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| The Flag Tower and Ngo Mon Square are transformed into a ‘sea of light’ at night. Photo: NQ |
Hue was among the nominees, but the title of ‘Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2026’ at the World Travel Awards (WTA) was ultimately awarded to San Fernando, Philippines, in September. San Fernando not only beat Hue but also came ahead of major destinations such as Beijing, China; Kyoto, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1993, the WTA is often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the global travel industry’. Hue was nominated in the same category in 2023 and remained on the shortlist in both 2024 and 2026.
San Fernando boasts a highly entertaining cultural icon: its Giant Lantern Festival. This attraction is complemented by a strategy to modernize urban experiences and make full use of digital media. The city skilfully integrates heritage into contemporary life, from free traditional horse-drawn carriage rides around newly developed urban areas to the blending of colonial architecture with shopping centers and a diverse local food scene.
If San Fernando has its giant lanterns, Hue, too, has cultural attractions that offer entertainment and immersive experiences. Hue-Singing performed on the Perfume River, accompanied by a one-of-a-kind water music stage, is a case in point. Instead of sitting inside a concert hall, visitors board dragon boats and immerse themselves in ho, ly, nam ai and nam binh melodies amid the shimmering waters at night, while releasing floating lanterns to pray for good fortune. The experience has been refreshed by upgrading tourist boats into luxury cruise settings, pairing performances with high-end royal cuisine and adding LED lighting effects along the riverbanks to enhance the visual spectacle.
The experience extends beyond the river. The Flag Tower and Ngo Mon Square are transformed into a ‘sea of light’ at night, serving as the backdrop for spectacular 3D mapping projections, major music concerts and electronic music festivals. Hue's kite-flying art, often described as ‘puppetry in the sky’, and its rich street food scene provide a continuous feast of experiences for visitors. Clearly, Hue is not short of attractions that appeal to a broad audience. The city is now seeking to connect these cultural highlights into a seamless chain of services, allowing visitors to enjoy a more complete experience during their stay.
San Fernando and many other recent award-winning cities have embraced the modernization of visitor experiences, combining traditional culture with high-tech entertainment, rapidly developing their night-time economies and staging large-scale public festivals to attract younger international travellers. Hue, by contrast, prioritizes preserving the authenticity and contemplative depth of its heritage. Modernization in Hue focuses on digital infrastructure and smart visitor experiences rather than flashy entertainment complexes or bustling shopping developments surrounding heritage sites.
In other words, Hue is not standing apart from the broader trend of modernization. It is simply choosing its own path: modernizing cautiously to avoid compromising the essential character of its heritage. Not winning against San Fernando at the 2026 World Travel Awards does not necessarily represent a failure in terms of heritage quality. Rather, it largely reflects differences in the award's selection criteria and the competing destinations' strategies.