On the first day back to work after the 2026 New Year holiday, Hue residents were greeted with encouraging news: during the holiday period, the city was estimated to have welcomed around 85,000 visitors, a 25% increase compared to the same period last year.

On the afternoon of January 9, the Department of Tourism held a conference to review its work in 2025 and roll out tasks for the tourism sector in 2026.

On the afternoon of January 8, a delegation from the Salavan Provincial People’s Council, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, led by Mr. Siheang Homsombat, Head of the National Assembly Delegation for Constituency No. 14, and Chairman of the Salavan Provincial People's Council, visited and extended Lunar New Year greetings for the Year of the Horse to Hue City.

The year 2026 opens the 2026–2030 period, marked by increasingly fierce competition to attract resources, talent, and visitors, while Hue cannot pursue rapid urbanization or heavy industry. Hue’s path must be its own: taking heritage, culture, landscape, and ways of life as deep, distinctive, and sustainable advantages; taking creativity and experience as driving forces; and placing the people of Hue at the center of all development policies.

According to initial statistics released by the Department of Tourism, during the 2026 New Year holiday, Hue was estimated to welcome around 85,000 visitors, representing an increase of 25% compared to the same period last year. The number of staying guests reached approximately 45,000 arrivals, up more than 15% year on year.

During his visit to Hue in early November 2025, General Secretary To Lam conveyed a message to the city’s Party Committee, authorities, and people: Hue must preserve its cultural identity and the distinctive character of Hue people amid a new phase of development. That reminder was not merely an expectation, but a guiding orientation for the entire term.

From early 2026, in addition to maintaining current ticket prices, Hue City will significantly expand the groups eligible for free and discounted entrance fees to heritage sites within the Hue Complex of Monuments. The move aims to facilitate access to heritage for residents and students, and to promote sustainable tourism demand.

Hue’s heritage is undergoing a powerful “rebirth”, as technology unlocks new layers of value and reshapes the way visitors experience its cultural legacy.

On the morning of January 1st, in the warm sunshine on the first morning of the new year, the area around Ngo Mon Gate of Hue Imperial Citadel became lively as the Nguyen Dynasty Ban Soc ceremony was reenacted in a theatricalized format, officially opening Hue Festival 2026. The event also marked the first festival of the year, attracting a large number of local residents and visitors.

On the first day of 2026, sunny weather set a serene and poetic tone in Hue. Both visitors and residents took time to savor the city’s unhurried, gentle pace. Beyond its famed heritage sites, spiritual and cultural spaces, parks, and public recreation areas were bustling with visitors.

From the beginning of 2025, hotels in Hue have been ready with plans to welcome and serve visitors attending the events of the National Tourism Year.

Nowadays, visitors have increasingly high demands for service quality and experiences. They desire to experience the daily lives, activities, and occupations of the locals in the most authentic way possible to better understand the culture and people of the places they visit.

With the theme "Ancient Capital - New Experiences," the Provincial Travel Association has organized several fam trips for travel companies across the country to survey tour routes and attractions, integrating them into tour programs for promotion to tourists