Nha Trang, a famous beach city in south-central Vietnam, has become a sought-after tourist destination for South Korean celebrities, including artists, singers, and beauty queens.

Since the start of 2023, Khanh Hoa Province, where Nha Trang City is located, has welcomed numerous famous South Koreans.

Film crew members of South Korean broadcast media company MBN, artist Noh Hong Chul, comedienne Lee Guk-joo, and singer KCM traveled to Nha Trang to shoot a tourism film about the city in early February.

These South Korean artists explored VinWonders, a world-class theme park on Hon Tre Island, experienced mud-bathing, shopped, and savored seafood at a riverside restaurant.

Actress Eugene, who starred in The Penthouse, took her family members to Khanh Hoa to relax in late May.

She posted photos of the beaches and cuisine in Nha Trang on her Instagram account with a caption ‘Nha Trang – Vietnam, So beautiful…!.’

Her post received hundreds of likes and comments on the beauty of Nha Trang.

Other South Korean celebrities recently visiting Nha Trang include singer Hyelin, a member of K-pop girl group EXID; singer Park Ji Hoon, a member of boy band Wanna One; and actors Shin Seung Ho and Hong Kyung.

The cast of Doctor Cha, including Uhm Jung Hwa, Kim Byung Chul, and Myung Se Bin, visited Nha Trang in late June to celebrate the success of the movie.

Miss Korea 2022 Lee Seung Hyun and runner-up Choi Jung Yoon were present in Nha Trang from July 23 to 26 to join the game show K-Trend x Miss Korea in Vietnam, aimed at introducing well-known tourist sites in the Southeast Asian country.

During their visit to Nha Trang, the two South Korean beauties explored the fascination of many tourist destinations such as the Ba Ponagar Tower cluster, Long Son Pagoda, Kong Forest Park, and the Memento tourism area; went kayaking; and enjoyed various local dishes. 

Focus on high-end tourism

A representative of a resort near Bai Dai Beach in Cam Lam District under Khanh Hoa Province said that South Korean tourists, especially celebrities, are keen on luxurious fully-equipped resorts. 

The resort, which welcomed actress Eugene and some other South Korean celebs, is cooperating with several South Korean employees and chefs to better serve South Korean guests, said the representative.

“Celebrities value their privacy, so when actress Eugene stayed at the resort for seven days, we would not post any of her photos online without permission," the representative said.

“The resort has a separate swimming pool for such well-known people.”

Many owners of Nha Trang-based resorts said that they have been offering a variety of services and increasing their flexibility of organizing parties on beaches to meet the needs of South Korean celebs.

Ung Van Nhut, chairman of Global Open Tour JSC, said that his firm took a group of South Korean beauty queens to some tourist sites and received positive feedback from them about the destinations.

“South Korea is a nation with a strong entertainment industry. That a celebrity shares the information about a tourist site online will help entice many visitors to the place. This is an efficient tourism promotional channel,” Nhut said.

“South Korean visitors tend to visit prestigious places that are recommended."

Statistics from the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism indicated that some 130,000 South Korean travelers visited the province in July.

Since early 2023, the province has welcomed nearly 530,000 tourists from South Korea, accounting for over 53 percent of the total international arrivals.

Given such a rapid pace of South Korean arrivals, Khanh Hoa is expected to receive 900,000 visitors from the East Asian country in 2023.

Thirteen flights depart for Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa from South Korea daily.

Vietnamese and South Korean airlines have been increasing flights and using larger aircraft to meet the rising demand of South Korean passengers.

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