World class fun at your doorstep, that’s our aim: Sun Group chairman

Sun World has developed a strong presence in many popular Vietnamese destinations. What makes your venues stand out from others?

For more than a decade, our biggest aim has been to build world-class entertainment complexes that mean Vietnamese tourists don’t have to fly overseas to have fun.

Today, we can say that we have successfully developed and unveiled such entertainment complexes under the Sun World brand in many leading destinations across the country.

Located in Vietnam’s most spectacular locations, Sun World delivers a truly profound travel experience. For example, Sun World Ba Na Hills is located at an altitude of nearly 1,500 meters above the sea level on the top of Ba Na Hills in Central Vietnam.

Sun World Fansipan Legend is situated on the Roof of Indochina at a height of 3,143 meters. We have other Sun World venues in what can be considered ideal locations in Da Nang, Ha Long and Phu Quoc.

Every Sun World has its own unique vibe. Ba Na Hills was Sun Group’s first ideal location. It has mild climate all year-round. There is gorgeous rural architecture inspired by French villages and seasonal festivals are held throughout the year.

Located on the west banks of the Han River in Da Nang City, Sun World Danang Wonders offers some of the most exciting entertainment rides and attractions in the world and many special cultural highlights.

On the slopes of the Fansipan Mountain, Sun World Fansipan Legend in Lao Cai Province is home to meaningful cultural works, tourism programs, entertainments, and a cable car service.

Dang Minh Truong, chairman of Sun Group

At Sun World Fansipan Legend visitors can get a view of beautiful natural landscapes from a great height. They will also have a chance to touch the landmarks at the roof of Indochina. Besides reaching the peak of Fansipan, visitors can also connect Northwest highlands culture through various traditional festivals.

In Ha Long, the Sun World complex, with its Queen Cable Car, Sun Wheel and many other interesting attractions like the Water Park and Theme Park, is a paradise for those who like adventure games.

As the first and foremost marine amusement complex in the country, the Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park in Phu Quoc Island boasts the longest cable car system in the world. Apart from enjoying the stunning beauty of Hon Thom, they can also take part in a host of fun-filled activities.

So each Sun World complex has its own distinctive appeal, from beautiful architecture to different kinds of entertainment. As a brand it is constantly evolving, reinventing, and reimagining itself every year, with fascinating festivals and new activities. This is how we will stand out and stay ahead of our competitors.

Investing in such entertainment complexes is extremely costly and it is not a business model that leads to quick profits. So what motivates Sun Group to spare no expense for such ambitious projects?

About 10 years ago, there were not a lot of companies investing in entertainment complexes, and we could see the potential of the leisure travel and entertainment. Despite all the favorable conditions, Vietnam didn’t have a thriving amusement park that featured various attractions to ensure visitors spend more and stay longer.

For example, Ha Long was always crowded with a large number of tourists, but tourism revenue was not as high as many other local destinations like Nha Trang or Da Nang. In 2015, Quang Ninh welcomed 7.7 million visitors while revenue was just VND6.55 trillion ($283 million). At the same time, the number of tourists visiting Da Nang was 4.6 million, but the revenue was almost double at approximately VND13 trillion ($562 million). Tourists are always looking for things to do and they have money to spend.

Sun World Halong Complex.

Furthermore, the past few years have seen Vietnamese people visiting other attractions around the world such as Disneyland Hong Kong, Disneyland Tokyo (Japan) and Resort World Genting (Malaysia). In 2012, an estimated 3.5 million Vietnamese tourists traveled abroad with total spending of $3.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent.

With a strong desire to improve the standards and reputation of attractions throughout Vietnam, Sun Group invested in Sun World with a large investment capital to offer immersive experiences and other attractions that can be found in places like Universal Studio or Disneyland.

From unique architectural works to tranquil green spaces, Sun World offers a wide range of experiences. All the equipment we install are tested under European standards and produced by the world’s top brands for amusement rides, such as Huss Park Attractions (Germany), Vekoma Rides Manufacturing (the Netherlands), SBF Visa Group (Italia) and Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) (Switzerland).

And after all this, Sun World is much more than the sum of its numerous attractions. It’s a place where you can challenge yourself and a place where new experiences are created every day.

What has been the public response so far?

The Sun World complexes as entertainment destinations have proved popular with tourists as they offer so many avenues of entertainment.

Sun World Ba Na Hills has received the ‘Top Tourist Destination of Vietnam’ awarded by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism for four consecutive years. The number of tourists to Ba Na increased over 160 times compared to that of 2009, the first year the resort went into operation.

Sun World Fansipan Legend, Sun World Halong Complex and Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park have all proven to be crucial factors in attracting many more tourists to Sa Pa, Ha Long and Phu Quoc.

The Sun World Ha Long Complex has spurred explosive growth in the number of tourists between 2016 to 2018. During the summer months, the occupancy rate of hotels in Ha Long was between 90-100 percent. Visitors now choose to stay in Ha Long longer, instead of just two days. When arriving in this beautiful coastal city in the past, people only thought of visiting the Ha Long Bay, but today, they will be pleasantly surprised to see many new entertainment options. Therefore, we have very strong motivation for launching more highly innovative tourism products.

So tell us more about the innovative tourism products you are planning?

At the heart and soul of our company is a desire to constantly create highly innovative tourism products. Visitors coming to Sun World complexes every year can experience many different festivals and international art performances, presenting a variety of artists and events.

In June this year, Ba Na Hills will inaugurate the Noel Square, and launch the nation’s biggest ever carnival show. The show will be produced and directed by stage manager Pham Hoang Nam, international choreographer and artistic director Hani Abaza, musician Huy Tuan, and Tom Trandt - one of world’s most talented young fashion designers.

The Golden Bridge in Sun World Ba Na Hills became viral after its public opening in June 2018.

At the Sun World Ha Long Complex, visitors can not only enjoy exciting rides but also experience spectacular events to be held in the Sun Carnival Ha Long Square, which has a capacity of 10,000 seats.

In launching new Sun World complexes, we will always focus on innovation in our appearance, products and services. Our motivation is always to introduce more world-class entertainment experiences to Vietnamese tourists, so that they don’t need to travel abroad to experience them.|