The beauty of Yên Tử lies in the majestic mountains blending with the ancient, tranquil beauty of its system of hermitages, pagodas and towers. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NINH — As the 2026 autumn-winter tourism season gets under way, the northern coastal city of Quảng Ninh is rolling out a series of distinctive cultural, sports and tourism activities aimed at connecting heritage values, extending visitors’ stays and increasing their spending.

A highlight of this year’s autumn-winter tourism season is the Yên Tử festival 2026, featuring a wide range of events such as Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, a Chinese chess tournament, the Yên Tử Heritage Marathon and the Yên Tử Ultra Trail race.

Phạm Xuân Thành, Vice Chairman of the Yên Tử ward People’s Committee, said the festival would bring into sharper focus the value of the Yên Tử world cultural heritage through a diverse range of experiential tours held at fixed times each day.

To create stronger links among heritage sites, Quảng Ninh’s tourism sector has launched the Hạ Long Bay-Yên Tử heritage passport programme. The programme connects a chain of destinations, including the Hạ Long Bay world natural heritage site, the Yên Tử-Vĩnh Nghiêm-Côn Sơn, Kiếp Bạc complex of monuments and scenic landscapes, the Bạch Đằng historical site, the Quảng Ninh Museum and traditional craft villages. Shifting from individual sightseeing visits to route-based experiences will enable visitors to fully explore the region’s cultural values while also enjoying special offers on services, cuisine and OCOP products.

In the fourth quarter of 2026, the city will continue to organise a number of major programmes, including the Quảng Ninh (Việt Nam)-Guangxi (China) cultural and culinary exchange programme, the Quảng Ninh food festival, international marathon races and a countdown programme to welcome the New Year 2027.

Alongside the major events, Quảng Ninh is stepping up a campaign promoting one distinctive tourism product of each local commune, ward and special administrative zone, It is also developing green and community-based tourism to reduce seasonality and expand the tourism space.

The municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the city would intensify promotion in key markets such as China, the Republic of Korea and India, while welcoming domestic and foreign famtrip and presstrip groups to survey tourism products.

It aims to welcome 23 million visitors and earn more than VNĐ70 trillion (US$2.7 billion) in tourism revenue this year. — VNA/VNS