Tourism has become one of the significant contributors to Da Nang’s socio-economic development, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh said.

French village - an attractive destination in the Ba Na Hills tourism area.

The tourism sector has helped to promote Da Nang’s images, give a facelift to the city, create more jobs, and improve the environment and living conditions of  local people, he said.

Mr Bui Dao Thai Truong, Project Director of Germany’s Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, suggested that Da Nang should organise more tourism events, roadshows and fairs while increasing connectivity with travel agencies and airlines, training foreign languages for local tour guides, and making use of social networks to promote tourism.

He suggested local authorities focus on middle and long term strategies such as improving means of transport, promoting eco-tourism near seaports, and creating unique tourism products that are friendly to the environment.

At the same time, the city needs to improve tourism infrastructure and developing human resources, he recommended.

Other experts advised Da Nang to connect with the Asian-Pacific region in the coming time by increasing low-cost flights, drawing middle-class travelers, and developing adventure and medical tourism.

Da Nang is a popular tourist destination in central Viet Nam. The online marketplace and hospitality service Airbnb announced a list of the world’s top 10 destinations for the 2018, in which Da Nang ranked fifth in booking surges of up to 255 percent.

According to the municipal Department of Tourism, the number of visitors to the central coastal city is increasing with annual average growth of 20.06% in the 2013-2017 period.

In 2017, the city welcomed 6.6 million tourists, 2.1 times higher than the figure in 2013. The tourism industry generated 186,770 jobs in 2017 and grossed over 19.5 trillion VND (854.1 million USD) in revenues, 2.5-fold increase from 2013.

This year, the city was ranked second in the list of the 10 most popular destinations among solo or couple travelers, according to the Republic of Korea’s Ticket Monster Inc.

The website said people who plan to travel abroad with family members chose Da Nang as the most popular destination.

The city is also the second-most popular destination among couple of travelers, followed by Bangkok (Thailand) and Guam (the US), it said.

Viet Nam’s third largest city has welcomed 538,000 Korean tourists so far this year, accounting for a third of total foreign arrivals in the city, according to the municipal Tourism Department.

The RoK is expected to surpass Chinese tourists and become the biggest group of visitors to Da Nang in the near future.

According to the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, Da Nang was said to be the best place to live in Viet Nam with many world-recognised recorded.

The US’s New York Times listed Da Nang among 52 places to go in 2015. The city was recgonised as one of the world’s 20 low-carbon cities at the 44th APEC Meeting on Energy in the US in 2012.

Da Nang International Airport was ranked third among the best airports in the world in 2014, according to a survey by Dragon Air.

The InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort won the Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort in 2014 thanks to its perfect combination of traditional beauty and modern, luxurious standards.

The US’s Forbes Magazine selected My Khe Beach in Da Nang as one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet in 2013.

The cable line that takes visitors to the peak of Ba Na Hills at an altitude of 1,487 metres in just 17 minutes and is able to carry 3,000 passengers per hour won four Guinness Records in 2013.

Sun Wheel, which is 115 metres in height and situated in Asian Park, Hai Chau district, Da Nang, was listed among the 10 tallest wheels in the world.

(Source: VNA)