Tay Ninh leads Southern Vietnam in economic growth as tourism gains momentum

Tay Ninh Province recorded a 10.3% increase in Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) during the first nine months of 2026, ranking 10th among Vietnam's 34 provinces and centrally governed cities and leading Southern Vietnam in economic growth. This performance highlights the province's strong economic momentum following its administrative merger, which expanded its development space and created opportunities to capitalize on new economic advantages.

Tay Ninh leads Southern Vietnam in economic growth during the first nine months of 2026 (Source: Collected)

Against this backdrop of economic expansion, tourism has emerged as one of the sectors demonstrating particularly positive progress. According to the Tay Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tourist attractions across the province welcomed an estimated 7.45 million visitors in the first nine months of 2026, representing an 18.8% increase compared to the same period last year. Of these, approximately 190,000 were international visitors.
Notably, total tourism revenue was estimated at VND 6.74 trillion, surging 52.8% year-on-year. Revenue growth significantly outpaced the increase in visitor arrivals, reflecting encouraging progress toward the province's ambition of developing tourism into a key economic sector.

Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area stands out as a major highlight of Tay Ninh's tourism growth in 2026 (Source: Collected)

Among Tay Ninh's prominent attractions, Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area continues to strengthen its position as one of the province's leading tourism destinations. Once primarily known as a traditional pilgrimage site for residents of Southern Vietnam, Ba Den Mountain is gradually transforming into a multifaceted destination that combines spiritual and cultural tourism, breathtaking natural landscapes, vibrant festivals, and modern tourism services.

Ba Den Mountain: A key highlight of Tay Ninh's tourism growth

The growing appeal of Ba Den Mountain is reflected in a series of impressive visitor milestones throughout 2026. On July 27, Sun World Ba Den Mountain officially welcomed its four-millionth cable car passenger since the beginning of the year. By early September, Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area had received more than 4.2 million visitors, further reinforcing its position as a prominent destination on Southern Vietnam's tourism map.

Ba Den Mountain continues to demonstrate its appeal, attracting millions of visitors for sightseeing, spiritual pilgrimages, and unique experiences in 2026 (Source: Collected)

Behind these impressive figures lies the transformation of a destination rich in cultural heritage, history, and natural beauty. Standing 986 meters above sea level, Ba Den Mountain has long been known as the "Roof of Southern Vietnam" and is closely associated with its sacred Ba Pagoda complex and the spiritual traditions of local communities. In recent years, coordinated investments in infrastructure and tourism products have significantly enhanced the mountain's appeal, making it an attractive destination for a wide range of visitors, from pilgrims and families to young travelers seeking adventure and discovery.

At Sun World Ba Den Mountain, a modern cable car system provides convenient access from the foot of the mountain to its summit, offering visitors spectacular aerial views of the surrounding landscapes. At the summit, an impressive complex of spiritual and cultural landmarks, including the Tay Bo Da Son Bodhisattva Statue, Maitreya Bodhisattva Statue, and Konagamana Buddha Statue, creates distinctive highlights that attract visitors for sightseeing and spiritual reflection.

The remarkable complex of spiritual and cultural landmarks atop Ba Den Mountain creates a distinctive identity for Tay Ninh tourism (Source: Collected)

Beyond its iconic landmarks, Ba Den Mountain continuously introduces new experiences through cultural festivals, lantern-offering ceremonies, colorful floral landscapes, and artistic performances. By combining its rich spiritual heritage with modern tourism offerings, the destination has developed year-round appeal, moving beyond its traditional concentration of visitors during the early spring pilgrimage season.

From a spiritual destination to a multifaceted tourism hub in Southern Vietnam

The development of Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area also reflects Tay Ninh's broader tourism transformation, characterized by increasingly diverse tourism products, improved service quality, and expanding visitor markets. Beyond its established reputation as a spiritual destination, experiences such as cloud watching, flower viewing, culinary exploration, and cultural festivals are giving travelers more reasons to return.

Cultural activities, vibrant festivals, and new tourism experiences continue to enhance Ba Den Mountain's appeal to visitors (Source: Collected)

In particular, late-afternoon and evening experiences are encouraging visitors to spend more time exploring the destination. Travelers can admire spectacular sunsets from nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, discover the illuminated summit after dark, enjoy the captivating water music show at the Maitreya Bodhisattva Statue, or participate in lantern-offering ceremonies on scheduled occasions. These experiences not only enrich the visitor journey but also create opportunities for the development of additional tourism services around the destination.

Indian tourists explore the spiritual complex atop Ba Den Mountain (Source: Collected)

At the same time, Ba Den Mountain's growing popularity is helping Tay Ninh reach a wider international audience. According to Tay Ninh Newspaper, visitor arrivals to Ba Den Mountain from markets such as Cambodia, China, India, South Korea, and Japan recorded growth of more than 70% year-on-year in 2026. This encouraging trend highlights the destination's potential to expand beyond the domestic market and strengthen its presence in regional and international tourism.

From Ba Den Mountain, visitors can also extend their journeys to other cultural, historical, and ecological attractions across Tay Ninh, including the Cao Dai Holy See, Dau Tieng Lake, Lo Go – Xa Mat National Park, and various historical sites throughout the province. Developing interconnected tourism routes can encourage longer stays, increase visitor spending, and introduce travelers to more of the province's distinctive cultural and natural attractions.

Ba Den Mountain tourism opens new opportunities for Tay Ninh's growth

For the 2026–2030 period, Tay Ninh aims to maintain average annual GRDP growth of 10–10.5%. Alongside efforts to capitalize on its strengths in industry, trade, and border-gate economic activities, the province is also working toward establishing tourism as a key economic sector, with a focus on improving product quality, strengthening connectivity, and increasing the economic value generated by each visitor.

Within this development strategy, Ba Den Mountain National Tourist Area holds significant advantages in its ambition to become a competitive center for ecological, cultural, and spiritual tourism in the region. The combination of remarkable natural resources, rich local cultural heritage, and an increasingly comprehensive tourism service ecosystem provides a strong foundation for the destination to expand its visitor markets, attract more international travelers, and develop high-value tourism experiences.

From the impressive growth figures recorded by the tourism sector to the increasing popularity of Ba Den Mountain, Tay Ninh is demonstrating its considerable potential as a dynamic destination in Southern Vietnam. With tourism products and experiences continuously being refreshed, Sun World Ba Den Mountain is expected to further enhance the province's tourism appeal, bringing the beauty and cultural identity of Ba Den Mountain and Tay Ninh closer to domestic and international travelers.

(Source: VTC News)