According to a plan of the municipal People’s Committee dated July 15, 2026 to implement the municipal People’s Council’s resolution on developing the capital’s night-time economy, by 2030 the city aims to make the night-time economy a major driver of its service sector, contributing around 5% of Hanoi’s GRDP while gradually increasing its share of budget revenue. The city also aims to extend the average visitor stay to 2.5-3.5 days.
Hanoi will establish and operate flagship night-time economy zones supported by preferential policies, including heritage and cultural districts in Hoan Kiem, Cua Nam, Ba Dinh, Son Tay and Soc Son; modern entertainment hubs in Tay Ho-West Lake West, My Dinh and Dong Anh; creative economy zones linked to cultural industries such as theaters, cinemas and museums; and cultural tourism and resort destinations in suburban craft villages including Bat Trang, Ba Vi and Huong Son.
The city also plans to develop themed night-time economy corridors featuring iconic attractions rooted in Hanoi’s heritage, arts, cuisine and urban identity, including the Thang Long-Tu Tran heritage route and food streets such as Tong Duy Tan and Ta Hien.
Cultural industry centers and creative spaces will be expanded in areas including Dong Xuan-Bac Qua, Cua Nam, Tay Ho, Dong Anh, the Bat Trang Ancient Village Ecological Museum, and the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism.
Suburban areas will develop night-time tourism linked to traditional craft villages, cultural and historical sites, agricultural tourism and experiential travel, alongside night markets specializing in agricultural products, local specialties and OCOP products.
Hanoi will manage these night-time economy zones through the city’s Intelligent Operations Center (IOC) integrated with the iHanoi digital ecosystem, while encouraging all businesses operating in these areas to adopt cashless payments and share data to support smart urban management.
Ta Hien Street in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Ward draws visitors at night. Photo by The Bang |
To achieve these goals, the city will launch a broad communication campaign to raise public awareness of the role of the night-time economy in economic, cultural and tourism development.
The plan also seeks to position Hanoi as “the region’s leading distinctive night-time economy destination”, capitalizing on its unique strengths in heritage, culture and creativity. A unified branding system and dedicated digital communications ecosystem will be developed to promote the capital’s night-time identity.
Authorities will standardize administrative procedures for establishing and managing night-time economy zones, while building digital databases and interactive maps to support planning, supervision, promotion and connectivity.
Licensing procedures will also be overhauled through a pilot one-stop integrated licensing mechanism, replacing fragmented sector-based approvals. The city aims to cut administrative procedures by 50%, clearly categorising activities that require standard licensing, additional conditions or pilot-only approval, while ensuring greater transparency and making investment more attractive.
Other measures include improving infrastructure for the night-time economy, introduction of late-night bus services connecting major night-time economy hubs, expanding urban artistic lighting system, and increasing open-air night-time arts spaces in major parks.
A comprehensive digital database and interactive map of Hanoi’s night-time economy will underpin planning, management, marketing and operations. The platform will provide information on venues, opening hours, available services, visitor density, parking, transport links, live events, safety conditions and other visitor services.
The city also plans to establish an integrated monitoring system aligned with its Smart Hanoi initiative, combining 3D GIS, urban databases and real-time sensor data from AI-powered cameras and noise, lighting and activity-density sensors to ensure the safe operation of the night-time economy.
Hanoi placed fourth among the world’s top destinations in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards, announced Jan. 13, with Bali first, London second and Dubai third. The platform based the rankings on the volume and quality of reviews its users posted over 12 months, across 270 destinations in 60 countries.
The city also finished seventh for culture and history, seventh for solo travel and 11th for food.
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