During a recent interview with a reporter from the Da Nang Newspaper, Mr. Steven Small, Brand Director of Routes, affirmed that the Asian Route Development Forum (Routes Asia 2022) would open up a golden opportunity to develop new air routes and increase air connectivity to Da Nang.

Mr. Steven Small, Brand Director of Routes, remarked that Routes Asia 2022 would open up a golden opportunity to develop new air routes and increase air connectivity to Da Nang. Photo: THU HA

Mr. Steven Small said Routes Asia would act as a catalyst for Da Nang. The forum would provide a golden opportunity for the city to promote its inbound tourism opportunities and drive its socio-economic growth.

“By bringing airlines to the destination and showcasing the opportunities available, Da Nang will have the opportunity to increase air connectivity faster than competitors. There will be over 70 airlines participating in the event that Da Nang can engage with” noted he.

He underlined that being as a host of Routes Asia, Da Nang is seeking to reactivate its tourism industry and position the seaport city as a hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, logistics, finance and culture over the coming decade. Da Nang had a burgeoning tourism industry as welcomed about 8.7 million visitors in 2019.

In line with the rapid expansion of the country's low-cost market in recent years, capacity of air passengers at Da Nang surged from 2 million departure seats in 2011 to more than 9.2 million in 2019. And, Routes Asia will be a real opportunity to reignite this growth in the low-cost market.

Mr. Steven Small underlined that, as a Routes Asia host, Da Nang is in a unique position as they form the epicentre of the event and are presented the opportunity to showcase its city and airport to potential new airline customers, visitors and partners. The opportunities for promotion, sponsorship and profile building are significant which can accelerate route development and increase air connectivity.

During the forum, Da Nang will have the opportunity to take meetings with airline decision makers from the region and beyond. These conversations will need to be continued beyond the event, as the process of launching a new air services is not instantaneous. Negotiations will be ongoing long after the event finishes.

The Routes business engaged an independent research agency to conduct a project exploring the economic impact of hosting a Routes event. The most important economic benefits are gained through increased and accelerated connectivity.

Analysis has identified that for our most successful hosts, across Routes Asia events host airport networks had grown by around 5.9% more than their comparators after three years.

He emphasised “Da Nang is a city with significant potential to become an integral part of the global supply and production chain. Located on one of the key sea routes and international air networks, Da Nang is undoubtedly a favourable geographical hub for vibrant and sustainable development”.

The Brand Director of Routes, therefore, stressed the need for Da Nang to capitalise on the momentum that Routes Asia will provide and continue to focus on increasing air connectivity to the city. He explained the reason that the importance of air connectivity can never be over emphasised, and the key to driving more visitors and tourism to a destination is by making it as accessible as possible.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by M.DUNG