Con Co Island enhances its appeal with new tourism products
- Friday - 17/04/2026 00:11
- Close page
Con Co island has officially launched the “Con Co Tourism Year 2026”, opening up opportunities to promote its unique cultural, historical, and natural values. This is also a chance to affirm the island’s position as a frontline destination on the Central Vietnam tourism map.
Renewing Tourism products to attract visitors
Although we have visited Con Co many times, each tourism season still brings excitement with new plans and products introduced by the local authorities. These innovations not only refresh the island’s appearance but also enhance its attractiveness, even though it lies just about 15 nautical miles from the mainland.
Sharing with reporters, Mr. Tran Xuan Anh, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Con Co Special Zone, said that with financial support from the central government and the province, the locality accelerated investment in tourism infrastructure in 2025. Many key projects and tourist sites have been systematically upgraded, improving the island’s overall appearance and enriching visitors’ experiences.
According to statistics, in 2025, total social investment in tourism reached VND 8.632 billion. Of this, service establishments and households contributed VND 1.5 billion to upgrading facilities. Notably, the operation of Cua Viet Tourist Port, with an investment of over VND 61 billion, created a breakthrough in transportation connectivity, significantly enhancing the capacity to transport passengers to the island. Additionally, about VND 2.75 billion was invested in upgrading central roads, making the island more modern and creating attractive stopover points.
After visiting Con Co Island, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai My, a tourist from Hanoi, shared her excitement: “Honestly, I didn’t expect much at first, but once I got here, I realized the trip was truly worthwhile. The air is incredibly fresh, and the sea is crystal clear. What I enjoyed most was sitting on the boat and seeing colorful coral reefs through the glass without diving. Con Co is definitely a place worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime.”
Historical and symbolic sites such as the National Flagpole, Martyrs’ Memorial, Military Medical Tunnel, Lighthouse, Ho Chi Minh Memorial House, Thai Van A Observation Tower, and ancient square almond trees remain top choices for visitors. The appeal of Con Co tourism is further enhanced by unique nature exploration experiences.
Mr. Pham Hoang Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Travel Association and Director of Ken Travel Company, said: “In designing tour programs for 2026, we focus on offering distinctive experiences, such as exploring the primary forest ecosystem covering 70% of the island, learning about heritage trees and 200-year-old almond trees associated with fascinating historical stories. Diving to explore the underwater world is also essential, with diverse coral reefs, especially rare red coral, and a rich marine ecosystem. These unique values create the distinctive appeal of Con Co tourism.”
Although we have visited Con Co many times, each tourism season still brings excitement with new plans and products introduced by the local authorities. These innovations not only refresh the island’s appearance but also enhance its attractiveness, even though it lies just about 15 nautical miles from the mainland.
Sharing with reporters, Mr. Tran Xuan Anh, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Con Co Special Zone, said that with financial support from the central government and the province, the locality accelerated investment in tourism infrastructure in 2025. Many key projects and tourist sites have been systematically upgraded, improving the island’s overall appearance and enriching visitors’ experiences.
According to statistics, in 2025, total social investment in tourism reached VND 8.632 billion. Of this, service establishments and households contributed VND 1.5 billion to upgrading facilities. Notably, the operation of Cua Viet Tourist Port, with an investment of over VND 61 billion, created a breakthrough in transportation connectivity, significantly enhancing the capacity to transport passengers to the island. Additionally, about VND 2.75 billion was invested in upgrading central roads, making the island more modern and creating attractive stopover points.
A view of Con Co Island today – Photo by T.T
To extend visitors’ length of stay, the locality has diversified entertainment activities. In addition to traditional services such as boat tours around the island and fishing, glass-bottom boat services allow tourists to admire the rich marine ecosystem in the marine protected area without diving. Meanwhile, newly completed walking paths through the primary forest offer a unique experience, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the island’s pristine beauty.After visiting Con Co Island, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai My, a tourist from Hanoi, shared her excitement: “Honestly, I didn’t expect much at first, but once I got here, I realized the trip was truly worthwhile. The air is incredibly fresh, and the sea is crystal clear. What I enjoyed most was sitting on the boat and seeing colorful coral reefs through the glass without diving. Con Co is definitely a place worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime.”
Historical and symbolic sites such as the National Flagpole, Martyrs’ Memorial, Military Medical Tunnel, Lighthouse, Ho Chi Minh Memorial House, Thai Van A Observation Tower, and ancient square almond trees remain top choices for visitors. The appeal of Con Co tourism is further enhanced by unique nature exploration experiences.
Mr. Pham Hoang Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Travel Association and Director of Ken Travel Company, said: “In designing tour programs for 2026, we focus on offering distinctive experiences, such as exploring the primary forest ecosystem covering 70% of the island, learning about heritage trees and 200-year-old almond trees associated with fascinating historical stories. Diving to explore the underwater world is also essential, with diverse coral reefs, especially rare red coral, and a rich marine ecosystem. These unique values create the distinctive appeal of Con Co tourism.”
Facilities ready for the tourism season
Since early March 2026, Ms. Hoang Thi Lan, owner of Tram Anh Restaurant, and her husband have been busy renovating their restaurant and purchasing additional furniture to welcome visitors. With over 10 years of experience in business on the island, she understands visitors’ preferences and needs very well.
She shared that visitors often look for local specialties. Therefore, in addition to fresh seafood, the restaurant prepares delicacies such as rock oysters, moon snails, sea cucumbers, and sea grapes. Notably, stone crab—now licensed for legal business—is a highlight, ensuring quality and origin. The restaurant can currently serve up to 300 guests per day during peak season.
At present, tourism infrastructure on the island has been developed synchronously. The Cua Viet–Con Co sea route is operated by two passenger ships, Chin Nghia 2 and ConCo Tourist, ensuring smooth transportation. The accommodation system includes 14 establishments, from guesthouses to homestays, serving around 270 guests per trip with stable quality. Culinary services have also expanded, with four large restaurants, each capable of serving about 200 guests simultaneously after upgrades.
In 2026, Con Co Special Zone aims to welcome over 12,000 visitors and achieve tourism service revenue exceeding VND 18 billion. To meet this goal, the locality focuses on standardizing accommodation facilities, with over 80% expected to meet legal requirements under the Tourism Law.
Mr. Tran Xuan Anh added that to further attract visitors, the locality is renewing tourism promotion strategies in a more professional and modern direction. It is enhancing the use of digital technology, social media, and online platforms to introduce images, products, and services, gradually building digital databases and media libraries for promotion. At the same time, efforts are being made to attract investment in resort infrastructure and entertainment areas, and to study the development of new tourism routes such as Nhat Le–Con Co. Strengthening regional cooperation and linking Con Co tourism with key destinations in Quảng Trị and the North Central region will help expand the market, diversify tourism products, and attract more visitors to the island.
She shared that visitors often look for local specialties. Therefore, in addition to fresh seafood, the restaurant prepares delicacies such as rock oysters, moon snails, sea cucumbers, and sea grapes. Notably, stone crab—now licensed for legal business—is a highlight, ensuring quality and origin. The restaurant can currently serve up to 300 guests per day during peak season.
At present, tourism infrastructure on the island has been developed synchronously. The Cua Viet–Con Co sea route is operated by two passenger ships, Chin Nghia 2 and ConCo Tourist, ensuring smooth transportation. The accommodation system includes 14 establishments, from guesthouses to homestays, serving around 270 guests per trip with stable quality. Culinary services have also expanded, with four large restaurants, each capable of serving about 200 guests simultaneously after upgrades.
In 2026, Con Co Special Zone aims to welcome over 12,000 visitors and achieve tourism service revenue exceeding VND 18 billion. To meet this goal, the locality focuses on standardizing accommodation facilities, with over 80% expected to meet legal requirements under the Tourism Law.
Mr. Tran Xuan Anh added that to further attract visitors, the locality is renewing tourism promotion strategies in a more professional and modern direction. It is enhancing the use of digital technology, social media, and online platforms to introduce images, products, and services, gradually building digital databases and media libraries for promotion. At the same time, efforts are being made to attract investment in resort infrastructure and entertainment areas, and to study the development of new tourism routes such as Nhat Le–Con Co. Strengthening regional cooperation and linking Con Co tourism with key destinations in Quảng Trị and the North Central region will help expand the market, diversify tourism products, and attract more visitors to the island.