International tourists dressed in Vietnamese traditional attire (Photo: traveleverywhere.vn)
The ao dai and other forms of traditional Vietnamese dress are enjoying a strong revival in contemporary life, gradually becoming a new cultural asset for the tourism sector.
From festivals and parades to craft-village tours and museum experiences, this trend is enriching tourism products, instilling pride and contributing to the sustainable development of cultural industries.
In recent years, Hanoi has been among the pioneering localities in turning the ao dai (traditional long dress) into a signature tourism product.
Most recently, the Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival 2025, held in November, featured a highlight parade involving some 1,400 participants along major streets of the capital. Another activity attracting wide public interest was the re-enactment of the procession honouring the patron saint of the thousand-year-old Trach Xa tailoring craft village, recognised as part of the national intangible cultural heritage.
The festival drew tens of thousands of visitors who came to explore, take photographs and engage in interactive experiences at various locations across the city.
Also gaining traction is a local open-top bus tour, which allows visitors dressed in ao dai to explore heritage sites, pose for photographs and learn about the stories behind the capital’s architecture and customs. Steadily rising visitor numbers highlight the potential of offerings centred on traditional attire.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the 11th Ao Dai Festival this year proved highly popular, attracting 3.6 million visitors, including nearly 600,000 international tourists over its month-long run.
According to Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, head of communications at the Southern Women’s Museum, ao dai is not only a cultural symbol but also holds significant potential as a commercial and iconic tourism product.
The southern metropolis has recently introduced a range of “cultural dressing experiences,” including ao dai photography sessions at French-style architectural landmarks, design-and-tailoring workshops, and ao dai fashion shows paired with musical performances.
Designer and artist Si Hoang, head of the Institute of Vietnamese Costumes, noted that although Vietnam has yet to officially designate a national costume, generations of Vietnamese have treated ao dai as a cherished tradition. International friends, he added, widely recognise it as a distinctive symbol of the country.
Beyond ao dai, a strong movement to revive historical garments has also emerged. Since 2022, the Vietnamese costume festival “Bach Hoa Bo Hanh” has gained nationwide popularity among young people, drawing thousands of participants each time. It has helped preserve and promote a rich array of traditional garments reflecting different periods of Vietnamese history – from the nhat binh (square-collared court robe) and ao tac (ceremonial robe) to giao linh (cross-collar robe) and vien linh (round-collar robe).
Notably, the establishment of the Vietnam Ao Dai Culture Association on August 9 in Hanoi is seen as an important step forward. It aims to guide the development of a cultural-tourism ecosystem around the piece and traditional attire, ensuring research, promotion and commercialisation are carried out in a structured and coherent manner./.
