HANOI, Vietnam — October 10, 2026 — Vietnam’s ambitious tourism expansion is facing a new test after a multitrillion-dong safari park near Hanoi triggered opposition from residents who fear losing their homes, farmland and livelihoods.
Property and tourism developer Sun Group held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 9 for the Ba Vi Safari Park, a planned ecotourism attraction covering approximately 300 hectares in the mountainous outskirts of the Vietnamese capital.
The revised project involves more than 6.5 trillion Vietnamese dong in investment and is expected by its developer to attract six million visitors annually once fully operational.
Sun Group also projects that the attraction could create approximately 1,000 jobs.
But behind the promise of new employment and tourist spending lies an increasingly bitter land dispute.
An initial assessment cited by Bloomberg suggests that nearly 4,000 people could be affected by the project. Residents have protested with banners, questioned the compensation process and organized community efforts to protect their land.
The bigger question is whether Vietnam can deliver its next major tourism destination without displacing communities that have lived and worked in the area for generations.
Sun Group Breaks Ground on Massive Ba Vi Safari Park
Sun Group’s Ba Vi Safari Park officially reached its groundbreaking stage on October 9, as Hanoi marked the anniversary of the city’s liberation.
The attraction is planned for Ba Vi commune, roughly 60 kilometers west of central Hanoi, near the Ba Vi mountain range.
The area is known for its forests, scenic landscapes, agricultural communities and nature-related tourism.
According to VnExpress and Vietnam News, the development will feature wildlife habitats, landscaped areas, water features, tourism facilities and educational attractions.
The developer intends to create a destination combining recreation, environmental education and animal experiences.
However, the October groundbreaking does not mean construction is complete or the park is ready to receive visitors.
The project still faces development, environmental and community-management challenges.
Project Shrinks From 580 Hectares to About 300 Hectares
The original proposal was substantially larger.
Sun Group’s earlier plan covered approximately 580.74 hectares, with preliminary investment estimated at ₫10 trillion.
Following a review by Hanoi authorities, the proposed footprint was reduced to about 300 hectares.
The revision was presented as an attempt to limit impacts on local livelihoods and residential areas.
The latest plan is approximately 299 hectares, with investment exceeding ₫6.5 trillion, according to VnExpress.
That is a significant reduction in the size and preliminary investment of the proposed development.
But cutting the project’s footprint does not automatically resolve residents’ concerns.
The final boundaries, specific affected households, compensation arrangements and relocation requirements remain crucial.
For many villagers, the key issue is not simply how large the safari park becomes.
It is whether their homes and farmland fall within the land required for construction.
Nearly 4,000 People Could Be Affected
Bloomberg reported that an initial assessment by Hanoi officials identified nearly 4,000 people who could be affected by the development.
That number reflects potential exposure to the project, not a confirmed count of people who have already been physically relocated.
The distinction is important.
Some people could face changes involving farmland or other property without necessarily losing their homes.
Others may require compensation, relocation assistance or changes to their livelihood arrangements.
Residents have expressed uncertainty about how these issues will be handled.
A Ba Vi resident identified by Bloomberg as Hang described villagers keeping watch over access routes because of concerns about construction activity.
Some residents have reportedly stopped farming in order to protect their land.
The protests suggest that confidence in the consultation and compensation process remains fragile.
Villagers Say Their Homes and Livelihoods Are at Risk
The dispute has become visible in villages including Giap Thuong and Son Ly.
Earlier reporting by The Vietnamese Magazine documented residents displaying banners opposing the project.
The banners and related demonstrations reflected fears that farming communities might be moved or lose access to land used for their livelihoods.
For residents who rely on agriculture, land is more than an asset that can be assigned a monetary value.
It may provide food, income, family security and a connection to the community.
Moving to another location can disrupt social relationships and established sources of employment.
Even when compensation is offered, families may question whether the payments will be sufficient to purchase comparable property or establish a new livelihood.
Those concerns are particularly serious when detailed resettlement plans have not yet been made clear.
A Family’s Newly Built Home Illustrates the Human Cost
In Bloomberg’s reporting, one resident described a family that had recently completed a new home after years of saving.
The family reportedly spent approximately ₫1.4 billion constructing the property.
The possibility that the home could be affected by the safari project has created deep distress.
The account illustrates why financial compensation cannot be assessed solely through abstract land values.
