Khanh Hoa sea festival spreads aspiration to rise on the strength of marine value

On the evening of July 17, at April 2 Square in Nha Trang ward, Khanh Hoa Sea Festival 2026 officially opened under the theme "Colors of the Ocean - Reaching International Scale." The program kicks off a series of more than 40 cultural, artistic, sporting, and tourism activities running from now through August, helping promote the image of Khanh Hoa as a dynamic, integrated region rich in maritime cultural identity.

Attending the opening ceremony were Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan; leaders of central ministries, agencies, and branches; leaders of provinces and centrally run cities; leaders of the Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee; international delegates; and large numbers of local residents and visitors.

The program opened with an elaborately staged artistic spectacle featuring performances imbued with the spirit of the sea, combining music, lighting, and modern performance technology. The festival space recreated the beauty of the ocean, depicted the formation and development of Khanh Hoa, and conveyed the region's strong aspiration to rise in this new era.

Spreading the value of Viet Nam's seas

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan affirmed that over more than two decades and ten successful editions, the Khanh Hoa Sea Festival has grown from a local festival into a cultural, economic, and diplomatic event of national significance.

According to the Vice President, under the theme "Colors of the Ocean - Reaching International Scale," Khanh Hoa Sea Festival 2026 continues to honor the distinctive values of Vietnam's maritime and island culture, promote the image of the country and its people, and drive the development of tourism, the marine economy, and international integration.

To effectively harness marine and island potential in this new development phase, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan called on ministries, agencies, and localities, particularly coastal provinces, to continue effectively implementing the Party and State's policies on sustainable marine economic development. She said localities should take the lead in promoting green transformation, exploiting resources responsibly while conserving marine ecosystems, adapting to climate change, and creating sustainable livelihoods for people in coastal and island areas.

In addition, she said, development should be driven by science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and high-quality human resources; marine economic sectors should be built along modern, green, and smart lines; and infrastructure, logistics, and marine economic hubs should be developed in a synchronized manner. In particular, she said, marine tourism should be identified as a spearhead economic sector offering high-quality, distinctive products that help affirm the Vietnamese marine tourism brand on the world map.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan expressed confidence that Khanh Hoa would continue to play a pioneering role in developing the green marine economy, high-quality marine tourism, and international integration, while gradually elevating the Sea Festival into a prestigious regional event with the potential to reach international stature.

Affirming the aspiration to rise from the sea

Delivering the opening remarks, Nguyen Viet Hung, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, emphasized that understanding Khanh Hoa must begin with the sea, since the sea is the wellspring of life, culture, and the aspiration for development.

According to Hung, following the expansion of its administrative boundaries, Khanh Hoa now has nearly 500 kilometers of coastline and more than 200 large and small islands, forming an expansive development space stretching from Van Phong, Nha Trang, and Cam Ranh to Vinh Hy and Ca Na. This stretch of land brings together a wealth of distinctive cultural values, including the land of agarwood, Cham culture, Raglai culture, the art of "ho ba trao" folk singing, the harvesting and processing of swiftlet nests, Bau Truc pottery village, and My Nghiep weaving village, all of which contribute to Khanh Hoa's unique identity.

Hung also expressed particular sentiment when speaking of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, a sacred and inseparable part of both the province and the nation's territory. He said that, from the mainland, looking out to the vast sea, Khanh Hoa always keeps in mind the soldiers and residents of Truong Sa who safeguard the country's maritime sovereignty day and night, preserving peace for the nation.

The Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee Chairman affirmed that development from the sea must go beyond harnessing potential to also encompass resource conservation, ecosystem preservation, and sustainable development. In the coming period, he said, the province has identified tourism, seaports, logistics, high-tech marine aquaculture, and marine energy as key growth drivers.

Khanh Hoa Sea Festival 2026 offers not only a spectacular artistic showcase but also conveys a message about the aspiration to develop from the sea. Built on a foundation of rich maritime and island culture, and oriented toward green economic development, high-quality tourism, high-tech industry, and modern logistics, Khanh Hoa is steadily affirming its role as an international trade gateway and a new growth pole for the South Central Coast region.

At the opening ceremony, the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee officially launched the Khanh Hoa Digital Tourism Platform, designed to connect visitors with the region's destinations, services, events, and distinctive cultural stories. This is seen as an important step forward in the digital transformation of the tourism sector, helping enhance the visitor experience and promote Khanh Hoa's image as a modern, smart destination.