In 2025, Khanh Hoa tourism marked a turning point in strategic thinking when the province partnered with international consulting firm Simon-Kucher (Dubai) to build a vision strategy through 2045. Instead of fragmented, short-term development, 

Khanh Hoa is moving toward a comprehensive tourism ecosystem that links products, markets, infrastructure, and branding.

One of the most visible changes is the approach to festivals and events. Rather than the traditional Sea Festival model, the province organized the 2025 Sea Culture and Tourism Festival under the theme “Nha Trang says Hi,” running from late May through the end of June with 36 large-scale activities and events.

Cung Quynh Anh, Deputy Director of the Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, noted the “Nha Trang says Hi” mega music concert with well-known artists, international cultural exchange programs, and a street carnival parade created strong spillover effects. 

In just four peak days, Khanh Hoa welcomed around 667,000 visitors, hotel occupancy exceeded 85 percent, and many four- and five-star hotels were fully booked.

More importantly, the festival kept visitors longer, helping to increase stays and spending, the longstanding weaknesses of coastal tourism in the past.

Alongside festivals, new tourism products started, such as the International Light Bay Festival and live action shows like “Legendary Light” and “Chum show,” creating vitality for the "sleepless city" model in Nha Trang.

This was critical in developing the night-time economy, an area where Khanh Hoa was previously seen as underperforming relative to its potential. 

Night entertainment products combining lighting, music, local culture, and technology have helped Khanh Hoa gradually reduce dependence on peak seasons and enhance competitiveness compared with regional destinations.

As a result, in 2025 the province welcomed 16.4 million visitors, up more than 14 percent year on year. International arrivals reached 5.5 million, an increase of over 13.4 percent, pushing total tourism revenue to VND66.7 trillion and making a significant contribution to provincial GRDP.

Compared with 2019, the pre-Covid-19 year, both visitor numbers and tourism revenue in Khanh Hoa have increased dramatically. In 2019, the province saw 7.2 million visitors, including around 3.6 million international arrivals, with revenue of VND27 trillion.

Beyond growth in scale, tourism quality has also improved markedly. Nha Trang–Khanh Hoa now has one of the largest accommodation systems nationwide, with 1,441 facilities and more than 70,500 rooms; the four- and five-star segment accounts for over 40 percent.

The rapid expansion of high-end resorts and international entertainment complexes in Nha Trang, Cam Ranh, Van Phong, and Vinh Hy is positioning Khanh Hoa as a destination for high-spending travelers.

Nguyen Long Bien, Standing Vice Chairman of the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee, said that Khanh Hoa tourism recovered quickly after the pandemic. The province is attracting strategic investors and has become a favored destination for tourists from Russia, South Korea, China, Europe, and many emerging markets.

Sustainable development

Alongside product innovation, Khanh Hoa has expanded international markets. In 2025, provincial leaders participated in activities to promote tourism in China, South Korea, Japan, and high-end markets such as Switzerland and Italy, while working with major institutions and partners from Russia, Belarus, and the US.

Six new international air routes from Europe and Russia were launched, bringing high-spending travelers back to Nha Trang. The Russian market alone is recovering strongly with more than 35 flights per week. In the first eight months of 2025, Khanh Hoa welcomed 279,000 Russian visitors, with the full-year figure expected to reach or even surpass the 493,000 Russian visitors recorded in 2019.

Cruise tourism has also made an impressive comeback with 25 international cruise calls and nearly 30,000 passengers, including luxury ships such as Seven Seas Explorer and Discovery Princess, reaffirming Cam Ranh’s position on the regional cruise map.

With current growth momentum, in 2026 Khanh Hoa targets more than 18.1 million visitors, including over 6 million international arrivals, and tourism revenue exceeding VND77 trillion. To realize its ambition of becoming a regional and national tourism hub, the province has identified development based on four pillars: island and coastal tourism with high-end resorts; cultural and heritage tourism; health and wellness tourism; and MICE and event tourism.

However, Khanh Hoa tourism still faces challenges such as uneven infrastructure, weak regional linkages, and the underdeveloped role of a “core hub” leading regional tourism.

Ngoc Ha