In parallel with the strongly recovering domestic tourist market, the city's tourism industry and local businesses are, step by step, expanding new international markets so as to diversify the source of visitors in the near future.

International tourists have gradually returned to Da Nang over recent times. Tourists are seen admiring the Marble Mountains special national scenic spot. Photo: THU HA

Since international air services resumed, Thailand has emerged as one of the markets with good growth. At the end of July, Bangkok hosted the Sky Connection Viet Nam – Thailand 2022 was co-organised by the Viet Nam Tourism Exchange Forum, Thai Vietjet and the Thai Travel Agents Association. (TTAA).

In attendance were 165 people from Thai travel agencies and representatives from over 30 Da Nang-based accommodation, service business, travel agents, and theme parks and provinces and cities nationwide.

Accordingly, Da Nang businesses and those in Viet Nam at large introduced to the Thai partners policies opening up Viet Nam's tourism, updating new and traditional tourism products of localities across Viet Nam.

Mr. Nguyen Son Thuy, the Director of the Director of the city-based Indochina Unique Tourist Co., Ltd., said that this event was a good opportunity for tourism and travel businesses in the two countries to boost exchanges of experience and enter potential tourism cooperation deals in the future.

According to Mr. Thuy, since the beginning of the year, his company has welcomed 4 groups of famtrip which consisted of representatives from travel agenies, accommodation and service providers from Thailand with a mission to survey new Da Nang products so as to build visitor exchange tours between the two markets.

“While the guest market of Northeast Asian countries has not really resumed, and the European market is still far away, the Southeast Asian market with countries with many similarities with Viet Nam such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia can help Da Nang tourism develop and recover quickly. It can be seen that the number of Thai tourists arriving in Da Nang, since the resumption of direct flights, has grown continuously.

Specifically, in Da Nang, Vietjer Airlines now operates 3 flights/day; by September 2022, Bangkok Airways and Airasia will join direct air services from Thailand to Da Nang; Thai Smile Airlines will operate flight charters and increase the number of flights per day to 5”, Mr. Thuy informed.

Along with the Southeast Asian tourist markets, the city tourism industry is also very interested in the Indian market. This is considered one of the very potential markets of Da Nang tourism.

Business representatives highly appreciated the coordination between the Da Nang government and the business community in grasping the international market situation and promoting businesses to connect with one another effectively.

Mr. Luong Van Trang, the Director of Outbound Tourism Division at the Viet Nam Travel Mart JSC, acknowledged that India is one of the very potential markets. It is a must-do for companies to connect, exchange customers with partners and expand their agent system, hereby attracting more Indian tourists to Viet Nam.

Representatives from Da Nang's businesses connect with Indian tourism. (Photo courtesy of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre).

Sharing the same view, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, General Director of Furama Danang Resort Nguyen Duc Quynh said that India will be an important source of visitors for many destinations during the post-COVID-19 recovery period.

According to Quynh, India's positive open-door policy along with the great tourism demand among Indian tourists can create a stable source of visitors to help offset the traditional markets of Northeast Asia that have not yet fully opened.

To fully tap this market, Furama Danang Resort has launched a strategy to attract Indian tourists, focusing on resort guests, family groups and M.I.C.E.  At the same time, Furama has transformed the function of a restaurant into one specialising in Indian dishes and wedding services suitable for this source of customers.

Indian businesses and associations have also highly appreciate the destination of Da Nang. Mr. Jadgeep Bhagat, National Coordinator of NIMA expressed his wish to actively cooperate with Da Nang tourism to promote M.I.C.E. tourism between the 2 destinations as well as create bilateral relationships, sustainable cooperation system, bringing practical common benefits to members of NIMA and the Da Nang Tourism Association.

According to Director of Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre Nguyen Thi Hoai An, given the remarkable growth in trade, tourism and service exchanges between Viet Nam - India, especially in the context of economic recovery after COVID-19, this is the golden time for promotion activities.

A recent programme to promote Da Nang in the Indian market was a great opportunity to promote tourism products and services, support programmes to attract M.I.C.E. tourists and Da Nang's wedding tourism to the Indian market, ushering in a period of development cooperation between India's tourism industry and that of Da Nang.

As reported, to facilitate the travel of tourists between the sides, the first 2 direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to Da Nang, operated by Vietjet Air, will be opened from October 17 and 18, respectively. The airline will also exploit 3 new routes to Da Nang from Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad on November 28, November 29 and December 1, respectively.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by A.THU