Hà Nội aims to become a destination for international-scale weddings. — Photo courtesy of Hajime Wedding & Event.

HÀ NỘI — Wedding tourism is emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments of global travel, and Hà Nội is positioning itself to tap into the expanding market for international-scale celebrations.

The ambition was announced by the city's tourism authority at Vietnam Grand WeddX 2026.

The event brought together over 60 brands from across the wedding industry. It featured exhibition spaces, bridal fashion shows, workshops and talk shows on wedding trends, alongside a range of interactive experiences for visitors.

According to Nguyễn Trần Quang, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Tourism, the wedding industry and wedding tourism have emerged as fast-growing global trends in recent years, enhancing the value of destinations, attracting high-value travellers and creating momentum for a wide range of service sectors.

He noted that many Asian countries, particularly in Southeast Asia, have adopted wedding tourism as a development strategy, capitalising on their natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage and competitive event hosting costs.

“With scenic landscapes, beautiful beaches, luxury hotels, diverse resort offerings, high-quality services, competitive prices and a wide variety of venues that allow each celebration to have its own distinctive setting and décor, Việt Nam is emerging as one of the region's most promising destinations for wedding tourism,” Quang said.

The deputy director said Việt Nam has already been recognised as a wedding destination by two major source markets, North America and Asia. He also cited several lavish weddings hosted by ultra-wealthy families from India and other countries in Phú Quốc and Đà Nẵng as evidence of the country's growing appeal.

Sample lighting effects for weddings are displayed at the event. — Photo courtesy of Vietnam Grand WeddX 2026.

A growing regional ambition

He said that developing new tourism products and innovative partnership models is vital as Việt Nam seeks to establish tourism as a key economic sector while advancing its cultural and creative industries.

He said business networking initiatives within the wedding industry help drive innovation, improve service quality and keep businesses aligned with emerging trends in the events and modern tourism sectors.

“I am confident that initiatives such as Vietnam Grand WeddX will create more opportunities for collaboration among businesses, inspire innovative ideas and give rise to new products," Quang said.

"These efforts will help develop wedding tourism, enhance the competitiveness of Việt Nam's wedding industry and gradually establish Hà Nội as a regional hub for weddings and celebratory events, while strengthening Việt Nam's position as one of Asia's most attractive wedding destinations.”

He also affirmed that the Hà Nội Department of Tourism would continue to work closely with the business community to develop new tourism products, promote the capital as a destination, improve the business environment and create favourable conditions for innovative initiatives to be implemented effectively, contributing to the sustainable development of tourism in Hà Nội and across the country.

A model showcases a wedding gown at the event. — Photo courtesy of Vietnam Grand WeddX 2026.

According to Ngô Thị Hương, chief executive officer of Vinpearl, Việt Nam has strong advantages for developing its wedding industry, thanks to its stunning coastline, world-class resorts, distinctive heritage venues and rich cultural identity.

“Weddings are not only milestone occasions for families but also a convergence of culture, art, fashion, cuisine, music, technology and tourism,” she said.

“What we need today is not simply more beautiful weddings, but a modern wedding industry built on a complete ecosystem, a strong national brand and international competitiveness.”

She also expressed her hope that Việt Nam would become Asia's premier wedding destination, where couples from around the world choose to begin their journey together. — VNS