Da Nang, a large tourist magnet in Central Viet Nam, has been taking various measures in an effort to revive its tourism industry in the new normal, after a long period of hiatus due to COVID-19.

The Da Nang Hot Air Balloon Festival 2022 attracted a great deal of attention from both locals and visitors. Photo: XUAN SON

Da Nang sets a goal of turning itself into one of the major socio-economic centres of the country and Southeast Asia at large, cum a hub for innovative startups, tourism, commerce, finance, logistics, high-tech industries, information technology and supporting industries in line with the national government’s Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2019 on the construction and development of Da Nang to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Up to now, many fields are making their marks and becoming the city’s spearhead economic sectors, including tourism.

In fact, thanks to its favourable geographical position, natural features and the city leaders’ special care, Da Nang’s hospitality industry has recorded a rapid growth in Central Viet Nam in recent years.

During the 2018-2019 period, Da Nang's tourism industry has grown tremendously. The total number of tourists staying at accommodation establishments in 2019 reached 8.04 million, an increase of 23.2% against 2018. 3.24 million of them were international visitors, whilst the remaining 4.79 million were domestic tourists. In term of accommodation and travel, the city earned VND 8,650 billion in revenue, up 12.7% as compared to the previous year.

In 2019, The tourism sector contributed 10% to the city’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP).

Da Nang has increasingly affirmed its position on the world travel map with numerous international prestigious awards and recognitions. Included are being honoured as 'Asia's Leading Festival and Event Destination' at the World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony 2016, being named among top 10 meeting destinations in Asia in 2017, being named among the top travel destinations and trends in the world for 2018, being ranked 15^th in the world’s famous 52 Places list for 2019 by The New York Times, topping a list of the world’s top 10 trending destinations in 2020, and being ranked 21^st on list of 25 most popular tourist destinations in Asia in 2021.

The city’s infrastructure system has been synchronous and continuously improved. In 2021, the city had 1,272 accommodation establishments offering a total of 44,810 rooms.

Da Nang boasts numerous best places to visit such as Sun World Ba Na Hills Tourist Area, Nui Than Tai Hot Spring Park, and Mikazuki 360 Water Park.

In addition, the Da Nang Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Ariyana Convention and Exhibition Centre are eligible to organise large-scale international events such as the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in 2017.

Visitors at the Sun World Ba Na Hills. Photo: KIM LIEN

Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Truong Thi Hong Hanh said the tourism industry has been hit hard by four waves of Covid-19 infections. Immediately after the Vietnamese Government allowed the full resumption of tourism activities in a new normal, the local authorities issued plans on driving post-pandemic tourism recovery synchronously and effectively.

She added, in the immediate future, the department will work with other relevant agencies to conduct marketing campaigns to promote tourism to both domestic and foreign tourists, and resume domestic and international air services.

Efforts will be made to promote the beautiful images of Da Nang in eyes of tourists by asking tourism service providers to display the prices of their services, and sell them at those prices, ensuring qualified human resources for hospitality sector, guaranteeing order security and traffic safety, developing new and special tourism products, and implementing more attractive tourism stimulus programmes.

For the long term, the Department of Tourism will develop a tourism development planning strategy with a focus on promoting the restructuring of the tourism industry, adjusting the city’s master planning on restructuring the tourism industry to 2025, with orientation to 2030, and issuing a tourism development plan for the 2021-2025 period.

Reporting by NHAT HA - Translating by M.DUNG