Vung Tau is a beautiful coastal city located in the Southeast region of Vietnam, in the province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau. It is just 88 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City and has a population of around 530,000 people, spread across 16 wards and one commune. The only commune located in the outskirts of the city is Long Son island.
Vung Tau city has a unique geographical location, with three sides bordering the sea. This gives it a strategic importance for both economic and defense purposes. Additionally, its peninsula shape provides Vung Tau with a long coastline and many picturesque and romantic beaches.
Travelers from Ho Chi Minh City can easily access Vung Tau by motorbike, car, high-speed boat, or ferry. For those opting for a motorbike, the route is via National Highway 1 – National Highway 51 – Vung Tau. Alternatively, one can take the Cat Lai ferry from Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City to Nhon Trach, Dong Nai, and then continue on National Highway 51 to Vung Tau. For those driving, the Long Thanh highway offers a quick route, taking just over an hour to reach this beach city.
Historically, this area was a swampy land where foreign trading ships often anchored, hence the name Vung Tau, which translates to “boat swamp”. During the reign of the Nguyen Lords and subsequent Nguyen emperors, military defense structures and fortresses were constructed here. In modern times, Vung Tau has become the center of Vietnam’s oil and gas industry.
Specifically, the entire province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau boasts over 100,000 km2 of continental shelf with an estimated reserve of 400 million cubic meters of oil (accounting for 93.29% of the country’s total) and over 100 billion cubic meters of gas (16.2% of the country’s total). It is the leading oil and gas hub in Vietnam. The image shows the Bach Ho oil field, located about 145 km from the Vung Tau coast. This field is the main supplier of oil for the country today. Image source: Vietsovpetro.
The development of the oil and gas industry has greatly boosted the economy of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. Compared to 30 years ago, the province’s GRDP (including oil and gas) has reached more than 390 trillion VND. The oil and gas sector alone contributed over 163 trillion VND, accounting for 41.84%. Recognized as a first-class urban area since 2013, Ba Ria – Vung Tau has consistently been among the top localities in the country in terms of per capita GRDP.
In 2022, Vung Tau city alone achieved an average income of 8,000 USD per person per year (a 16-fold increase since the establishment of the province). The city maintained its leading position in the province in terms of state budget contributions, helping the province rank among the top in the country in this regard. The state budget revenue of Vung Tau reached more than 4,000 billion VND (a 286-fold increase). The image shows the oil and gas port of Vietsovpetro in Vung Tau city, providing port and logistics services for oil and gas projects operating in the southern continental shelf of Vietnam.
Vung Tau is also home to the Petroleum College, which produces hundreds of highly skilled professionals and researchers for Vietnam’s oil and gas industry each year, further solidifying its reputation as the “oil and gas capital.”
In addition to its strong oil and gas industry, Vung Tau also boasts a thriving tourism sector. The city is blessed with rivers, seas, pristine forests, and high mountains, resulting in a pleasant and mild climate all year round. The city is also filled with lush greenery and vibrant flowers everywhere.
With 42 km of coastline and a favorable bay location, one can enjoy both sunrise and sunset over the two beaches in the city center. The image captures the sunset at Tam Duong beach on the west side of the city. Meanwhile, most beaches in Vietnam can only offer sunrise views on the east coast.
Bai Sau, or Thuy Van, is the longest and most beautiful beach in Vung Tau, stretching for nearly 10 km on the south side of the city. It boasts fine white sand and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area.
Vung Tau’s tourism infrastructure has also developed significantly, in addition to its natural advantages. The city currently has 27 tourism investment projects with a total area of over 6.3 km2. The registered investment capital of 19 domestic projects is over 10,200 billion VND, and the 8 foreign-invested projects amount to 5.86 billion USD.
There are currently about 1,540 accommodation establishments in Vung Tau, of which 135 have been ranked with a total of 6,875 rooms. Among these, two hotels meet international 5-star standards.
According to the Provincial Tourism Department of Ba Ria – Vung Tau, in 2023, the province welcomed approximately 14 million tourists, an increase of 15% compared to 2022.
The tourism industry brought in a revenue of 14,678 billion VND for the province, with Vung Tau city being the main driver of this success.
