Preserving Long Khanh Fruit Festival brand

During June and July this year, a series of festivals will take place in the wards of Binh Loc, Long Khanh, and Bao Vinh to honor, promote, and showcase local fruits, agricultural specialties, and culinary products. The events aim to stimulate tourism and strengthen the image of one of Southeast Vietnam’s most renowned fruit-growing regions.

Rambutan orchards are expected to reach peak harvest season in mid-June. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Home to extensive orchards producing rambutan, mangosteen, durian, langsat, guava, and other fruits, the region is preparing for a vibrant festival season that is expected to attract visitors seeking eco-tourism experiences and authentic local cuisine.

Celebrating the fruit harvest season

Every year during the peak fruit harvest, orchards in Long Khanh, Bao Vinh, and Binh Loc wards welcome large numbers of visitors who come to explore the gardens and enjoy local specialties during the Long Khanh Fruit Festival. The annual summer event has played an important role in shaping the region’s agricultural and tourism identity.

This year, in an effort to preserve the Long Khanh Fruit Festival brand and boost tourism demand, the wards of Binh Loc, Long Khanh, and Bao Vinh will simultaneously organize festivals and fruit appreciation weeks throughout June and July.

Bao Vinh Ward, one of Dong Nai City’s best-known fruit-growing areas, has more than 2,400 hectares dedicated to specialty fruits such as jackfruit, pomelo, rambutan, and mangosteen, alongside numerous OCOP (One Commune One Product) certified products. To promote local tourism, fruit specialties, and cuisine while strengthening connections between visitors and travel businesses, Bao Vinh will host the 2026 Fruit and OCOP Product Appreciation Week under the theme “Bao Vinh Fruits and OCOP Products – Connection, Partnership and Development.” The event will take place from June 18 to 20 and feature 22 exhibition booths showcasing local fruits, OCOP products, agricultural services, and culinary offerings.

As a pioneer in orchard-based eco-tourism, Binh Loc Ward is widely regarded as the heart of Dong Nai’s garden tourism region, with dozens of households participating in tourism activities. To further promote its eco-tourism brand, the ward has launched plans linking tourism development with the promotion of specialty fruits and OCOP products through the 2026 Fruit and OCOP Product Appreciation Week. The initiative aims to position Binh Loc as a green, safe, attractive, and sustainable destination while contributing to the broader promotion of Dong Nai City.

Hoang Duc Liem, Chairman of the Binh Loc Farmers’ Association, said the ward is home to several well-known garden tourism destinations, including Ut Tieu Garden, Chu Loc La Garden, Di Hai Garden, and Tam Le Garden. “Local orchard owners are fully prepared for the upcoming Fruit and OCOP Product Appreciation Week and are eager to showcase the unique strengths and specialties of their gardens,” he said.

Fruit-growing region ready to welcome visitors

With the aim of inheriting and carrying forward a signature cultural and tourism event of the former Long Khanh City, the current Long Khanh Ward is preparing to organize the Long Khanh Fruit Season Festival 2026 (Fruit Season Festival 2026), which will run from June through the end of July 2026.

Fruit stalls of gardeners at the Dong Nai Culture, Tourism, and Cuisine Week 2025. Photo: Ngoc Lien

According to Truong Trong Thy, Vice Chairman of the Long Khanh Ward People’s Committee, the festival will provide opportunities for businesses, household enterprises, farmers, and neighboring localities to promote agricultural products, tourism services, trade activities, and culinary specialties to visitors.

Festival activities will include a seminar on "Applying Technology in Agricultural Production" in Dong Nai City, exhibitions highlighting socio-economic achievements and planning strategies, displays promoting local tourism and agricultural products, the launch of a children’s drawing contest themed “Long Khanh Through My Eyes,” and the children’s music and arts festival “Pink Musical Notes”.

Tran Thi Tuyet, a resident of Sai Gon Ward in Ho Chi Minh City, said her family visited Binh Loc’s garden tourism sites in late May but found that the rambutan season had not yet peaked. “We plan to return at the end of June or during the fruit festival to fully enjoy the local fruits and cuisine,” she said.

Recognizing the significance of the harvest season, several travel companies are also preparing orchard-tour programs in the Long Khanh area.

Thai Loan Tourist and Transport Co., Ltd. is among the pioneering tour operators offering orchard excursions during the peak fruit season, particularly its popular railway tourism package connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Bien Hoa and Long Khanh.

Nguyen Thai Tuong Van, Director of Thai Loan Tourism Co., Ltd., said the company has already received numerous bookings for fruit orchard tours scheduled for mid-June. “We are intensifying promotional efforts to attract both local and out-of-town visitors for day trips and overnight stays,” she said.

Drawing on years of experience operating railway tours to fruit-growing regions, Van noted that many travelers from Ho Chi Minh City register well in advance to enjoy fresh fruit and experience the unique train journey. “I hope this year’s tourism season will allow Thai Loan to continue serving as a bridge connecting visitors with destinations while helping preserve Dong Nai City’s reputation as one of Vietnam’s premier orchard tourism regions,” she added.

For 2026, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Nai City has set a target of welcoming more than 5.8 million visitors and generating approximately VND4.5 trillion (about USD173 million) in tourism revenue. To achieve this goal, the department has launched its 2026 Tourism Stimulus Program, aiming to shift from tourism based solely on natural resources to tourism centered on creativity and immersive experiences. The program carries the message: “Dong Nai – A Green Symphony Along a Heritage River.”

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho