Khánh Hòa's Tourism Sector Seeks Solutions to Cost Pressures and Competitiveness

The Khanh Hoa Province People’s Committee has approved the 2026 Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Program, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of attracting resources, promoting local potential, and advancing sustainable economic development. Local culture, OCOP products, and traditional craft villages can all become part of the experiential journey. At the Vietnam International Travel Fair - VITM 2026 held recently, Khanh Hoa presented a dynamic promotional space with the participation of 22 enterprises. The booth went beyond information dissemination, reconstructing travel experiences through models, local specialties, and cultural performances. On a broader level, famtrip activities linking An Giang, multi-destination routing from Nha Trang to Phu Quoc, and plans to host survey teams from China, Korea, and Malaysia show a systematic market-expansion strategy being implemented. According to Nguyen Van Hoa, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Khanh Hoa's tourism is no longer a collection of isolated destinations, but is gradually 'linking together' into a broader cross-regional tourism network. Travelers' journeys now extend to the Lam Dong plateau and Dak Lak, where nature and local culture converge to create multi-layered, distinctive experiences. In late 2025 Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak signed a cooperation program for tourism development for 2026-2030. Not only on paper, businesses from the two localities quickly joined hands to implement it, from product development to workforce training and digital transformation. A concrete step was a survey trip along the Nha Trang - Buon Ma Thuot corridor in late March 2026. Over 30 tour guides and travel companies directly visited flagship destinations such as Dak Lak Museum, Buon Ma Thuot Prison, Dray Nur waterfall, and the Tây Nguyên gong space. This was not merely a survey; it was a process of assessing potential and positioning value to form cross-regional, in-depth tourism products and to raise appeal. Concurrently, the Khanh Hoa-Lam Dong linkage axis is being renewed toward multi-experience tourism. From Nha Trang's coastal resorts to the Da Lat plateau, exploration of high-tech agriculture, tea tourism, and flower gardens—these 'sea–flower–tea' itineraries are taking shape to meet modern travelers' demand for diverse experiences. This shift demonstrates that the tourism mindset has changed: not selling destinations, but selling an integrated experience. Mr. Tran Minh Duc, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Tour Operators Association, notes that as travel costs rise, the trend toward closed-loop, multi-point travel within a region will become clearer. This is a 'bright opening' for Khanh Hoa to leverage its competitive edge as the gateway linking the South Central Coast with the Central Highlands. Rather than competing in isolation, regional cooperation helps share tourist flows, extend itineraries, and raise spending. Economically, regional linkages also generate a clear 'multiplicative effect': infrastructure is used more efficiently, firms gain more collaboration opportunities, and travelers benefit from packaged products at lower costs. Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Long Bien says this strategy is not only a response to short-term cost fluctuations but also a foundation for building a sustainable tourism ecosystem. When regions share resources, co-create products, and coordinate promotion, the value of travelers’ journeys is elevated. In the experience-driven tourism trend, Khanh Hoa expects the agricultural tourism sector to develop into a product that attracts visitors in the near future. The attraction is that visitors can transform into farmers—feeding sheep, fishing, picking mangoes, harvesting grapes or camping in farms. Farms here not only supply clean produce but also serve as cultural spaces where visitors can explore traditional values of local communities. An ecosystem connecting agriculture, tourism, and services is emerging. From farming operations, farmstay models to organic agricultural production zones, all are aimed at welcoming visitors to explore and experience. Dang The-Truong, CEO of Camlam Online Joint Stock Company, notes that orchard tours in the local area have recently attracted many visitors, especially international ones. 'Currently, about 70-80% of orchard visitors are foreigners, who highly value experiences tied to agriculture,' he says. Cung Quynh Anh, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says the province is finalizing an eco-tourism development plan aimed at creating sustainable livelihoods for local residents. Alongside infrastructure investment, the province also encourages businesses to participate in developing accommodations, dining, and experiential tours tied to agriculture and culture. Speaking about the 2026 tourism promotion plan, Truong Van Tien, Director of the Khanh Hoa Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, emphasizes: 'Khanh Hoa should not only attract tourists with existing resources but tell the destination story creatively. Local culture, OCOP products, and traditional crafts can all be part of the experiential journey.' From coastal specialties to OCOP products, there must be opportunities to reach visitors. Truong Van Tien notes that the province will not only welcome tourists but also actively attract investment capital. Resort complexes, entertainment facilities, and tourism-driven urban areas are forming, bringing a new face to the destination. Tourism will not merely be an economic sector but a core driver of broader development. With the commercial pillar, local specialties will rely on tourism to break into wider markets. From coastal specialties to OCOP products, there must be opportunities to reach visitors. In particular, exploring new markets such as the Middle East, including Halal segments, signals a flexible step in integrating global markets, as Khanh Hoa continues to expand its development frontier. To sustain tourism growth, Khanh Hoa will host major cultural and tourism events and develop distinctive products to elevate the destination's brand. The Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism notes that the Khanh Hoa Coastal Tourism Festival 2026, themed 'Colors of the Ocean—Global Reach', is scheduled for July 20-26.