On Wednesday afternoon, the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a ceremony to welcome the first 253 international air passengers to set foot in the city on New Year's Day.  They arrived on a direct Vietnam Airlines-operated charter flight from Japan’s Narita Airport.

During their 4-day/3-night stay in the city, the Japanese guests are scheduled to visit some of the popular local tourist attractions, including the Linh Ung Pagoda, the Marble Mountains, and the Museum of Cham Sculpture.  In addition, they will go shopping at the Han Market and the BigC mall.  They will also visit and discover the beauty of Hoi An City and My Son Sanctuary.

The Deputy Director of the Department, Mr Tran Chi Cuong, presenting flowers to an international air passenger

Japan is one of Da Nang’s top overseas tourist markets, ranking 3^rd after China and South Korea.  In 2013, the city welcomed over 41,000 Japanese tourists, a 53% year-on-year increase. 

Over the Christmas and New Year holiday period, 74 international flights carrying about 8,300 passengers in total have landed at the Da Nang International Airport, a year-on-year increase of 42%.