized, safe and friendly destination.

Phan Trong Hanh, head of the Culture-Information Bureau of Vung Tau city, said Vung Tau has been awarded the title of ASEAN Clean Tourist City twice by the ASEAN Tourism Forum. The city has effectively implemented criteria relating to environmental management, cleanliness, authority and community’s awareness about environmental protection and cleanliness, green spaces, health care and urban safety for tourists, tourism infrastructure, and meeting facilities.

An overview of Bai Sau beach, Vung Tau city, which is a favourite for many tourists for its cleanliness and convenient location near many tourism service facilities. (Photo: Huynh Ngoc Son/VNA)

In order to continue keeping the title of ASEAN Clean Tourist City and maintain  a civilized, safe and attractive tourism environment, Vung Tau is paying attention to the management of natural landscapes like beaches, forests on mountains, mangrove forests, and rivers serving tourism. The city attaches great importance to environmental protection work through reducing plastic waste, protecting and caring for greenery, raising awareness about the environment, maintaining a healthy tourism environment, ensuring security and safety for both local residents and visitors, while making investment in infrastructure, transport and other facilities towards sustainable and to turn Vung Tau into a smart tourism city as well as a worth-living city./.