In recent years, Da Nang’s cruise tourism has maintained a good growth. This positive sign has inspired travel agencies which specialise in arranging cruise ship arrivals to the city to pay more attention to developing their high-quality and special tourism products.

European visitors prefer to discover the culture and daily lives of local residents.

The city’s 2018 - 2019 cruise ship season began in late October, and it will continue through to May.

It is easy to see that since the beginning of the 2018 - 2019 cruise ship season, a large number of cruise ship arrivals, carrying thousands of passengers, docked at the Tien Sa Port. Included are Genting Dream, World Dream, Costa Alantica, Superstar Virgo, Aida Vita and Seabourn Ovantion.

Most notably, two luxury cruise ships, both bringing between 3,000 and 5,000 passengers in total, have visited the city in one day.

Mr Tran Luc, the Deputy Director of the Da Nang branch of Saigontourits Travel Service Company, travelling by sea is now a top choice for many tourists and it is expected to be the trend of tourism in the world in the coming years. Therefore, the city has seen a significant increase in the number of cruise ship passengers year on year.

“In 2018 alone, my company received a total of around 59,503 cruise ship passengers, an increase of 121% against 2017”, Mr Luc added.

Deputy Director Luc also explained the reason for the majority of foreign cruise ship firms choosing Da Nang as their first stop during their trips to Central Viet Nam is that Da Nang is located between Hue and Hoi An cities which are the UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites, so it is very convenient for them to organise sightseeing programmes for their passengers. This will help cruise ship passengers reduce their time spent on travelling between the three localities.

In a bid to attract even more cruise ship passengers to the city, some travel agencies involved in arranging cruise ship arrivals to the city such as the city’s branches of Saigontourits Travel Service and Destination-Asia companies, the Pacific Legend Tourism and Service Company and the Khang Huy Holiday Viet Nam Travel Co Ltd have taken the initiative to develop more tours suitable for their passengers.

Specifically mentioned are Linh Ung Pagoda-Museum of Da Nang/ Museum of Cham Sculpture- A City Tour by Cyclo- Speciality Shops- Having Lunch-Returning to Ship, Museum of Cham Sculpture- A City Tour by Cyclo-Han Market-Having Lunch-My Khe Beach- Returning to Ship, Ba Na Hills-Bridge of Love/ The 'Carp Turns into a Dragon' Statue- Speciality Shops- Returning to Ship, and Da Nang Cathedral-Trung Vuong Theatre-Han Market-Having Lunch-Returning to Ship tours.

Foreign tourists at the Han Market.

Mr Nguyen Xuan Binh, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, remarked in addition to new and attractive tours launched by travel agencies, the city’s authorities have paid special attention to upgrading popular tourist attractions.

Some of the city’s popular tourist attractions include the Museum of Cham Sculpture, the Museum of Da Nang, the Marble Mountains Tourist Area, the Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village, the Ba Na Hills, public bathing areas, golf courses, Han Market, and the Phong Nam ancient village.

“Fascinating Tuong performances at the Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theatre, ‘Ao Dai Story’ show, ‘Charming Da Nang’ musical programme, and some water sports activities, have brought more choices for visitors”, Mr Binh noted.

He emphasised, in order to attract even more cruise ship passengers to the city, the tourism industry would conduct market research and survey to offer more tourism products and services suitable for the tastes of visitor.

Efforts will be made to upgrade tourism products and services for cruise ship passengers, and restoring traditional craft villages.

More ecotourism products on the Son Tra Peninsula and on the western side of the city, and community-based ecotourism tours will be developed.

Heed will be paid to bringing such intangible cultural values as Tuong and ‘bai choi’ performances, and Cham dances, into tours for cruise ship passengers.

In 2018 alone, 93 cruise ship arrivals, carrying around 122,338 passengers in total, docked at Tien Sa Port, up 40% in the volume of the number of passengers against 2017 and an increase of 19 in the number of cruise ship arrivals. 

This year, the city is likely to receive a total of 160,000 passengers from 110 cruise ship arrivals.