Ninh Binh
UNESCO heritage economy pioneer—Trang An dual World Heritage site, VND 20K billion tourism (2025), 19M visitors, 43%/year revenue growth.
Ninh Binh shifted from "brown to green" on UNESCO heritage economics. Trang An Landscape Complex—Vietnam's only dual cultural-natural World Heritage site—generated VND 20,000 billion in 2025 tourism revenue from 19 million visitors (2 million international). Decision 509/QĐ-TTg (June 2024) prioritizes Trang An for state infrastructure investment through 2030.
Tourism Week 2025 drew 485,000 visitors (up 70% year-on-year). The province inventories 5,000+ historical sites, 1,100+ classified monuments, and thousands of intangible heritage elements. The "Ninh Binh Heritage for Life" fashion show and Forestival music festival conquered international audiences at Trang An. Heritage tourism now drives employment across culture, crafts, services, agriculture, and hospitality.
Ten years post-UNESCO inscription, Trang An proves heritage can anchor economic transformation. The province connects to a regional heritage chain including Hue, Hoi An, and Ha Long. Average annual revenue growth exceeded 43% (2020-2025). By 2026, Ninh Binh tests whether heritage economy and cultural industries can sustain development without degrading the landscapes that attract visitors.