The upcoming APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW 2017), which will take place in Da Nang from 6-11 November, is indeed a big opportunity for the city to advertise its image as an ideal and attractive destination to visitors from both home and abroad.

Some of the Clipper Race crew members and international journalists visiting the Marble Mountains last year

In addition to well-prepared serving facilities and skilled staff, plus ensured security for AELW 2017, the city will offer a total of 6 tours exclusively for international journalists arriving in the city to report about the upcoming international large-scale event. 

These tours will focus on popular attractions in the central region, with an emphasis on those in Da Nang.  They are the Marble Mountains- Museum of Cham Sculptures- Son Tra Peninsula, the Ba Na Hills Resort, the Marble Mountains- Hoi An, Da Nang-Hue Imperial Citadel, the Nui Than Tai Hot Springs Park, and nighttime boat tours on the Han River.

The Vice Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, Mr Tran Chi Cuong, remarked that through these tours, the foreign participants will explore the beauty of Da Nang, and they will then recommend it to their relatives and friends after they return to their hometowns.  In addition, the 6 tours mentioned above will also accelerate the city’s tourism promotion activities during AELW 2017.

Following recent instructions from the Department, 5 local travel agencies eligible for offering international tours will be allowed to set up their own tour registration desks at local hotels where domestic and international guests for AELW 2017 will stay.  They are the city’s branches of Vietravel, Saigontourist and Ben Thanh Tourist, and the Viet Nam Tourism Joint Stock Co (Vitours) and the Viet Nam TravelMart, both of them are headquartered in the city.  Accordingly, the guests will find it more convenient to book their favourite tours around Da Nang and to its neighbouring localities at these desks there.

The Deputy General Director of the city-based Vitours, Mr Le Tan Thanh Tung, vowed that his company would focus on offering its best transport services and tour guides with highly professional service skills for its tours during AELW 2017. 

Apart from multi-day tours, Vitours will launch many single-day ones for its clients, with a focus on showing off the beauty of local attractions, rivers, special own cultural values and other local tourism products in a bid to advertise Da Nang as an attractive, friendly and safe destination for travellers from both home and abroad.

The Director of the city’s branch of Vietravel, Mr Doan Hai Dang, said that his company is also making preparations for offering good-quality transportation services to domestic and international delegates during AELW 2017.  Importance is being attached to carefully selecting vehicles and conducting periodical inspections of them, as well as offering training courses for their drivers.  In particular, information on attractions in Da Nang and its neighbouring localities will also be displayed on these vehicles.

Special heed will be paid to widely publicising a locally-issued code of conduct applicable to the local tourism sector.  The code of conduct is applied to 3 main groups of people: individuals and organisations working within the city’s tourism sector, local residents, and domestic and foreign visitors to the city.

The Department will also make a joint effort with the city’s Hotels’ Association, the city’s branch of the Viet Nam Executive Housekeepers’ Club and other local relevant organisations to together offer training courses to those who work in tourism and hospitality services.  These courses will help them to enhance their professional skills to give the best possible services to their clients, and learn more about how to effectively handle unexpected incidents and complaints from visitors during AELW 2017.