Families may have invested years of income in houses, farms and small businesses.
Replacing those assets can involve additional costs, disruption and uncertainty.
However, the family’s experience does not establish that its home has already been demolished or that its compensation has been officially determined.
The concern is about what may happen as the project proceeds.
For authorities and developers, addressing such cases transparently will be central to building trust.
Sun Group Promises Jobs and New Economic Opportunities
Sun Group argues that the project will create economic benefits for Ba Vi.
The developer expects the completed attraction to support around 1,000 jobs and potentially draw six million visitors each year.
Employment opportunities could arise in hospitality, maintenance, food services, transportation, tourism operations and park management.
The company has also discussed providing vocational training and employment support to affected residents.
Earlier proposals included offering compensation through cash or land, alongside assistance for people moving from agricultural work into tourism and related services.
These arrangements could provide opportunities for some families.
But their value will depend on whether the promised support is delivered and whether local residents can realistically obtain the new jobs.
A tourism job may require different skills, hours or working conditions from farming.
The number of jobs projected by a developer also should not be treated as a verified count of positions already created.
Can 1,000 Jobs Offset the Impact on 4,000 People?
The comparison between approximately 1,000 projected jobs and nearly 4,000 potentially affected residents captures a central concern.
However, the two numbers measure different things.
The 1,000 figure represents anticipated employment positions associated with the completed project.
The 4,000 figure is an initial estimate of people whose lives or property could be affected.
It would therefore be inaccurate to claim that the project will replace 4,000 existing jobs with only 1,000 new ones.
Not every affected person is necessarily employed in agriculture, and one household may contain several people.
Nevertheless, the figures raise legitimate questions about how economic benefits will be distributed.
Will households losing farmland receive suitable alternatives?
Will displaced residents receive priority for available employment?
Will older farmers and people without tourism-related skills be able to transition successfully?
These questions cannot be answered by projected visitor and employment figures alone.
Developer Says the Park Will Remain Outside Protected Forest Land
Sun Group has said the safari park will be developed outside the protected boundaries of Ba Vi National Park.
The developer also states that approximately 82% of the revised development will consist of greenery and water features.
That design is intended to present the destination as an ecologically oriented tourism attraction.
The planned facilities include landscaped habitats, wildlife experiences, research activities and environmental education.
However, a project’s location outside a national park does not automatically establish that it will have no environmental impact.
Construction can affect local water resources, vegetation, drainage, traffic and nearby communities.
Wildlife facilities also require appropriate animal-welfare standards, veterinary care and operational oversight.
Environmental claims should therefore be evaluated through actual assessments and enforcement rather than promotional materials alone.
The long-term sustainability of the project will depend on its design and daily operations.
Rapid Approval Raises Questions About Community Consultation
The timing of the project has become another source of controversy.
On October 5, Hanoi’s Department of Finance publicly described the safari proposal as an investment plan still undergoing review.
The following day, the city’s political leadership signaled accelerated implementation.
A groundbreaking ceremony then took place on October 9.
The rapid sequence has raised questions about when residents were consulted and how their concerns were incorporated into decisions.
Vietnamese reporting indicates that Hanoi authorities pledged to make further planning information public and seek feedback from affected communities.
However, residents have continued calling for clearer information about project boundaries and compensation.
The speed of the approval process does not, by itself, prove that laws were violated.
But meaningful consultation requires affected households to receive reliable information early enough to understand and respond to decisions.
For a project involving land used by established communities, the quality of that process may be as important as the construction timetable.
Vietnam’s Land Laws Are at the Center of the Dispute
The Ba Vi controversy reflects a wider challenge in Vietnam’s economic development model.
Land is subject to public ownership arrangements, with the state administering land-use rights under Vietnamese law.
Private individuals and businesses may hold legally recognized land-use rights, but those rights operate within the country’s land-management framework.
Land acquisition for major projects has frequently generated disputes about compensation, valuation and resettlement.
Residents may believe that the compensation offered does not reflect the economic or personal value of their land.
Developers, meanwhile, argue that delays in clearing land can significantly increase project costs and discourage investment.
The government is considering changes intended to speed up acquisition and construction.
Those proposals have intensified debate over whether investor certainty is being prioritized over residents’ ability to negotiate compensation and relocation.
