Vietnamese amusement parks catch up with global trends

Keeping up with the global trend of "Multi-in-one" entertainment, Sun World parks in Ba Na, Ha Long, Fansipan, Hon Thom, and Tay Ninh are registering Vietnam in the entertainment "arena" worldwide with stunning second-to-none experiences based on the core qualities of each area.

According to the Themed Entertainment Association, the world's leading theme parks, water parks, and attractions attracted 521 million people in 2019, representing a 4 per cent increase over 2018. This demonstrates the industry's continuing appeal.

The "Big Guys" in the entertainment industry, such as Disneyland and Universal Studios provide a variety of experiences for people of all ages, including hundreds of games and attractions from captivating shows to a diversified gastronomic resort.

Sun World Phu Quoc has the world's longest sea-crossing 3-wire aerial cable car.

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A decade ago, having fun at such world-class amusement parks was still a luxury for Vietnamese people, and tourists could only enjoy it when travelling overseas for a limited amount of time at a relatively large cost.

Having fun at world-class theme parks in Vietnam has now become a frequent experience, with pricing that is more and, critically, enticing entertainment that is not substandard.

Theme parks are progressively being invested in, expanding and enriching the experience from Sa Pa and Ha Long, to Da Nang and Phu Quoc, steadily closing the gap with the rest of the globe. Theme parks are helping put Vietnamese tourism on the map.

Putting Vietnam on the global tourism and entertainment map

Prestigious awards have been given to the world's most well-known amusement parks. Europa Park, Germany's largest theme park, has been recognised by the Golden Ticket Award as the world's greatest theme park and the most popular theme park in Germany and throughout Europe (Traveler's Choice of Tripadvisor in 2020).

Universal Studios Singapore is also a prominent amusement park in Southeast Asia, having been named Asia's Leading Amusement Park by Traveler's Choice Tripadvisor 2020.

In recent years, the international tourist and entertainment industry has noted the presence of top-notch amusement parks and entertainment complexes in Vietnam.

Sun Group's Sun World branded parks, in particular, are all members of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and are continuously honoured by prestigious international awards and records.

Sun World Ba Na Hills with a series of new projects such as Sun God Waterfall, Moon Castle, and Eclipse Square.

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Sun World Ba Na Hills in Da Nang, for example, has multiple Guinness World Records and has been named "World's Leading Iconic Tourist Area 2021" and "Asia's Leading Theme Park 2021" by World Travel Awards, and owns the Golden Bridge, which is billed as "the world's leading iconic tourism bridge 2021."

The emergence of the Golden Bridge at Sun World Ba Na Hills, in particular, has "overwhelmed" and been consistently commended by the world's media. Ladbible, Bored Panda, and Unilad have complimented the beautiful Golden Bridge, which has a scene from the renowned "Lord of the Rings" film.

"Imagine stepping through the hands of a god?" said a BBC News piece about the Golden Bridge. According to CNN, one of the most stunning features of the Golden Bridge is the rows of purple chrysanthemums placed on the bright yellow background of the castle, which make the space spectacular and attractive.

"In the last period of July 2018, for every three international visitors who contacted to book a tour to Da Nang, up to two guests requested to check-in the Golden Bridge," said Ngo Quang Vinh, Director of Da Nang Department of Tourism at the time.

Sun World Ba Na Hills offers guests an unending adventure through the historic and poetic French village, the largest indoor amusement park in Southeast Asia – Fantasy Park; and magnificent shows such as "Battles in the Moon Kingdom" with 160 professional dancers from different nations around the world.

Ba Na Hills has become a must-see location for Vietnamese tourists and, as Michael Hunter Smith, Marketing Director of the World Luxury Hotel Awards, stated, a "must-see destination before you die."

Suppose Disneyland leaves its mark in the world with the theme of fairyland. Well, Vietnam's theme parks promote the values of each area they occupy.

Sun World Fansipan Legend, which opened in 2016, helped to boost Vietnam's reputation around the world by being named the world's premier cultural tourist destination (in 2019, 2020, and 2021) and the world's leading tourism destination for natural scenery (2020, 2021) by WTA.

Sun World Fansipan Legend not only fulfils millions of travellers' desire of conquering the seemingly faraway Roof of Indochina but also takes them on a cultural adventure.

Highlights include spiritual architectural masterpieces in the shape of Vietnamese pagodas buried in the clouds to the colours of the Northwest at the highland market, to the elaborately planned art display "Dance in the clouds" or "Horses on the clouds" season.

Sun World parks and entertainment complexes, which have received numerous international awards and records, are contributing to gradually closing the tourism and entertainment industry gap between Vietnam and the rest of the world.

