From increasing the number of visitors to increasing the value of destinations
Ninh Binh tourism recorded impressive growth in the first 6 months of 2026 when welcoming more than 17.6 million visitors, an increase of 23.34% compared to the same period last year and reaching nearly 90% of the year's plan.
In which, the number of overnight visitors reached nearly 3.42 million, an increase of more than 30%, and total revenue from tourism activities reached 17,966 billion VND - the highest level ever, creating a foundation for the locality to aim for a revenue target of about 24,000 billion VND in 2026.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Bui Van Manh - Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism - said that the expansion of administrative boundaries after the merger with former Ha Nam and Nam Dinh creates more development space, but it is not a decisive factor.
The impressive growth results in the first 6 months of the year are not only from the merger factor, but also the result of a long-term preparation process, innovation in development thinking and synchronously implemented solutions in the past time" - Mr. Manh said.
According to Mr. Bui Van Manh, one of the important driving forces creating growth is the continuous renewal of tourism products. After the merger, Ninh Binh owns a diverse ecosystem with heritage tourism, ecology, spirituality, sea, craft villages and cultural experiences.
Instead of developing individual destinations, the locality focuses on connecting resources into inter-regional tourist routes, taking tourists to explore the Trang An, Tam Coc, Van Long Scenic Landscape Complex, combined with Bai Dinh, Tam Chuc, Phu Day, Den Tran, Thinh Long, Giao Ninh beaches and the traditional craft village system in one journey. This approach contributes to extending stay time, increasing spending and enhancing the value of each trip.
In addition, Ninh Binh also promotes digital communication, strengthens cooperation with travel businesses, online platforms and content creators to promote destinations. Events such as Ninh Binh Tourism Week and Trang An Music and Creative Festival (Forestival 2026) contribute to improving attractiveness, while the quality of destination management, tourism environment and service systems are also focused on investment.
Extend experience to increase revenue
According to Mr. Bui Van Manh, the goal of the tourism industry today is to increase the value of each trip instead of just increasing the number of visitors.
The success of a destination is not only measured by the number of visitors, but more importantly by the value that each visitor creates for the local economy. Therefore, the goal of Ninh Binh Tourism industry is not simply to increase the number of visitors, but to improve the quality of the destination, extend the length of stay and increase the spending of tourists" - Mr. Manh shared.
To realize this goal, Ninh Binh develops many products such as Hoa Lu ancient town, reality shows, night tours, cultural spaces, craft villages, cuisine and art activities to extend the length of stay and increase tourist spending.
Efficiency is reflected in the growth rate in many sectors. In the first 6 months of the year, accommodation revenue increased by 25.64%; restaurant revenue increased by 23.95%; tourist transportation increased by 18.05%; sales of goods and souvenirs increased by 23.52%; entrance ticket revenue increased by 22.56% compared to the same period last year.
According to the Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, these figures show that the industry's growth comes from the synchronous development of the service ecosystem. In the coming time, the locality will continue to prioritize the development of the night economy, cultural industry, high-quality art programs, OCOP products, craft villages and modern entertainment types to increase revenue.
Along with that, Ninh Binh is determined to develop tourism in a green and sustainable direction, putting landscape preservation, ecosystems and cultural values first; promoting digital transformation, applying AI, big data in promotion, destination management and building a smart tourism ecosystem to enhance experiences, attracting groups of international tourists with high spending capacity.
Ninh Binh will strongly shift from the goal of growth in quantity to improving quality, building green, smart, safe and sustainable destinations, gradually affirming its position as the leading tourist center of Vietnam" - Mr. Bui Van Manh affirmed.
