The Da Nang Tourism Department plans to open representative offices in China and Europe to promote investment, trade, and tourism cooperation with East Asia and European markets in the coming years.

Vice Director of the Department, Nguyen Xuan Binh said it has been seeking liason representatives before completing procedures to launch the offices soon.

Mr Binh said the offices would help promote and introduce destinations in Da Nang and central Viet Nam to foreign tourists.

He said the city has drawn 4 million tourists, in which 1.6 million were foreigners, in the first half this year, marking a growth of 29.4 per cent.

Mr Binh said Chinese and South Korean tourists were among top foreign travellers to Da Nang and central Viet Nam.

Da Nang has a representative office in Tokyo, Japan, to build links among Japanese and Vietnamese enterprises and smoothen the way for investors and tourists.

"The opening of the city’s liaison office abroad will create a link between domestic and foreign travel agencies, as well as boost the city’s tourism promotion and information on popular destinations for foreign travellers," Binh said.

In the first six months of this year, Da Nang also lured US$127 million in foreign direct investment. 

The city also plans to open representative offices in South Korea, as well as Yokohama in Japan. Da Nang has built relationships with other Japanese provinces and cities including Kawasaki, Mitsuke, Sakai, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Okayama and Kansai.

Last year, 2.3 million foreign tourists visited the city and destinations in central Viet Nam.

To date, Russia, Laos, Spain and China have already opened Consulate Offices in the city, while Japan and Korea plan to open Consulate Offices soon.

(Source: VNS/ DA NANG Today)