In the first nine months of 2026, Ninh Binh’s tourism sector surpassed its annual targets for visitor numbers and revenue. Alongside the appeal of its destinations, efforts to develop products, raise service quality and connect businesses are being carried out across a wider area. These results give the province a favorable basis for setting requirements to use its resources effectively, increase the value of its services, preserve its heritage and pursue its long-term goals.
According to a report by the Department of Tourism, in the first nine months of the year Ninh Binh is estimated to have welcomed more than 20.958 million visitors (including more than 2.442 million international arrivals), with tourism revenue estimated at over VND 21,979 billion, exceeding the annual plan by 4.79% and 9.89% respectively. Achieving these two key targets ahead of schedule demonstrates the appeal of the destination and creates favorable conditions for the sector to keep growing in the final months of the year.
These results owe much to cultural and tourism activities tied to local character. Among them, Ninh Binh Tourism Week 2026, themed “Ninh Binh – A Heritage Journey Through the Ages,” attracted more than 634,000 visitors, with total revenue estimated at nearly VND 974 billion, up 30.84% and 29.83% respectively compared with the previous year’s Tourism Week.
The Tam Coc Golden Season Festival, the Trang An Creative Music Festival and traditional art programs have added to visitors’ experiences. Showcasing landscapes tied to the ripening rice season and bringing music and traditional arts into tourism show a proactive effort to refresh products using existing strengths. These events give visitors additional reasons to choose when to visit Ninh Binh.
Alongside product development, service capacity has been strengthened. The province has 1,558 accommodation establishments with more than 23,000 rooms, and 86 travel businesses. In the first nine months, the tourism sector inspected and provided guidance on the physical and technical facilities of 251 accommodation establishments, and organized training courses in management, front desk, housekeeping, food preparation and community-based tourism. A diverse accommodation system makes it possible to meet the needs of many visitor groups. Inspection, guidance and training help establishments meet business requirements and improve their service skills.
According to Mr. Bui Van Manh, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Department of Tourism, the nine-month results create favorable conditions for implementing long-term goals. Going forward, the tourism sector will continue to strengthen state management of tourism activities and organize resource exploitation within a unified framework, clearly defining the character and development direction of each area.
Resource surveys, completion of planning, standardization of business conditions and workforce development must be carried out in a coordinated way, giving businesses a basis for investment and local authorities a basis for management. Growth in visitor numbers must go hand in hand with economic efficiency and the ability to protect heritage and landscapes. Doing these things well will help turn the success in attracting visitors into stable revenue, jobs and lasting benefits for the locality.
Ninh Binh has the advantage of rich resources, including heritage, limestone mountain landscapes, forests, wetlands, spiritual culture and a coastal area. This diversity opens up the possibility of building many itineraries to serve different needs. How effectively these resources are used depends on how destinations are connected and services are organized.
Since the beginning of the year, the province has held a series of programs to affirm its destination brand, such as the destination-connection program “Sacred Mountains – Vast Sea,” the unveiling of the brand identity for the Giao Ninh Tourism Area, and a set of community-based tourism products for coastal communes. The recognition of Xuan Thuy National Park and the Hai Ly Church by the Sea (a climate change evidence site) as tourist attractions also adds to the conditions for managing, promoting and developing coastal destinations.
For these activities to be effective, businesses need suitable sales programs, convenient itineraries and assured service quality. An itinerary combining heritage sightseeing, cultural experiences and beach relaxation can lengthen visitors’ stays while also bringing them to additional areas with potential.
Ms. Duong Thi Thanh, Chair of the Ninh Binh Tourism Association, said that diverse resources open up more opportunities to build products, but genuine cooperation among businesses is needed. Travel companies, accommodation providers, attractions and service suppliers must together study market demand and agree on how to organize operations and maintain service quality. The Association’s role is to connect businesses, support skills upgrading, exchange information and relay difficulties encountered in operations. Familiarization programs need to be followed up with concrete cooperation to bring products to customers.
From an investor’s perspective, Mr. Hoang Manh Quan, representative of the developer of Legend Valley Country Club in Kim Bang Ward, said the province’s attention to infrastructure development, its improvements to the investment environment and its administrative reforms have made it easier for businesses to carry out tourism and service projects. Legend Valley Country Club is currently focusing on gradually completing the 18-hole Canyon Course, putting Legend Farm into operation and raising service quality across the entire complex.
The company plans to host more golf tournaments and sporting events, develop the market for visitors combining meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), and expand cooperation with travel partners. According to Mr. Quan, the province’s orientation identifies tourism, services and the cultural industries as important economic sectors, motivating businesses to keep investing in quality products and to increase their capacity to serve domestic and international visitors.
This investment direction adds options for visitors who want to combine leisure, sports and events. Cooperation with travel companies will make it possible to link services within the complex to the province’s destinations, broadening the range of experiences and business opportunities.
Ninh Binh has issued Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU on the strategy for developing the cultural industries and tourism through 2030, with a vision to 2045, and has approved a plan for implementing it. In the orientation of becoming a centrally governed city defined as a “Millennium Heritage City” and a creative city, tourism development must be taken into account in decisions on planning, infrastructure, conservation and investment attraction. Exceeding the annual plan is a notable step forward. The lasting value of that progress depends on the quality of projects, the effectiveness of linkages and the way resources are preserved, so that tourism creates more livelihoods for local people while protecting the values that make the destination appealing.