“Half of the Vietnamese are in Hue” - a playful remark that has become a vivid expression of the strong appeal of tourism in the land of Huong River and Mount Ngu these days. Crowds are flocking to relic sites, pagodas, royal mausoleums, and eateries during the holidays, making the Ancient Capital more vibrant and lively.

For many years, the development of waterway tourism has been a consistent goal, as the potential of Hue's rivers remained largely untapped. Following the City People's Committee's announcement of the inland waterway route on the Ngu Ha River, along with the pilot launch of heritage-linked tourism routes using electric boats on the Huong River and its tributaries, the local waterway tourism is expected to be unlocked.

Today’s travelers are no longer content with “travel for seeing”. Instead, they seek deeper experiences, more authentic connections with the places they visit. Furthermore, they also look for the unique, distinctive identity of each destination. In this context, developing tourism that “touches the authentic essence” is not merely a trend, but an inevitable requirement for enhancing competitiveness.

On the morning of April 27th, the Department of Tourism reported that the total number of visitors to Hue during this year’s Hung Kings’ Commemoration holiday was estimated at around 310.500. This marks a sharp increase compared to the same holiday in 2025, when Hue welcomed 109.000 visitors.

After five editions, the VnExpress Marathon Hue has made tangible contributions to the city’s overall development landscape. Its sixth edition (taking place from April 17 to 19) is no exception, promising to provide a strong impetus for Hue’s strategy in developing sports, tourism and socio-economic growth.

The training course on implementing the “Safe Swimming and Drowning Prevention” Program 2026, organized by the city’s Department of Culture and Sports in coordination with the Vietnam Sports Administration (the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), officially opened on the morning of April 17 at 12 Hung Vuong Street (Thuan Hoa Ward, Hue City).

On the afternoon of April 10th, Hue Tourism College (under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), in coordination with Cholimex Food Joint Stock Company, organized the 7th season of the “Searching for Hue Culinary Ambassadors” contest under the theme of “Preserving and Promoting the Essence of Hue Cuisine”.

For a long time, tourism in Hue has largely relied on cultural and heritage assets, resulting in short visitor stays, relatively low spending levels, and limited value creation. As tourism trends shift strongly toward resort-based, experiential, and sports-oriented travel, developing marine tourism, especially coastal resort tourism, is not only a new direction but also a necessity for restructuring the visitor market toward higher-spending segments.

On the morning of April 5th, Hue City Youth and Children Center, in coordination with Vy Da Ward Youth Union, the Youth Union of the School of Tourism under Hue University, and Honda Loc Thinh Co., Ltd., organized the 2026 event “Youth with Traffic Culture”.

The City People's Committee has recently issued Plan No. 188/KH-UBND, dated April 2, 2026 on the development of eco-tourism and community-based tourism for the 2026 - 2027 period.

In the coming time, the tourism sector will enhance the promotion of culinary tourism through culinary events and festivals, and create unique culinary tours to promote the advantages of local cuisine and enhance the tourism experience for visitors.

The tourism potential and resources in localities are abundant, and favorable for developing community tourism, and rural agricultural tourism, etc.

The tourism sector will convey the messages about plastic-free tourist destinations and tours through the promotion on at least 3 platforms with the highest reach of tourists.

In the rainy weather, excitement and joy were clearly visible on the faces of international guests.

The product development process must be associated with the process of upgrading the quality of facilities, techniques and services, tourist attractions, and especially the promotion of tourism destinations and products.