In addition to such traditional international tourist markets as South Korea, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Japan, Da Nang is giving top priority to targeting new markets, including France, India and Australia.

Visitors at the Museum of Cham Sculpture

In particular, a seminar to introduce the city’s popular tourism products to Indian citizens will take place in India in August.

Also, the city’s tourism products will be showcased at the IFTM Top Resa 2018 which will be held in Paris, France in late September, and at the World Travel Expo 2018 which is scheduled to be organised in Sydney, Australia in October.

Some representatives from the city-based travel agencies highlighted the significance of expanding the city’s tourist market into India, Australia, Europe and America. The intention is to attract high-end travellers there, and reduce the city’s dependence on its traditional international tourist markets.

Mr Doan Hai Dang, Director of the city’s branch of Vietravel cum Vice Chairman of the city’s Travel Association, underlined the importance of opening more direct flights between Da Nang and foreign countries, as well as facilitating tourism businesses to access new markets to introduce their products, in a bid to attract more high-end foreign visitors.

He also stressed the need for local travel agencies to promote their luxury holiday and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism products, to enhance the quality of their products, and to create a health, safe and fair tourism environment. The purpose is to stimulate customers to stay longer and spend more money in the city.

“Apart from accelerating the expansion of new international tourist markets, the focus should be on continuing to carry out tourism promotion activities in Japan and South Korea. The two traditional international tourist markets have brought the stable number of their travellers to Da Nang”, he added.

A stand to advertise the city’s tourism products in Japan

In addition to expanding tourist markets into foreign countries, Da Nang is focusing on attracting more visitors from domestic tourist markets such as Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr Tran Tra, the Head of the city’s Tour Guide Club, said that Da Nang has been very attractive to visitors from Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City over the past 3 years.

Recent years have seen an increasing number of visitors from the 2 big cities arriving in, and coming back Da Nang again.

Moreover, the city’s Tourism Promotion Centre will organise a famtrip to introduce local new tourism products to central regional localities, as well as advertise fascinating cultural and tourism events in Da Nang, and Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces to Da Lat citizens, in October.

Heed will be paid to introducing the city’s tourism products to Lao Cai and northwestern provinces, and hosting the Tourism Festive Day 2018 in the central region.

Also, importance will be attached to developing plans on promoting tourism cooperation between Da Nang, Thua Thien-Hue Province and Quang Nam Province, and on showcasing new tourism cooperative products between Quang Binh Province, Thua Thien Hue Province, Da Nang and Quang Nam Province.

Mr Hoang Ngoc Thanh, the Vice Director of the municipal Tourism Promotion Centre, emphasised that his unit has renewed its advertisement methods, with a focus on boosting the E-Marketing application in advertising tourism services, and connecting with such airlines as Vietnam Airline and VietJet to bring more visitors to the city.