Tien Giang tourism awakening potential of cultural and historical values

Tien Giang focuses on exploiting the value of cultural, historical and ecological relics to create unique tourism products, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to visit, research, and contribute to the socio-economic growth of the locality. Tailor-made Vietnam tours

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tien Giang province, the locality currently has over 2,100 historical and cultural relics, including archaeological relics, revolutionary history relics, religious relics and architectural and artistic relics. Of these, 21 historical and cultural relics have been ranked at the national level and 86 historical and cultural relics at the provincial level, creating a colorful picture of the country and people of Tien Giang with long-standing traditional cultural beauty crystallized over thousands of years. Most of the historical and cultural relics are places for religious, spiritual activities, honoring cultural values, being a rich source of materials in the study of regional and ethnic cultures, and at the same time being attractive destinations for tourists.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tien Giang province Vo Pham Tan informed: The strength of Tien Giang tourism is associated with historical and ecological cultural relics such as: Oc Eo and Go Thanh cultural relics from the 1st to 6th centuries in Cho Gao district; Rach Gam - Xoai Mut historical relic in Chau Thanh district, Ap Bac victory relic in Cai Lay district, Phao Dai rampart in Tan Phu Dong district; many tombs and temples such as Truong Dinh tomb, Hoang Gia tomb, Vinh Trang pagoda, Sac Tu pagoda...

For the freshwater ecosystem tourism area in the West, an attractive destination is the cultural heritage of Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village in Dong Hoa Hiep commune, Cai Be district. Along with Duong Lam village in Hanoi and Phuoc Tich village in Hue, Dong Hoa Hiep village is one of three ancient villages in Vietnam that have been selected by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement the Project "Supporting the Promotion of the Role of the Community in Sustainable Development in Vietnam, through Heritage Tourism" since 2003.

Vice Chairman of Cai Be District People's Committee Le Van Y said: Dong Hoa Hiep ancient village attracts tourists to explore the ancient architecture and patterns of the South, expressed through the wooden panels, the elaborately carved columns and beams, imbued with the cultural architecture of the Southern garden houses, which are over 100 years old. The ancient houses are interspersed with fruit gardens, creating a rustic yet poetic beauty.

Coming to the mangrove ecosystem tourism area in the East of Tien Giang, tourists can visit the national historical and cultural relic Royal Tomb in Long Hung ward (Go Cong town) to learn and know more about the birthplace of a virtuous Queen Mother - Tu Du. The Royal Tomb was built in 1826, including the tomb and temple of Pham Dang Hung, the maternal grandfather of King Tu Duc, the father of Queen Mother Tu Du, the wife of King Thieu Tri, the tomb is located about 2 km from the city center.

In addition, visitors cannot miss a special national relic, the Truong Dinh Uprising sites in Tien Giang province, including: Truong Dinh Tomb and Temple (Go Cong town); Truong Dinh Temple, Dark Leaf Field (Gia Thuan commune), Dinh Pond (Tan Phuoc commune), Go Cong Dong district; Phao Dai Rampart (Phu Tan commune, Tan Phu Dong district). Visitors can learn about the life and career of National Hero Truong Dinh, a shining highlight that adds to the heroic history of the nation's fight against foreign invaders...

Go Cong town also attracts tourists with dozens of ancient houses over 100 years old with unique East-West architecture such as Governor Nguyen Van Hai's house (at 9 Hai Ba Trung street) built in 1860; Trung communal house built in the late 19th century...

To develop the potential of cultural and historical tourism, Tien Giang has focused on introducing and promoting local tourism products and images, paying attention to exploiting new tours to attract tourists; cooperation and linkage activities are increasingly expanded and more practical. Travel businesses proactively build tours, routes and expand the tourism market between Tien Giang and other regions.

In the first 5 months of 2025, the number of tourists to Tien Giang was 679,000, reaching 32.3% of the plan. International visitors were 234,000, reaching 33.4% of the plan. Total revenue from accommodation, food and beverage services, travel services and tourism support activities, and other consumer services reached 9,143 billion VND.

Vo Pham Tan said: With rich and diverse potential and advantages in natural resources and a long history and culture, Tien Giang is becoming an attractive destination for tourists. Exploiting tourism potential reasonably, combining visits to historical and cultural relics will create conditions for sustainable development of Tien Giang tourism to meet the needs of tourists in the integration period.

Tien Giang currently has nearly 20 operating travel agencies, over 200 passenger transport boats, nearly 100 restaurants and hotels constantly improving the quality of services and products to meet the needs of domestic and international tourists.