Vietnam Wants Faster Development to Support Economic Growth
Vietnam has set ambitious economic growth objectives.
Officials want to accelerate investment, improve infrastructure and expand tourism and services.
Major development projects are intended to create jobs, attract visitors and generate economic activity.
But rapid construction can also intensify competition over land, especially near growing urban centers.
Ba Vi is attractive partly because of its natural surroundings and proximity to Hanoi.
Those same characteristics make the area valuable to people already living there.
The challenge is ensuring that investment produces broadly shared benefits rather than concentrating gains among developers while leaving affected households worse off.
Large tourism developments can be important contributors to regional growth.
Their long-term success, however, may depend on maintaining community support.
Other Major Land Projects Have Triggered Similar Concerns
Ba Vi is not the only place where Vietnamese residents have questioned large development plans.
Reuters reported in August that land-clearance disputes had affected projects including a Trump Organization-branded golf development in Hung Yen province and plans to redevelop parts of Hanoi’s Red River corridor.
The details differ among those projects.
But the underlying tensions are familiar: investors seek predictable development timelines, while residents seek fair treatment when their homes or land are affected.
Policy specialists say disputes over land have remained among Vietnam’s most sensitive domestic issues during decades of economic reform.
Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, told Bloomberg that development projects risk losing legitimacy when residents believe they are carrying the costs while more powerful interests receive the benefits.
The observation points to a problem extending beyond any individual developer.
It concerns public confidence in how land is valued, acquired and reassigned.
What the Ba Vi Controversy Means for Investors
The safari park illustrates the risks investors face when major projects encounter community resistance.
A large tourism attraction requires not only financing and government approvals but also land access, infrastructure and ongoing operational support.
Disputes can create uncertainty about construction schedules and future costs.
Even projects promoted as environmentally friendly or economically beneficial may face opposition if residents believe their interests have been overlooked.
For investors, transparent land acquisition and credible compensation arrangements can reduce those risks.
They may also strengthen the long-term reputation of a developer.
However, opposition does not necessarily mean a project will be canceled or become commercially unviable.
The outcome will depend on how authorities, Sun Group and affected households resolve the outstanding issues.
Why the Story Matters Across Southeast Asia
The conflict between tourism development and local land rights is relevant throughout Southeast Asia.
Countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are investing in resorts, infrastructure and leisure destinations to attract domestic and international visitors.
Such projects can support employment and regional economic growth.
But they can also place pressure on agricultural land, coastal communities and environmentally sensitive areas.
The Ba Vi dispute highlights the importance of identifying affected households, conducting credible assessments and clearly explaining compensation arrangements.
For Philippine developers and policymakers, the broader lesson is that an attractive business proposal does not automatically create community acceptance.
Public consultation and fair treatment can affect both the social and financial success of a project.
The Bigger Picture: Tourism Growth Must Deliver Benefits Beyond Visitor Numbers
Sun Group’s plan represents a substantial commitment to Vietnam’s tourism sector.
A completed safari park could attract visitors, generate jobs and create new business opportunities around Hanoi.
But the project’s ultimate success will depend on more than its visitor target.
Authorities must address the concerns of people who may lose land or face changes to their livelihoods.
The developer must also demonstrate that its environmental commitments can be implemented.
Clear information about compensation, resettlement and employment support will be essential.
If the project generates strong tourism demand but leaves affected residents feeling excluded, it could deepen resentment and damage public trust.
Conversely, meaningful consultation and fair treatment could help turn an adversarial situation into a more sustainable development process.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Vietnam’s Sun Group has begun development of the Ba Vi Safari Park near Hanoi, a project involving more than ₫6.5 trillion in planned investment.
The revised development covers about 300 hectares, down from an earlier proposal of approximately 580 hectares.
The developer projects six million annual visitors and about 1,000 jobs once the attraction is completed.
But Bloomberg reports that nearly 4,000 residents could be affected, with villagers expressing concerns over land acquisition, compensation and relocation.
Hanoi authorities have promised further public consultation, while Sun Group has outlined plans for employment and livelihood support.
The biggest question is not whether Vietnam can build a major safari attraction — but whether the people whose land and lives are affected will share fairly in the development’s benefits.
For Ba Vi’s residents, the promise of a tourism boom comes with a much more personal question: will a world-class attraction create a better future for their families, or cost them the homes and livelihoods they already have?