Sun World Fansipan Legend with Northwest festival atmosphere throughout four seasons.

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International class – Vietnamese price

Going to a world-class amusement park has never been cheap. The ticket fee to explore seven Walt Disney lands and play freely with 37 games in the entire Iron Man amusement park with Marvel characters, and roller coasters surrounding the gold mine is equivalent to VND1,890,000. Of course, you won't have the stamina to play more than 6-7 games and "waste" all of your money.

In China, tourists to Yùlóng Xuěshān must pay CNY 100 (VND345,000) for admission and an extra CYN 180 (VND622,000) for an aerial tramway ticket to Glacier Park to view the spectacular snowy mountains.

Beautiful mountains and stunning glaciers, plus an additional CNY 280 (VND960,000) to view Zhang Yimou's Lijiang Impressionist art show. Thus, to have the entire experience at Yùlóng Xuěshān, guests need a budget of around VND2 million.

Sun World BaDen Mountain.

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How about Vietnam?

Sun World Fansipan Legend, with its amazing beauty and one-of-a-kind cultural experience, is a destination equivalent to Yùlóng Xuěshān.

Visitors can take an aerial tramway for a panoramic view of the spectacular Hoang Lien range, touch the Roof of Indochina, and visit the wonderful spiritual, cultural complex and big rose valley in Vietnam with a package ticket fee of VND715,000.

Visitors do not have to pay additional fees to view the fantastic exhibitions on the top of Fansipan.

Similarly, at Sun World Ba Na Hills, visitors pay VND825,000 to comfortably enjoy all of the entertainment items on offer, such as more than 100 games at Fantasy Park indoor amusement park, watching movies at the Airship cinema at Moon Castle, or enjoying the grandiose and artistic show "Battles in the Moon Kingdom."

Sun World Phu Quoc is an emerging entertainment park on Pearl Island that has brought many unique experiences between the lovely scenery and the diverse and dynamic game world.

Hon Thom island's magnificent beauty of green vegetation and crystal blue sea is accessible via the world's longest three-wire aerial cable car over the sea.

Visitors can walk on the seabed to witness colourful coral reefs, speed canoeing, paragliding in the sea, or visit Aquatopia, Asia's leading water park with over 20 fascinating sports.

Nonetheless, the park recently added "Moc Xa Thinh No", Vietnam's first wooden roller coaster with a speed of 80 km/h, as well as the Eagle Eye observatory from the height of 120m that provides a panoramic view of the picturesque Hon Thom island.

Hon Thom resort offers an "all-in-one" experience package that includes the theme park, water park, and lunch buffet for only VND639,000 – a very reasonable price for visitors to enjoy a world-class experience.

Entertainment complex at Sun World Phu Quoc.

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Maximize your experience

The world's most popular amusement parks, such as Disneyland in California, USA, and Universal Studios Singapore, attract millions of visitors each year, generating billions of dollars in revenue for the region. However, tourists must wait a long time to experience a ride during high season, where the average time spent standing in line is 35-50 minutes.

If you visit Yùlóng Xuěshān during peak season, you will see long lines of people waiting for 3-4 hours to board the aerial cable car.

As a result, despite spending an average of more than VND1 million on tickets worldwide, most visitors admit that they cannot get enough of the park's most appealing games. Many people have to spend a lot of money to purchase a Fast-pass ticket, with a shuttle bus, a different means to avoid having to wait long, and of course, the Fast-pass is not cheap.

In Vietnam, it is unavoidable for large-scale amusement parks and numerous games to be packed at peak times such as holidays and summer. With a limited number of visitors, however, most tourists' waiting time is spent purchasing entrance tickets or lining up on the aerial cable car. The wait for a ride is only about 10 minutes!

Amusement parks also provide various incentives and enhance nighttime experiences so tourists can easily explore various games without waiting long. For example, the combo Ba Na By Night costs VND700,000/per adult and VND520,000/per child and includes a round-trip shuttle from Da Nang centre to Ba Na and an endless buffet with Vietnamese 70 foods and top-quality German beer.

Alternatively, at Sun World Phu Quoc, the combo "Paradise Night" is a popular choice for many travellers at VND700,000/adult and VND 350,000/child, including an aerial cable car and dinner buffet. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of Hon Thom in the sunset while avoiding the masses of tourists on weekends.

Vietnam has only been in the entertainment tourism industry for more than ten years, giving Vietnamese tourists the world's most iconic experiences. Although the scale of Vietnamese theme parks may not be comparable to famous global names such as Disneyland, the continuous increase in unique experiences, as well as reasonable ticket prices, are plus points that have made Vietnamese amusement parks a magnet for both domestic and international visitors.