Thung Nai Promotes Tourism Revenue

In the first 9 months of 2026, Thung Nai welcomed approximately 270,000 visitor arrivals; tourism revenue reached 72 billion VND, fulfilling 73.5% of the annual target. To complete the plan, the locality needs to attract about 130,000 visitor arrivals and 26 billion VND in revenue during Q4. Alongside attracting tourists, Thung Nai is focusing on perfecting infrastructure, elevating service quality, and expanding services linked to the lake area.

Landscape of the Thung Nai lake area with small islands amidst the water surface.

Revenue Not Yet Commensurate with Potential

Data from the first 9 months indicates that tourism revenue grew faster than visitor volume. In September alone, Thung Nai welcomed approximately 18,000 visitor arrivals, up 7% year-on-year; revenue reached 6.6 billion VND, up 52.4%. On average per total visitor, 9-month tourism revenue reached around 267,000 VND/arrival. Out of 270,000 arrivals, international tourists accounted for only 585 visits, representing about 0.22%. This structure shows that room for expanding visitor markets and increasing receipts from lodging, dining, shopping, and experiential activities remains substantial.

According to Comrade Nguyen Viet Phuong, Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee, Thung Nai has 34 households belonging to the tourism cooperative, 23 food and beverage business households, and 19 street food vendors. Tourism activities remain subject to seasonality; service quality across establishments is uneven. Certain facilities have not fully complied with health and food safety regulations; waste collection and treatment at times fail to meet peak visitor crowds.

Coi Xay Gio Restaurant — a tourism service spot operating for many years in the Thung Nai lake area.

Transport infrastructure also directly impacts tourism exploitation capacity. Most sightseeing points on the lake require access by boats and vessels, while several transport vehicles have not fully met passenger transport conditions. Roadways connecting Binh Thanh, Thung Nai, and Bac Phong areas lack synchronization, limiting the formation of tour routes and visitor distribution across multiple service spots. Meanwhile, several budgetary and non-budgetary projects face slow deployment. Obstacles in planning, procedures, and infrastructure leave land, water surface, and scenic advantages unexploited into concrete tourism products.

The remaining annual target equals a monthly average of over 43,000 arrivals and nearly 8.7 billion VND in revenue during Q4. This constitutes a heavy workload compared to September results, demanding both attracting additional guests and elevating service value provided to each delegation.

Perfecting Infrastructure, Expanding Services

According to the Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee, to boost revenue sources, Thung Nai identifies reviewing and updating planning as an immediate task. Following the merger of the 3 communes of Bac Phong, Binh Thanh, and Thung Nai, several details in the master plan for Hoa Binh Lake National Tourist Area require review to suit the new administrative area.

On August 28, 2026, the commune coordinated with consulting units to survey current conditions; in early September, it submitted an adjustment proposal to the Department of Construction. Review results will serve as a foundation for the locality to propose allocating service spaces, transport infrastructure, and selecting suitable investment projects.

Regarding waterway traffic, the commune completed announcing the Den Bo 1 Inland Waterway Wharf, extended operations for Ky Son Wharf, and coordinated the management of Thung Nai Port. Wharves, staging yards, and passenger transport vessels continue under inspection; boats not meeting regulations are categorized and guided through procedure completion. This aims to guarantee safety and increase qualified passenger vessels.

On roadways, the locality reviewed locations at risk of landslides and safety hazards, while proposing investments in the Binh Thanh - Thung Nai - Bac Phong connecting route. The Commune People’s Committee also determined it will coordinate to resolve procedural bottlenecks for stalled projects, review progress, and request investors to fulfill commitments.

Tourists experience kayaking on Hoa Binh Lake, contributing to enriching tourism services in Thung Nai.

The Commune Chairman added that another direction to boost revenue is bringing agricultural and aquatic products into the tourism service chain. Thung Nai currently utilizes about 100 hectares of Hoa Binh Lake water surface for aquaculture, featuring 338 fish cages across 41 households and three cooperatives, achieving an output of over 360 tons. The locality is deploying high-value cage fish farming models linked with origin traceability and consumption linkages; 30 households have received technical training.

The commune directs that lake fish, agricultural products, OCOP items, and community culture will be connected with dining, lodging, transport, and experiential services. Establishing distinct signature products can expand tourist expenditure while creating participation opportunities for numerous households. Alongside this, service quality is identified as a condition to retain guests and increase service usage.

The Commune People’s Committee will step up inspections over ticket price listing, parking fee management, food safety control, environmental sanitation overhauls, and waste collection across tourist areas and spots; while continuing to promote eco-tourism and community-based tourism, assisting organizations and individuals in surveying investment opportunities and completing procedures according to regulations. Newly attracted resources will be prioritized for lacking infrastructure items, products, and services.

The target of 98 billion VND in revenue for 2026 is an immediate requirement. Over the long term, Thung Nai aims to expand tourism income for households engaged in transport, fish farming, dining, lodging, and community services. Favorable infrastructure, safe services, and signature products will help retain tourists, raise spending levels, and convert lake area advantages into stable livelihoods for local residents.

Nguyen Yen