Da Nang has surpassed 14 other Vietnamese provinces and cities with strong tourism strengths to take the lead in the first edition of the Viet Nam Tourism Competitiveness Indexes (VTCI). Local experts have cited the city’s great constant efforts in renewing products, promoting investment in infrastructure, and improving the quality of services of the tourism industry in Da Nang over recent years for this outstanding achievement.

Da Nang’s tourism industry will improve its indicators to attract more visitors in the coming time. A tour guide (right) picks up and instruct his guests in groups at the Da Nang airport. Photo: NHAT HA

Tapping tourism development strengths

The 2021 ranking was released by the National Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), and Private Economic Development Research Board (abbreviated as IV Board).

As reported, Da Nang gained an overall score of 4.7 out of the total 7 points, followed by Quang Ninh (4.68 points), Khanh Hoa (4.56 points), Quang Nam (4.55 points), Thua Thien Hue (4.52), Ha Noi, Quang Binh, Ho Chi Minh City, Kien Giang, Ninh Binh, Binh Dinh, Lam Dong, Lao Cai, Binh Thuan and Can Tho.

The 15 localities were evaluated based on the following important criteria, namely business environment, safety and security, health and hygiene, human resources and tourism labour, readiness to apply advanced information and communications technologies, priority level for tourism and price competitiveness.

Also, environmental sustainability, tourism transport infrastructure, natural and cultural resources were also taken into account during the evaluation process.

Da Nang topped the ranking thanks to its high indicators of health and hygiene, safety and security, readiness for information technology applications as well as priority for tourism.

Also notably, Da Nang was highly evaluated in terms of environmental sustainability, good tourism service and tourist transport infrastructure.

As assessed by tourism experts, Da Nang shows off many strengths for tourism development such as geographical locations, the dynamism of the business community, the safe living environment rich in humanity, the high readiness for information technology applications, well- invested transport infrastructure, tourism services and environmental sustainability.

The rapid and strong development of tourism in Da Nang in recent years has made an important contribution to changing the urban face, marking and affirming the tourist destination brand; at the same time creating jobs and incomes for businesses and people, making great contributions to the city's economic development.

In addition, the assessment of tourism destination competitiveness will help localities look back at themselves, thereby having specific solutions to attract more tourists.

According to Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh, there are many factors that have created the breakthrough development as well as the tourism brand of Da Nang over the past time.

Da Nang’s leading position in VTCI proves the efforts of the local authorities, businesses and people in order to turn tourism into a spearhead economic sector.

In addition, the participation of big investors such as Sun Group, BRG Group, Vingroup, DHC Group in the development of new unique tourism products has contributed to enhancing the city’s tourism brand and posture.

Travellers arrive in Da Nang by air. Photo: NHAT HA

More efforts needed to improve services

According to Mr. Kai Partale, an expert from the VTCI project, Da Nang needs to remedy restrictions on risks facing tourists, price competitiveness, and tourist satisfaction in rder to soon attract more travellers.
Da Nang will, in the coming time, will prioritize the development of main product groups such as: sea tourism, luxury resorts; shopping and M.I.C.E (Meetings-Incentives-Conferences-Exhibitions) tourism, plus cultural, historical and spiritual tourism.

Importance will be attached to promoting the development of the night economy in the field of tourism, proposing mechanisms and policies for the sake of services, steeping up ties with localities nationwide, boosting international cooperation in tourism development and management in a bid to create common tourism product and service chains.

In the immediate future, the tourism industry will support businesses to benefit from the support policies released by the national and municipal governments and stay side by side with them to deploy product groups to stimulate travel demands.

In the time ahead, the city will release plans to develop human resources for tourism in Da Nang over the 2022 – 2025 period.

In 2022 alone, the tourism industry is ensuring sufficient, highly qualified tourism human resources, organising more training on professionalism and digital transformation and improving service quality.

Reporting by NHAT HA – Translating by A.THU