At the Vietnam International Travel Mart Hanoi 2025 (VITM), Phu Yen made a strong impression on both domestic and international tourists and travel businesses with an impressive showcase of art performances and unique culinary demonstrations featuring ocean tuna, delicately highlighting the integration of natural resources, traditional culture, and folk art.

The chefs demonstrating the filleting of ocean tuna and prepared fresh tuna sashimi salad on-site, which delighted the visitors

The highlight of Phu Yen’s tourism promotion program at this year’s travel fair in the heart of the capital was the live culinary performance featuring ocean tuna – a renowned seafood that has established a distinctive culinary identity for this coastal land. Phu Yen’s ocean tuna is famous for its natural origin from the deep sea and its preservation using modern techniques, which help retain its delicate sweetness and rich flavor.

Skilled chefs performed the tuna filleting technique right on-site. In front of a large audience of tourists, a 70kg tuna, freshly caught and flown in to Hanoi by air, was expertly slaughtered and filleted.

Ocean tuna sashimi salad - the culinary essence of Phu Yen - is served with a variety of fresh herbs from Central Vietnam, such as mustard greens, white “é” leaves, aromatic basil, perilla, along with a touch of green banana, sour starfruit slices, and roasted peanuts, all wrapped with soft and sweet pieces of tuna. This dish is served with either garlic-chili fish sauce or a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, chili paste, lime juice, and mustard, creating a symphony of refreshing, fragrant, and unforgettable flavors.

Not only raw fish salad, but Phu Yen's ocean tuna is also the key ingredient in over 101 simple yet enticing dishes introduced by skilled chefs. Tuna fish eyes are simmered with Chinese herbal medicine in a clay pot, with ingredients like jujube, goji berries, and codonopsis, creating a dish that is not only nourishing but also infused with the distinctive flavors of traditional medicine. Tuna belly is grilled with salt and chili over charcoal, emitting a deliciously spicy aroma. The fish tail is cooked in a savory broth with tomatoes, pineapple, and spices, resulting in a flavorful soup that pairs perfectly with rice. Stir-fried ocean tuna offal in a sweet and sour sauce, absorbing the spices evenly, crispy yet tender, and mildly fatty…

According to nutrition experts, Phu Yen ocean tuna is rich in Omega-3, vitamins B12 and D, protein, and essential minerals that are beneficial for heart health, memory enhancement, and visual function. This is why Phu Yen tuna is not only popular domestically but also exported to demanding markets such as Japan, South Korea, and European countries.

A large number of locals and tourists were excited by the live ocean tuna preparation performance by Phu Yen’s chefs at VITM 2025. Ms. Nguyen Lan Huong, a resident of Lang Ha Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, shared: “This is the first time I’ve witnessed such a spectacular tuna preparation show from Phu Yen right here in Hanoi. I also had the chance to enjoy Phu Yen’s fresh, flavorful tuna right here. This summer, my family is planning a trip to Phu Yen".

At the Phu Yen cultural space at VITM Hanoi 2025, visitors were not only treated to delicious fresh ocean tuna sashimi salad, but also immersed in vibrant folk art performances reflecting the essence of the sea, the land, and its people. The lithophone performance “Voice of the Stone” (lithophone, stone horn, and triple gong) performed by People's Artist Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the Sao Bien Folk Music and Dance Theater, the lithophone piece resounded like ancient sediments, echoing voices from a thousand years past. Meanwhile, The UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - Bai Choi and the song “Dáng đứng Phu Yen” brought to life the image of Phu Yen – a tranquil land where nature and sky are in harmony, and its people are gentle and sincere.

The land of yellow flowers and green grass is not only home to the national scenic site of Bai Mon – Mui Dien, where the first sunrise on mainland Vietnam is witnessed, but also home to famous scenic spots with breathtaking landscapes such as the special national relic Đá Đĩa Reef, Xuân Đài Bay, Đá Bia Mountain, and a diverse system of lagoons, bays, and small islands. Furthermore, this land is deeply imbued with historical and cultural identity, serving as a melting pot for Vietnamese-Cham culture, as well as the traditions of various ethnic minorities living together, forming the very soul of Phu Yen in the depth of its origins. Every melody, song, and dance performed at the travel fair is more than just an artistic expression. It is a heartfelt invitation from the people of Phu Yen to friends from all over the world.

All of these elements have made Phu Yen's presence at VITM 2025 not just a simple tourism booth, but a vivid, comprehensive picture of the coastal region, extending a heartfelt invitation: Come to Phu Yen!

Mr Dang Hoang Vu, the sales manager of Sao Mai Resort, stated that this year's Phu Yen tourism promotion program at the VITM fair has truly made a positive impression on tourists and, especially, travel businesses. "We have established good relationships with international travel agencies and received many promises to include Phu Yen as a destination in their future tour packages", Mr. Vu shared.