New look for Ho Chi Minh City’s international-standard coastal tourism heart
Vung Tau is regarded as the “heart” of Ho Chi Minh City’s coastal tourism, standing out with its long coastline, gentle waves, and fresh, green-filled environment. Thanks to breakthroughs in planning and development strategy, Vung Tau is emerging as a driving force for coastal tourism in the city in the coming years.
Vung Tau was recently honoured for the first time by the World Travel Awards in the category of “Asia’s Leading Coastal Resort Destination 2025”, an accolade often likened to the Oscars of the tourism industry.
This is a large-scale project with a distinctive tourism symbolism, creating a high-end brand and enhancing the destination’s appeal to visitors. At the same time, it meets the requirement to develop Vung Tau Ward into a high-quality, international-standard tourism centre in line with the spirit of Politburo Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW on October 7, 2022 on “Socio-economic development and ensuring defence and security in the Southeast region to 2030, with a vision to 2045.”
Vung Tau’s coastline has long been one of the most attractive destinations for both domestic and international tourists. With its beautiful scenery, long beaches, clear blue waters, and fresh air, Vung Tau stands out as a bright spot on Viet Nam’s tourism map and is increasingly known among international visitors. After being incorporated into Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau has been likened to the “heart” of the city’s coastal tourism and has become an important engine driving the development of international-standard coastal tourism. To fully harness this great potential, the first Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress identified tourism and cultural industries as one of five strategic pillars playing a key role in shaping the city’s economic development orientation for the 2026–2030 period.
Recently, Vung Tau was honoured for the first time by the World Travel Awards in the category of “Asia’s Leading Coastal Resort Destination 2025”. This award, often described as an Oscar of the tourism industry, marks an important milestone in the development of this beautiful coastal area. Graham E. Cooke, Chairman of the World Travel Awards, commented that Vung Tau has transformed from a traditional seaside destination into a modern tourism hub offering full amenities and world-class experiences. Vung Tau stands out with a coastline stretching more than 20 km, from Bai Truoc to Bai Sau, featuring clear blue seawater and a pleasant year-round climate. The coastal space is delicately planned, with the sea on one side and modern tourism facilities on the other, offering a full range of services from accommodation and cuisine to entertainment, creating an ideal destination for all visitors. Along Vung Tau’s beautiful coastal road, visitors also have the opportunity to explore many unique architectural works and cultural heritage sites. Prominently located at an elevation of 170 metres above sea level on Nui Nho, also known as Tao Phung Mountain, is the Christ the King Statue — one of the city’s most popular attractions. Construction began in 1974 and the statue was inaugurated in 1994. Standing 32 metres tall and facing the blue sea, it has become a distinctive cultural and spiritual symbol of Vung Tau Ward.
Not far from the Christ the King Statue, Bach Dinh emerges prominently on the slope of Nui Lon, surrounded by lush greenery. This white mansion was built in 1898 and completed in 1902. It has three storeys, stands 19 metres high and is 25 metres long, featuring arched architecture, tiled roofs and a whitewashed exterior. In the past, Bach Dinh served as a resort residence for the Governor-General of Indochina and Emperor Bao Dai. From here, visitors can gaze out over the vast sea and enjoy the surrounding natural scenery. From Nghinh Phong Cape, Hon Ba appears as a striking highlight amid the vast blue sea. Waves crash against the island, creating a scene that is both majestic and poetic. On days of low tide, a rugged stone pathway emerges, leading to the island and offering visitors the chance to walk across to explore and visit the ancient shrine bearing cultural imprints. Vung Tau offers visitors a wide range of experiences, from swimming and exploring historical heritage to enjoying panoramic views from the peak of Nui Lon. Visitors can also explore amusement parks, take part in high-tech games, experience eco-tourism and cultural tourism, or relax in tranquil resort spaces. Visitors can also visit amusement parks, participate in high-tech games, and experience eco-tourism and cultural tourism..
Compared with other coastal cities, Vung Tau is assessed as having synchronous and modern infrastructure, and is well connected with surrounding areas and provinces. It boasts a system of high-end hotels and resorts to serve tourists, creating favourable conditions for tourism development. In the first nine months of 2025, Vung Tau Ward recorded total revenue from service, tourism and trade sectors estimated at 18.457 trillion VND, reaching 76.83% of the annual plan. During holiday periods, Vung Tau is consistently among the most preferred destinations for visitors. On December 19, alongside the inauguration and groundbreaking of many important projects nationwide to celebrate the 14th National Party Congress, Ho Chi Minh City held the inauguration ceremony of the “Thuy Van Boulevard Revitalisation Project” in Vung Tau Ward. The project not only preserves the distinctive cultural values of Vung Tau but also incorporates modern design, becoming a new symbol and an attractive highlight for visitors.
A standout project in Vung Tau is the Back Beach coastal park, with a total investment of more than 1.068 trillion VND. Construction began on October 28, 2024. The park spans nearly 20 hectares and stretches 3.2 km along the coastline, comparable to international-standard parks.
The highlight of the park is Tam Thang Square, which covers an area of 16,321 sq.m, featuring the 30.25-metre-high Tam Thang Tower — a new symbol of Back Beach. The tower consists of 143 polygonal columns which have been dynamically arranged with a system of steps to form a unique and impressive architectural structure.
This is a large-scale project with a distinctive tourism symbolism, creating a high-end brand and enhancing the destination’s appeal to visitors. At the same time, it meets the requirement to develop Vung Tau Ward into a high-quality, international-standard tourism centre in line with the spirit of Politburo Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW (dated October 7, 2022) on “Socio-economic development and ensuring defence and security in the Southeast region to 2030, with a vision to 2045.”
With comprehensive advances in infrastructure, culture, and tourism, Vung Tau is steadily progressing on its journey to become a leading coastal city of Ho Chi Minh City, affirming its position on the international tourism map.
As competition in the resort industry intensifies to meet the changing demands of travellers, hotel and resort projects in Viet Nam are entering a period of strong upgrading.
