Dong Nai tourism off to a strong start early in the new year

With about 220,000 tourist arrivals during the Lunar New Year (Tet) of the Horse 2026, up 12% from the 2025 Tet holiday, Dong Nai's tourism sector is seeing fresh momentum at the start of the new year.

Tourists visit Buu Long Tourist Area (Tran Bien Ward) during the Tet holidays. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Many tourism sites and destinations have made more careful and innovative investments. Service quality and offerings at these sites have also improved, creating a healthy and attractive recreational environment for visitors.

The appeal of tourist areas

Dong Nai currently has nearly 30 tourist areas and attractions, among which are famous tourist areas (TAs) that have existed for decades, such as: Buu Long TA in Tran Bien Ward, Chua Chan Mountain National Scenic Relic in Xuan Loc Commune, Cat Tien National Park (NP) in Nam Cat Tien Commune, Suoi Mo TA in Tan Phu Commune, among others.

In addition, Dong Nai also has new destinations attracting tourists, such as Son Tien Ecological Tourist City (Son Tien TA) in Long Hung Ward, Qua Dieu Vang Ecotourism Area in Dong Tam Commune, Phu Gia tourist spot in Tan Khai Commune, and others. Among them, Son Tien TA has drawn investment worth trillions of VND, currently holding many notable records in Vietnam, including: the largest water park in Vietnam, the longest winding artificial river in Vietnam, the most immense freshwater artificial sea in Vietnam, the freshwater sea with the highest artificial wave column in Vietnam, and the water park with the largest outdoor LED screen in Vietnam.

Total tourism revenue in the province during the 2026 Tet holiday exceeded 153 billion VND. During this period, prices for accommodation and dining services at tourism areas and attractions were generally stable, average room occupancy was about 35-40%, and room quality and service quality were rated good.

Tran Thi Thu Huong, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared that during the Tet holiday, she and her family returned to their hometown in Dinh Quan Commune, Dong Nai Province, to celebrate Tet. While there, her family visited Suoi Mo TA to sightsee and swim in the stream. Commenting on the site, Huong said Suoi Mo TA was decorated quite impressively for Tet, with many green spaces where visitors can enjoy the scenery and take souvenir photos. In particular, she said the water in the pools at Suoi Mo is natural water from the rocky mountains, so it is very cool. Having visited many tourism sites and attractions across Dong Nai Province, Huong said service quality at some of the province's sites has improved markedly in recent years, making visits more convenient for tourists, which is also why her family feels confident whenever they travel to Dong Nai's tourist spots.

In Tran Bien Ward, Buu Long TA is also undergoing many changes to meet market demand. Sharing the development strategy for Buu Long TA, Nguyen Danh Thinh, Acting Director of Buu Long Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (the unit exploiting and operating Buu Long TA), said Buu Long TA is providing a range of services, including tourism, outdoor camping, restaurants, hotels, event organization, and domestic and international tours. In the near future, Buu Long TA will continue renovations and development to become a destination worthy of both domestic and international visitors.

The eco-tourism hub of the Southeast region

In addition to its existing tourist areas and attractions, Dong Nai also has the largest forest area in the Southeast region, covering nearly 349,000 hectares and accounting for about 27% of the total natural area. The forests in the province have high biodiversity with many rare and valuable animal and plant species. For many years, Dong Nai has had famous forest ecological tourism destinations such as Cat Tien NP, Bu Gia Map NP, Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve, Chua Chan Mountain National Scenic Relic, among others.

Tourists visit Suoi Mo Tourist Area (Tan Phu commune), the province's most visited tourism site during the 2026 Tet holiday. Photo: Ngoc Lien

During the 2026 Tet holiday, forest eco-tourism sites also welcomed tens of thousands of visitors. Specifically, Chua Chan Mountain attracted about 25,000 visitors; Cat Tien National Park welcomed 6,000; Bu Lach Grassland in Tho Son commune welcomed about 5,000; and Bu Gia Map National Park welcomed nearly 3,000. Among them, the most prominent was the Chua Chan Mountain scenic relic, which welcomed about 25,000 visitors in the first days of the new year. It is expected that by the full moon of the first lunar month this year, Chua Chan Mountain will attract tens of thousands more visitors for pilgrimages and early-year temple visits.

Along with eco-tourism destinations and other modern, large-scale attractions, Dong Nai also has many destinations serving visitors and helping boost tourist numbers during the traditional Tet holiday, such as flower streets and Tet spaces in localities that have been developed on a large and impressive scale, showcasing traditional national values. The most prominent, and also the province’s highlight, is the Nguyen Van Tri riverside flower street, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors for sightseeing and souvenir photos during the 2026 Tet holiday.

Assessing tourism activities in the province during the Tet holiday, Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Thi Ngoc Loan said that this year tourism in Dong Nai province was vibrant, safe, and stable. Work to ensure public security and safety for visitors was carried out effectively, with no sudden price hikes recorded and no incidents reported.

To achieve these results, from the first days of the Tet peak period, the department reminded each destination and travel company to strictly comply with regulations governing tourism activities and ensure food safety and hygiene. Rescue and emergency response work must be thorough and timely, ensuring visitors’ safety when sightseeing and enjoying activities at the province’s tourist areas and attractions.

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho