Cao Bang, July 9 -- Cao Bang, a rugged mountainous province in northern Vietnam, is emerging as a tourist hotspot, pulling in 1.52 million visitors in the first half of 2025, a 47.7% jump year-over-year, hitting 60.8% of its full-year target.

Foreign tourist arrivals soared 176.8% to nearly 58,000, while there were 1.46 million domestic travelers, up 44.3%. The visitor boom pumped 1.543 trillion VND (64 million USD) into the local economy, nearly doubling last year's haul and hitting 77.1% of the annual target. Hotels and guesthouses were buzzing, with a solid 55% occupancy rate.

Ngo Quang Tu, head of the tourism management division at the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says it is all thanks to a full-throttle pla...