Da Nang’s Song Han Incubator Centre has launched its tourism start-up programme, the first of its kind in Viet Nam.

Organic farm produce displayed at an exhibition in Da Nang. Many organic farms were set up following a start-up programme last year. (Photo: VNS)

The Deputy Director of the city's Business Incubators Centre, Mr Ly Dinh Quan presented the programme at a press conference on Monday.

He said Viet Nam has a potential resource in tourism, but the sector has not yet built up its own nationwide value chain and connections among tourism enterprises as well as foreign partners and investors.

“We aim to enroll the first 10 start-up businesses to join a value chain in tourism between April and November. They will themselves build up their new ideas and innovations in setting up their businesses for future development, with a total fund of 80 million VND (3,500 USD) each, and support on legal issues, information technology, marketing and trade,” Quan said. “The best consultants and experts are invited to give their support and guidance as well as to provide their training,” he said.

Quan said the programme will help connect businesses operating in travel, hospitality, transport, craft villages and information technology in a value of chain.

He said this would help reduce travel cost, while improving quality and competitive capacity among tourism enterprises in Viet Nam.

The programme has also received sponsorship from the Viet Nam Mentors Initiative, I-Angel, Women’s Initiative for Start-up Enterprise and Swiss SP.

Pham Le Nhat Quang, senior investment manager of the Viet Nam Investment Group, said the group manages a fund 500,000 USD to support start-up businesses in Viet Nam. He said new ideas and innovation by start-up enterprises would benefit from the fund’s financial support.

Ta Anh Tuan, a senior expert from the Netherlands’ PUM company, said his company could provide consultancy for start-up businesses in Viet Nam and help the country connect with its foreign partners.

The programme hopes that at least 50% of start-up businesses succeed in the last pitching opportunity later this year, and new ideas and innovations in business tourism development will emerge.

Last year, Da Nang began its start-up and entrepreneurship development by offering the start-up ecosystem, policies and investment support activities.

The city now has 15,000 businesses, of which 95% are small and medium-sized enterprises.

(Source: VNS/ DA NANG Today)