American singer Charlie Puth performed some of his most famous hits at the 8Wonder super music festival at VinWonder Nha Trang. — Photo thanhnien.vn

HÀ NỘI — With many international singers choosing Việt Nam as a destination for their world tours, musical tourism is expected to develop and help the country attract travellers who are ready to spend big.

Since presale and official tickets for the 8Wonder Music Festival went on sale, online room booking platform Agoda has recorded a surge in searches for accommodations in the coastal city of Nha Trang in central Khánh Hòa Province, by 80 per cent from domestic users and 25 per cent in total.

The festival, held at the Vinpearl Nha Trang complex on Saturday evening, featured US pop star Charlie Puth and many famous Vietnamese singers, namely Hà Anh Tuấn, Hồ Ngọc Hà, HIEUTHUHAI, MONO, Tlinh, Amee, and DJ Mie.

The Tuổi trẻ (Youth) newspaper cited Trần Minh Đức, deputy chairman of the Nha Trang Tourism Association, as saying that this festival is a pioneering event combining music with a leading tourism complex, helping draw more visitors to Khánh Hòa.

Nguyễn Huy Hoàng, managing director of Klook Vietnam – a travel experience booking platform, said that international music events are important to tourism in any country as they grab the interest of not only fans in that country but also those from around the world.

Recent international music shows in the region have witnessed long queues of fans waiting to buy tickets, indicating a strong connection between those events and tourism, he noted, adding that visitors come to a destination to enjoy a music show and also explore local destinations and culture.

Aside from the 8Wonder Music Festival, businesses are also holding a number of other interesting events such as the “Cánh diều” (Kite) film awards presentation ceremony at Vega City and the Hong Kong - Nha Trang yacht race, said Director of Khánh Hòa Province's Department of Tourism Nguyễn Thị Lê Thanh.

Travel companies and tourism authorities are working together to advertise attractive tourism products and events to both local residents and visitors. These activities help not only increase the number of visitors but also extend their stays and encourage their spending, she added.

A representative of the 8Wonder Music Festival organising board said this world-class music show is the first step to helping develop Việt Nam into a destination for international music events and festivals. The success of the festival with the presence of Charlie Puth will be a prerequisite for the organisers to consider holding more similar international-level events annually.

Việt Nam is able to become a promising destination for global stars during their tours, the representative noted.

Meanwhile, Huỳnh Phan Phương Hoàng, deputy general director of tourism firm Vietravel, pointed out that public-private partnerships are necessary to turn music and sport programmes into successful tourism products. Capable businesses still needs support from ministries, sectors, and localities hosting those events to create truly attractive events.

Chairlie Puth's first performance in Việt Nam

American singer Charlie Puth and other famous Vietnamese musicians performed at the 8Wonder super music festival at VinWonder Nha Trang on Saturday night.

During a 75-minute performance, 32-year-old Charlie Puth sang some of his most famous songs, such as Attention, We don’t talk anymore, and the 6-billion-view YouTube hit See You Again. Thousands of ecstatic audience members sang along.

Charlie Puth thanked the audience for welcoming him and making his first performance in Việt Nam a memorable one.

Nha Trang City is the first location in Asia that is part of the Charlie Live Experience tour, before Hong Kong (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Jakarta (Indonesia), Singapore, Tokyo (Japan), and Seoul (Korea).

Vietnamese musicians took turns performing on stage, including pop singer Amee who sang her hits like Yêu thì yêu không yêu thì yêu (Lovely love me love me love) and Anh nhà ở đâu thế (Boy, where do you live?).

Young rapper HIEUTHUHAI performed Cua (remix) (Flirt), Không thể say (remix) (Why I can’t get drunk), and Ngủ một mình (dance version) (Sleep alone).

Other performers include DJ Mie, Hồ Ngọc Hà and Hà Anh Tuấn.

Many visitors showed up early in the afternoon to get good spots for the show.

According to Vinpearl Holding Company, 8Wonder sold 7,000 tickets and attracted thousands of audience members, including visitors from other provinces and foreign tourists. The appearance of Charlie Puth and other famous Vietnamese musicians led to a surge in tourists to the south central coastal city. — VNS