In 2025, Tien Giang aims to welcome about 2.1 million tourists, including 700,000 international visitors, and tourism revenue of VND1,507 billion.

Source: Cultural and historical tourism in Tien Giang land

Presstrip becomes a bridge connecting Lao Cai Tourism

Not simply an experiential trip, the press trip within the framework of the Lao Cai International Tourism Fair 2025 has become a bridge connecting the media and the tourism industry. The press trip is a “golden” opportunity for Lao Cai’s typical tourism products to be more widely communicated on the Vietnamese and international tourism map. Private Sapa tours

Participating in the presstrip within the framework of the Lao Cai International Tourism Fair 2025, Vu Mai - reporter of Vietnam Travel Magazine said that this was the second time she set foot in Sapa. During this trip, she had many good impressions of the people, landscapes and local tourism services. Since the beginning of the journey, Mai has continuously recorded videos and taken photos at the destinations and could not hide her surprise and delight at the dramatic changes of the Sapa National Tourist Area.

Mai excitedly said: “Right after the trip, I will share the images and clips recorded during this journey. The pristine and majestic scenery of Sapa combined with its unique cultural identity will certainly attract the attention of readers.”

As for journalist Ho Sy Luc, although he has been to Lao Cai many times, this trip still brought him many surprises. "I see that the number of tourists coming to Sapa is higher now, but the work of preserving and conserving the natural landscape is still being done well. I went to the Cat Cat community tourism site and was impressed by the wooden steps that were simply designed for tourists to walk, both convenient and minimizing the impact on nature. The waterfalls, flowers, and ornamental plants are cleverly preserved. I see that Sapa is moving towards the image of green tourism and sustainable development," said journalist Ho Sy Luc.

Luc also said: During this trip, I recorded many images and had the opportunity to meet tourism managers, representatives of accommodation facilities and destinations. As someone interested in topics such as ecotourism, environmental protection, and preservation of ethnic cultures, this will be valuable material for me to write many in-depth articles in the future.

Within the framework of the Lao Cai International Tourism Fair 2025, the Provincial Tourism Information and Promotion Center (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) organized a survey program for the press delegation in Sapa town with the participation of 20 press agencies inside and outside the province. The delegation surveyed many typical tourist destinations such as Lan Rung brocade craft village cluster, Cat Cat community tourism site, Hotel de la Coupole, Sapa Jade Hill, Topas Ecolodge. At each destination, in addition to the experience, reporters and journalists also directly discussed with representatives of tourist establishments about the orientation of developing green and sustainable tourism; learning about issues related to protecting the ecological environment, applying renewable energy in operations; the role of the community in tourism activities, especially the use of local labor to improve service quality and create sustainable livelihoods for people.

At the Lan Rung brocade craft village cluster and the Cat Cat community tourism site, reporters and journalists had the opportunity to talk with artisans to understand their efforts to preserve indigenous cultural values in the context of rapidly developing tourism. Many reporters were interested and excited to listen to people sharing their traditional embroidery and weaving techniques. Vo Van Tai, Director of Lan Rung said: “Through this survey trip, I hope that journalists and reporters will further spread the image of traditional brocade made by the hands of ethnic minorities, bringing the products closer to domestic and international tourists. That is also a way to preserve culture, increase the value of local products and create long-term livelihoods for people in the highlands”.

In the context of global tourism shifting strongly towards sustainability, the role of the media is not only to promote destinations, but also to contribute to shaping awareness and changing tourists' behavior. The media becomes an important bridge to help convey the message of a Sapa that is not only beautiful, but also green, humane and responsible. Images of wooden stairs, streams that still retain their wild beauty, or stories about ethnic artisans embroidering brocade at the Lan Rung brocade village cluster... when honestly and vividly reported by the press will not only touch the emotions of readers, but also create social consensus, helping tourists choose destinations more responsibly.

In the tourism development strategy of Lao Cai province, the tourism industry clearly identifies the role of the media in promotion, destination image building and brand development.

Tran Son Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: “We attach great importance to communication work, because only with the support of the press, will Lao Cai destinations have the opportunity to reach closer to the people and tourists. Through press activities within the framework of the Lao Cai International Tourism Fair 2025, we hope that the image of Lao Cai destination and its unique tourism products will spread more widely.”

This presstrip is not only an opportunity to experience, film or write articles, but also a journey of connection, companionship and development between journalists and tourism workers. Through the media, the cultural values, nature and people of Lao Cai continue to shine, contributing to enhancing the local tourism brand on the journey of integration and sustainable development.

Source: Presstrip creates opportunities to promote Lao Cai tourism

Travel to Halong bay 2025 - How much does it cost

The latest updated Halong Bay entrance fees in 2025 offers visitors many options to suit budget and schedule. Before choosing a suitable journey, visitors need to understand the basic costs when traveling to Halong Bay. Currently, ticket prices are divided into many different categories such as entrance tickets, sightseeing boat tickets, service tickets... Currently, Halong Bay has 8 main routes as follows: Private charter cruises in Halong bay

Day trips:

- VHL1 route: Port - Thien Cung Cave - Dau Go Cave - Hon Cho Da - Hang Ba Hang - Hon Dinh Huong - Hon Trong Mai, ticket price: 250,000 VND/person.

- VHL2 route: Port - Soi Sim Beach - Ti Top Island - Sung Sot Cave - Vung Tung Sau - Me Cung Cave - Bo Nau Cave - Luon Cave - Trong Cave - Trinh Nu Cave - Dong Tien Lake, ticket price: 250,000 VND/person.

- VHL3 route: Port - Cua Van Floating Cultural Center - Tien Ong Cave - Ba Ham Lake - Ba Men Temple - Ang Du - Bamboo Forest, ticket price: 200,000 VND/person.

- VHL4 route: Port - Hang Co - Hang Thay - Hang Cap La - Vong Vieng - Tung Ang Ecological Area - Cong Do Island - Hon Xep Park, ticket price: 200,000 VND/person.

- VHL5 route: Port - Thien Cung Cave - Dau Go Cave - Hon Cho Da - Ba Hang - Hon Dinh Huong - Hon Trong Mai - Gia Luan Wharf, ticket price: 250,000 VND/person.

In addition, there is a promotion program applicable from May 1, 2025 for the following routes:

- VHL6 route: Port - Hon Chan Voi - Vung Ba Cua - Tung Lam Island - Hon Cap Bai, ticket price: 150,000 VND/person.

- VHL7 route: Combines VHL1, VHL2, VHL3, VHL4 itineraries - only applicable to luxury cruises, ticket price: 600,000 VND/person.

- VHL8 Coastal route: Tuan Chau Port - Halong Port - Nam Cau Trang Port, ticket price: 70,000 VND/person.

Overnight stay on Halong Bay: (Maximum stay for 1 night is 24 hours, 2 nights is 48 hours from the time of departure).

- Route 2: Stay 1 night: Visit Trong cave, Trinh Nu cave, Dong Tien lake, Lat island 690, Ti Top island 587, ticket price: 550,000 VND/person, stay 2 nights: Same as 1 night stay, ticket price: 750,000 VND/person.

- Route 3: Stay 1 night in Tien Ong cave area, ticket price: 500,000 VND/person, stay 2 nights in Tien Ong cave area, ticket price: 650,000 VND/person.

- Route 4: Stay 1 night in Cong Do area, ticket price: 500,000 VND/person, stay 2 nights in Cong Do area, ticket price: 650,000 VND/person.

Sightseeing cruise to visit Halong Bay

Boat rental costs account for most of the budget for a tour of Halong Bay and depend on private boat or shared boat:

- Shared boat: 150,000 - 250,000 VND/person, private boat: 1,500,000 - 5,000,000 VND/trip.

However, there will be additional service such as:

Kayaking or bamboo boat: 50,000 VND/person. Lunch on the boat: About 150,000 - 250,000 VND/person. Private tour guide: 300,000 - 500,000 VND/day.

Depending on time and preferences, visitors can choose the appropriate type of Halong Bay cruise tour.

- 4 hour cruise tour

The 4-hour Halong Bay cruise tour is an ideal choice for travelers with limited time. Time frame: Morning (8am-12pm) or Afternoon (1pm-5pm). 

Popular itinerary: Hon Ga Choi - Hon Dinh Huong - Thien Cung Cave or Dau Go Cave. Tour price: 600,000 - 750,000 VND/person.

- 6 hour cruise tour

The 6-hour tour offers a valuable experience of exploring Halong in one day. Time frame: 8am-2pm or 12pm-6pm.

Itinerary: Sung Sot Cave - Luon Cave - Ti Top Island - kayaking or swimming. Tour price: 750,000 - 850,000 VND/person.

- Deluxe 8-hour cruise tour

The 8-hour deluxe cruise tour for tourists who want to enjoy luxury and classy service. Time frame: 8am-4pm. 

Services: Lunch buffet, bar, sightseeing deck, relaxing chairs. Tour price: 890,000 - 1,200,000 VND/person.

- 2 days 1 night cruise tour

If visitors want to enjoy the unique feeling of sleeping overnight in the middle of the bay, the 2-day 1-night tour is the right choice.

General itinerary

Day 1: Visit cave, Soi Sim island, swim, dinner on boat. 

Day 2: Explore Bright Cave - Dark Cave, kayak, finish about 11.00 am

Tour price ranges from: 2,500,000 - 4,000,000 VND/person.

- 3 days 2 nights cruise tour

If you really want to get away from the city and enjoy pristine nature, don't miss the 3-day, 2-night tour that promises to bring extremely interesting and memorable experiences. 

General itinerary

Day 1: Check in, visit the famous cave, dinner on board. 

Day 2: Visit the distant bay with activities such as kayaking, swimming...

Day 3: Rest, return guests to the pier by 11.00 am

Tour price: 4,500,000 - 6,500,000 VND/person.

Source: Updated entrance fees to Halong Bay in 2025

Con Dao tourism focuses on preserving environment and local culture

Con Dao, or Con Lon island, a cultural, historical and spiritual tourist destination of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, is undergoing dramatic changes in its pursuit of the goal of building and developing a green, circular economic model based on the promotion of natural resources and a system of special national historical relics. Private tours to Vietnam

One of the most impressive points for tourists, especially those who have been to Con Dao in previous years, is the movement to respond to the "Green Gift Basket" campaign that has spread strongly, contributing to significantly reducing the amount of plastic waste as well as discouraging the burning of votive paper at destinations in Con Dao.

Many environmental protection programs

For a long time, most tourists coming to Con Dao mainly came to pay their respects to the tomb of Miss Sau - Hero of the People's Armed Forces Vo Thi Sau. In previous years, in addition to fruits and flowers, there were also items such as clothes, shoes, votive paper money, etc. decorated on the offerings to Miss Sau. However, Con Dao has now undergone many changes in its campaign to build a green, clean and beautiful Con Dao environment.

A tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, said that every year, she goes to Con Dao to make offerings to Co Sau. This year, when she went to buy offerings, she was quite surprised to see that the offerings did not include votive paper, but instead contained real items. Explaining this change, the sales staff said that currently, cemeteries and relics in Con Dao implement "Green Offering Baskets" on all days of the year. Accordingly, pilgrims are not allowed to make offerings of votive paper, write petitions, burn votive paper, use disposable plastic items, and the offering trays are not allowed to use floral foam. Customers making offerings are only allowed to offer fresh flowers with fruit, the "Green Offering Basket" models: do not use floral foam or the offering trays use 100% real offerings.

Many tourists commented that Con Dao still retains its pristine natural forests, and in particular, its awareness of environmental hygiene is very good. Con Dao is made up of 16 large and small islands, of which the main central island concentrates administrative agencies, residents and the entire infrastructure system serving the lives of the people and tourists. This change will contribute to raising awareness and environmental quality.

In fact, since 2023, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has had a Project on Research and Application of Circular Economic Model to Serve Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of Con Dao District in the period of 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030. The tasks and strategies set out are to address existing environmental and energy challenges in Con Dao, thereby building the foundation, infrastructure and social resources, aiming at the goal of sustainable economic development for Con Dao.

On that basis, environmental protection programs in Con Dao were implemented such as: developing a plan to Say No to the burning of votive offerings, the "Green Offering Basket" campaign, minimizing plastic waste... to focus on the goal of greening Con Dao.

Along with environmental protection programs, Con Dao also invests in building self-managed roads and sections of roads for environmental sanitation, ensuring urban beauty and order, planting flowers and trees along the roads, cleaning the environment, equipping 3-color trash cans to classify waste at source, replacing disposable plastic materials with long-lasting, environmentally friendly items... These programs have contributed to gradually greening Con Dao.

For a green Con Dao

Most tourists are increasingly interested in civilized tourism, sustainable tourism, minimizing environmental impacts and respecting local culture. Besides spiritual tourism, experiences and natural exploration in Con Dao are popular with tourists.

In 2024, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province organized a Famtrip Program to survey and connect tourist destinations in Con Dao and provinces and cities in the Southeast region in Con Dao district. Delegates attending the program conducted a survey and assessment of the potential and advantages of tourism development and proposed and introduced tours linking the Southeast region with Con Dao. Through the famtrip program, a number of new tourism programs have been formed such as: a program to visit Con Dao by speedboat; coordinating to provide a list and information of 10 beautiful and unique destinations in the province to promote to localities in the Southeast region.

Source: Green tourism in Con Dao island