Refreshing Hai Phong’s food tours

Professionalizing culinary tourism

Recognizing the potential of culinary tourism, Hai Phong city has directed relevant departments, localities, and businesses to collaborate with vendors to develop food tours into a distinctive tourism product. A Hai Phong Food Map was published, featuring a variety of local delicacies and well-known eateries to help visitors easily explore the city’s unique flavors.

To attract more tourists to join food tours, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has promoted signature street foods at major festivals and cultural events, organized the Hai Phong Culinary Festival and cooking competitions to honor local chefs and further promote the city’s culinary culture.

Recently, the department has signed a cooperation agreement with Grab Co., Ltd. to promote tourism. Grab then launched a food tour version on its app, integrating a map and detailed information about verified dining locations. The partnership also helps local food vendors access digital platforms, open online stores, and use promotional tools to attract more customers and increase revenue.

According to Tran Van Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the city is actively advancing digital transformation and strengthening partnerships with technology partners to propagandize destinations and enhance digital skills among small business owners. The goal is to improve service quality and competitiveness, making Hai Phong a top choice for both domestic and international travelers, thereby contributing to the city’s socio-economic growth.

Preserving culinary identity, enhancing experiences

Hai Phong is famous for its rich and distinctive cuisine, from simple local dishes such as banh da cua (crab noodles), spicy breadsticks, sui din, and stir-fried clams, to more elaborate specialties like nem cua be (crab spring rolls) and spicy fish noodles. Together, they create a unique appeal for visitors.

Many tourism experts suggest that Hai Phong should develop dedicated food streets with proper rest stops, public restrooms, parking areas, and consistent signage and price listings. They also recommend stricter food safety inspections and training programs to improve communication and service skills among vendors and small business owners.

“If food tours included cooking experiences or classes where visitors could learn to make Hai Phong’s signature dishes, they would become even more engaging and truly experiential,” said Nguyen Van Tung, Director of Ha Minh Travel and Trading Co., Ltd. in Ha Noi.

With the joint efforts of authorities, businesses, and local communities, Hai Phong has all the potential to build a culinary tourism model that is both attractive and sustainable, where visitors not only “enjoy the food and remember it” but also feel the unique, friendly culture of the port city.

LINH HUY