It is high time for Da Nang’s tourism industry to develop signature products drawing great deal of attention from domestic and foreign tourists.

Key tourism products are needed to be developed as soon as possible so as to increase the competitiveness of the tourism industry. Cruise ship tourists are pictured visiting the Museum of Da Nang.

This requirement was clearly made by municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Le Trung Chinh at the Thursday meeting in which a plan for promoting the city’s tourism by 2025, with a vision towards 2030, was appraised.

At the meeting, Mr Huynh Tan Vinh, the Chairman of the municipal Tourism Association remarked, amongst the existing local tourism products, M.I.C.E (Meetings-Incentives-Conferences-Exhibitions) is most preferable by many international visitors.

In reality, Da Nang is completely eligible for organising international large-scale conferences. However, it is necessary to point out why tourists come to Da Nang.

A real fact shows that foreign tourists arrive in Da Nang so as to explore local distinctive characteristics; for instance, clean and beautiful beaches, green-covered Son Tra Peninsula and other nature-bestowed gifts, rather than looking for magnificent high-rise buildings which are easy to see in such developed destinations as Singapore, Hong Kong, and France.

“Based on the demand of tourists to develop suitable plans, we should sell what visitors really need, not to sell what we have to them.”, Mr Vinh analysed.

Mr Vinh suggested that such locally-made signature dishes as seafood and ‘banh trang thit heo’(pork and vegetables wrapped in soft rice paper) be added to menu served on international flights to Da Nang in the coming years.

Besides, it is a good idea to promote the linkage between Da Nang and the neighbouring localities of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam in conducting their tourism promotion activities.

It is highly possible to connect Da Nang with Hoi An by car, express train, and by boat with the dredging of Co Co River as soon as possible.

It is high time to fully tap the historical and cultural values of city-located relic sites and beauty spots.

Holding the same view, Ms Le Thi Kim Phuong, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment, underlined a need to develop tourism products which can compete with those in neighbouring localities, and classify visitors into high-end, mid-end, and affordable segments for more effective management.

Meanwhile, Ms Nguyen Thi Hoi An, the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, importance should be attached to fully tapping the historical values of the Marble Mountains Tourist Area and the Dien Hai Citadel, both of which are special national-level relic sites.

Moreover, in the coming time, the Trung Vuong Theater will hold a number of musical programmes to serve the audience.

According to Mr Ngo Quang Vinh, Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, recent times have seen a growing number of Western European visitors to Da Nang via the non-stop Da Nang-Doha service.

Addressing the meeting, Vice Chairman Chinh asked the municipal Department of Tourism to adjust the plan to promote the local tourism development by 2025, with a vision towards 2030, in line with the city’s general regulations, and submit it to the municipal government for approval by late this month.

Under the city’s tourism development plan, by 2025, Da Nang is expected to have welcomed about 14 million visitors each year, of whom about 4 million are foreigners, whilst by 2030, a total of 20.9 million holidaymakers, including 5.9 million foreigners, will have been welcomed to the city each year.

The city’s total annual tourism revenue by 2025 will have reached about 58,400 billion VND, and this figure will have climbed up to about 96,200 billion VND.

By 2025, the total number of tourist accommodation rooms is predicted to have hit 41,100, and this figure is likely to have reached 61,200 by 2030.

This non-smoking industry will have attracted a total of 61,700 jobs by 2025.