On the evening of March 28, at Nguyen Tat Thanh Square (Quy Nhon City), the opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year - Gia Lai 2026 with the theme "Great forest touches blue sea" officially took place, opening a series of national-scale tourism activities during the year.
This year's event attracted attention when it was organized according to the model of an outdoor music festival, combining artistic, entertainment and destination promotion elements. This is considered a shift in the way tourism is done, when emotional experiences and interaction are placed on par with the introduction of natural and cultural resources.
The "Say Hi Universe" music festival stirs up the opening stage
The opening program is staged like a large-scale music festival, with a modern stage system, sound, lighting and continuous performances.
The appearance of a cast of artists from the Anh trai say hi program such as Isaac, HIEUTHUHAI, HURRYKNG, Negav, Anh Tu, Juky San... quickly pushed the atmosphere of the night's performance to a climax. From solo performances with personal imprints to collective performances with synchronous dance and stage effects, the program created a true outdoor music festival space.
The combinations between artists through many generations bring novelty in staging, while helping the audience not only watch but also harmonize and interact directly. The emotional highlight of the performance night is the mashup performance "What's More Beautiful" and "Aspiration to Be Vietnamese", where the spirit of national pride is expressed through modern musical language.
The opening night closed with a vibrant performance, creating a climax and leaving a strong impression of a tourism event with festival colors, instead of just a ritual program.
Strategy to extend travel experience
Not stopping at one night of performances, the 2026 National Tourism Year is oriented towards a long-term experience chain. After the opening ceremony, communication activities, content production and reality shows are expected to continue to be implemented in Gia Lai, bringing the vast landscape of the Central Highlands and the coastal space of the Central region to become the setting for entertainment products.
Through this, the image of the destination not only appears within the event framework but is also continuously maintained on digital platforms, social networks and television. This is a new approach, helping Gia Lai reach young tourist groups - those who are greatly influenced by entertainment content and experience trends.
In parallel with modern elements, the program still retains the axis of traditional cultural values. The real-scene art part is built into many chapters, recreating the gong space, the vitality of the great forest, the spirit of Tay Son epic and the aspiration to connect between mountains and forests - the sea. The cultural materials of the Central Highlands are expressed by modern performance technology, creating a transition between tradition and modernity.
The combination of music festivals, entertainment content and cultural values shows the new trend of the tourism industry: not only promoting destinations with images but also creating a multi-layered experience, where tourists both participate, feel and connect emotions.
In the context of tourism shifting strongly to personalized experiences, this approach is expected to help Gia Lai become a prominent destination on the 2026 tourism map, especially during the peak summer season.
