Ninh Binh positions night-time economy in heritage tourism development

According to many experts and event organisers, Ninh Binh has enormous potential for developing night-timetourism linked to cultural and natural preservation and heritage-based economic development. Unlike large cities, where the night-time economy often relies on shopping or modern entertainment, in Ninh Binh, the night-time economy can be built on heritage experiences an advantage that few localities possess.

The province boasts the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the ancient capital of Hoa Lu; and a vast treasure trove of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including a system of temples and pagodas, ancient villages, traditional festivals, a rich and diverse folk art scene, and a rich and attractive culinary scene.

This combination of landscape, history, and culture creates an ideal foundation for the development of night-timetourism.

Director Long Kan, a familiar face in the Vietnamese fashion industry who has successfully organised grand, international-scale fashion shows in Ninh Binh such as the "Hello Cosmo from Vietnam" show, said Ninh Binh has an advantage that very few places possess: a dense network of tangible and intangible cultural heritage with vast natural spaces, unobstructed by urbanisation. This allows for the organisation of light shows, performances, fashion shows, music shows, or historical reenactments on incredibly impressive real-life stages.

Based on his experience in organising international-scale fashion shows, Director Long Kan emphasised that when heritage spaces are properly illuminated, their aesthetic and media value increases rapidly.

Night-time events are a valuable heritage economic product, capable of generating a vast value chain: accommodation, food and beverage, transport, creative workforce, technical expertise, artists, traditional crafts, and local services.

In recent years, Ninh Binh has designed many night-time tourism products, notably Hoa Lu Ancient Town, organising cultural, artistic, and culinary exchange events in the "Western-style" Tam Coc - Bich Dong area, developing night tours in the Tam Chuc National Tourist Area, Bai Dinh, Cuc Phuong National Park, or art and water music programmes at the Festival Axis and Times Square.

In addition, a relatively clear mark in Ninh Binh's night-time economic development strategy is the organisation of a series of night-time cultural, tourism, music, and fashion festivals. These events directly stimulate night-time economic activities. The hotel, restaurant, transport, and retail sectors also benefit accordingly.

According to Pham Duy Phong, Deputy Director of the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, the goal of these events is not only to create a festive atmosphere, but also to transform evenings into economically valuable time, encouraging tourists to stay longer and spend more.

In 2025, along with the increase in the number of tourists, tourism accommodation activities in the province also achieved positive results, with the number of tourists staying at accommodation establishments increasing by 27% compared to the same period last year. The total number of tourist nights reached over 4.84 million nights, an increase of 23%. This shows that the quality of tourism consumption has improved, leading tourists to tend to stay longer and experience more of the local tourism products and services, headded.

Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, believed that night-time tourism is becoming one of the important drivers of modern tourism economy, especially in localities rich in cultural resources and heritage like Ninh Binh.

2025 was a brilliant year for Ninh Binh tourism, especially since the locality continuously launched new and attractive tourism products, including night-time tourism. “We highly appreciate the creative ideas, the ability to innovate products, and the effective integration of heritage preservation and promotion,” he said.

To make the night-time economy truly a pillar in the development of heritage tourism, Ninh Binh needs a long-term and systematic strategy, Sieu suggested.

First, it is necessary to build an ecosystem of night-time tourism products, instead of just relying on seasonal events. Constantly innovating and having new ideas will continuously create new and attractive experiences.

Furthermore, connecting local communities to the night tourism value chain is crucial. Locals, artisans, craft villages, and businesses need to be given opportunities to participate, both to preserve their cultural identity and to share economic benefits.

At the same time, it is essential to ignite a love for the homeland and pride in its heritage so that each citizen acts as a "tourism ambassador, a tour guide, and a friend to tourists."

Infrastructure and night-time space management also need to be invested in comprehensively, from transport, lighting, security to environmental sanitation, to ensure development without harming heritage and the lives of local people.

With its unique heritage and increasingly clear steps in developing night-timetourism, Ninh Binh is facing a great opportunity to build a modern, sustainable, and distinctive heritage-based economic model. When heritage doesn't "sleep" after sunset, the economic and cultural value of this land will continue to increase, contributing to making Ninh Binh an attractive destination both day and night on theVietnamese and international tourism maps./.