Ly Vy Trieu Duong, Deputy Director of the Ca Mau Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced the event at the second-quarter 2026 press briefing held on July 9 by the Ca Mau People's Committee and the Provincial Party Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation. It aimed at providing updates on the province's socio-economic performance during the first half of 2026 and announcing a series of upcoming cultural and tourism events.
According to Duong, the first Heritage Culture Day and Hot Air Balloon Festival is expected to create a unique artistic and cultural space unlike any previously seen in the country's southernmost province. Its highlight will be a spectacular hot air balloon display—the first ever to be held in Ca Mau—combined with the "Space Showcasing Outstanding Intangible Cultural Heritage".
The province will invite localities with UNESCO-recognised cultural heritage elements to participate in the event. During the festival, residents and visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy Hue Royal Court Music, Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk singing, the Cultural Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands and the gentle melodies of Don Ca Tai Tu (Southern amateur traditional music).
The event will also feature an exhibition promoting the traditional salt-making craft, together with a trade fair, a food fair and displays of OCOP products, all expected to attract large numbers of visitors.
At the press briefing, Ma Tan Cop, Deputy Director of the Ca Mau Department of Finance, said the province had recorded highly positive socio-economic results during the first six months of 2026. Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) is estimated to have grown by 6.4-6.6% year-on-year, with the services and trade sectors posting particularly strong growth.
As one of the province's key economic sectors, fisheries continued to play a pivotal role, with total output estimated at approximately 609,400 tonnes, up 6.1% from the same period last year. Notably, shrimp output—the province's strategic export commodity—reached 278,185 tonnes, an increase of 12.9%.
Meanwhile, the management of fishing vessels and the protection of aquatic resources have been carried out in a coordinated and rigorous manner. Ca Mau has achieved positive results, with no local fishing vessels found violating foreign waters, while infrastructure serving the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been operating effectively in accordance with regulations.
