Participants in Tràng An Marathon 2025. — VNA/VNS Photo

NINH BÌNH — After merging with Hà Nam and Nam Định, the northern province of Ninh Bình is going all in on sporting events to boost tourism, refresh its image as a must-visit destination, and give its economy a strong boost.

Athletes as “tourism ambassadors”

In 2025 and early 2026, Ninh Bình hosted a lineup of high-profile international sports events, including the World Triathlon Development Regional Cup & National Championships 2025, AFC Champions League Two, the ASEAN Club Championship, the SEA V.League, and the Li-Ning Vietnam International Series 2025 badminton tournament.

On the home front, the province staged 12 major national competitions, from the National Rowing and Canoeing Championships and the 19th Hoa Lư–Bình Điền Volleyball Cup to the National First Division Football Championship, V.League 1, and the National Traditional Wrestling Championship. The events packed in hordes of athletes and stoked demand for tourism services.

The Tràng An Marathon, billed as the “Race through the Heart of Heritage”, drew a massive crowd of over 10,000 runners from across Việt Nam and over 15 countries. Winding through scenic heritage landscapes, the race gave them an unforgettable thrill amid breathtaking natural beauty while putting the Tràng An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, squarely in the global spotlight.

Over at the Tam Chúc national tourism area, the provincial Department of Culture and Sports teamed with the Asian Triathlon Confederation to host the Triathlon World Cup and National Championship 2025, pulling in athletes from 15 countries. The events put Việt Nam's rich culture, warm people, and stunning destinations, especially Ninh Bình, front and centre, for both local and foreign visitors.

Boats carry tourists at the Tràng An ecological tourism site. —VNA/VNS Photo

The province is also aggressively pushing sports like golf, kendo, badminton, running, cycling, mountaineering, and yoga to reel in more tourists. It’s not just lifting visitor numbers, but also painting Ninh Bình as a vibrant, modern hotspot bursting with cultural flavour.

Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, boasted that athletes heading home, whether from Việt Nam or abroad, are turning into enthusiastic “tourism ambassadors” for Ninh Bình. Riding that wave, the province is gearing up for even more blockbuster cultural and sports events through 2026 at its prime tourist spots, with hopes of drawing thousands of athletes.

Marketing the destination through sports tourism

Sports tourism may not be new, but it has exploded in Ninh Bình over the last five years. Products range from event tickets bundled with rides, hotels, meals, and sightseeing, plus all-inclusive sports tours and action-packed holiday packages. Ninh Bình is suddenly popping up as a hot new must-visit spot for travellers.

According to the Department of Tourism, Ninh Bình welcomed a whopping 9.9 million visitors in the first quarter, a sizzling 20.9 per cent surge from the previous year and already hitting 49.5 per cent of its full-year target. Domestic tourists clocked in at 8.9 million, up 17.7 per cent, while foreign arrivals exploded 59.5 per cent to hit 1 million. Lodging facilities saw 1.7 million visits and more than 1.8 million overnight stays. Revenue for the quarter jumped 18.1 per cent to an estimated VNĐ10.05 trillion (US$387 million), or 50.3 per cent of the 2026 goal. — VNA/VNS