Coastal Cuisine Draws Summer-End Travelers
A recent Agoda survey found that the five most-searched domestic destinations among Vietnamese travelers for late-summer trips are all coastal locations. Phan Thiet stands out not only for its blue sea and white sand but also as an increasingly attractive culinary destination.
Coastal Cuisine Becomes a Key Factor in Destination Choice
The coastal cuisine of Phan Thiet has evolved from the everyday life of local fishing communities. After each trip to sea, fresh catches of fish, squid, shrimp and crab are brought straight to the kitchen.
Local residents make use of freshly caught seafood, combining it with herbs, locally grown seasonings and readily available ingredients to create dishes that are both rustic and nutritious. Many have become signature dishes of Phan Thiet, including banh can, goi ca mai, banh quai vac, fish cake noodle soup, lau tha, grilled squid tentacles, sun-dried squid, traditional fish sauces and the simple yet popular coconut ice cream.
The harmonious combination of natural scenery, a laid-back coastal lifestyle and local culinary culture gives Phan Thiet a distinctive appeal. Even on a two- or three-day trip, visitors can enjoy both relaxation and immersive experiences.
Tran Thi Thuong, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City, said: “My family chose Phan Thiet for our late-summer trip because it is close and easy to reach. It takes only about three hours to get there. Besides the refreshing seaside atmosphere, what I enjoy most is the fresh seafood. We can choose what we like at the restaurant and have it cooked for us. The local snacks are also affordable and delicious.”
An Opportunity for Local Tourism to Break Through
The appeal of Phan Thiet’s cuisine is reflected not only in positive visitor feedback but also in visitor spending and the number of people experiencing local cultural and tourism events.
At the 2026 Whale Worship Festival held by the fishing communities of Phan Thiet Ward during the first week of August, the traditional ceremonies concluded, but hundreds of stalls stretching along Pham Van Dong and Trung Trac streets beside the Ca Ty River remained crowded with residents and visitors from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The aroma of grilled fish cakes, banh kep, dried seafood and local OCOP products—including dried dragon fruit, dragon fruit juice and fish sauce—created a vibrant culinary space imbued with the character of the coastal region.
Nguyen Dinh Quy, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Division of Phan Thiet Ward, said: “Every dish carries a story about the fishing community, fresh local ingredients and the culinary skills of local people. These are the values that help convey Phan Thiet’s image to visitors in an authentic, relatable and emotional way.”
Quy added that alongside its coastal landscape, developing tourism around local culture and cuisine offers significant room for the locality to enhance its competitiveness. In the coming period, Phan Thiet Ward will continue promoting the value of traditional festivals, developing more experiential spaces linked to fishermen’s daily lives, improving service quality, developing OCOP products and promoting distinctive local cuisine to meet visitors’ increasingly diverse demands.
Phan Thiet’s strong search interest among travelers at the end of summer not only reflects the appeal of coastal destinations, but also demonstrates the potential of tourism development rooted in local strengths. When each dish becomes a cultural ambassador, each festival becomes a tourism product and each resident becomes a storyteller of their homeland, these elements can provide a strong foundation for Lam Dong to further strengthen its position as an attractive destination on Vietnam’s coastal tourism map.
According to data compiled from accommodation searches on Agoda between April 1 and June 30 for stays from July 1 to August 31, 35% of Vietnamese travelers said cuisine was one of the key factors influencing their destination choices. The five most-searched destinations were all coastal locations: Da Nang, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Phan Thiet and Ha Long.