With the desire to diversify international tourist markets, Da Nang’s tourism industry is making efforts to connect and exploit tourists from India and the Middle East which are defined as new potential markets for the city's tourism in the future.

A group of Indian visitors at the Museum of Cham Sculpture. Photo: THU HA

Various promotions launched

According to the Da Nang Department of Tourism, the number of Indian visitors to Da Nang in recent years has been still modest.

Specifically, the coastal city welcomed 8,256 turns of Indian visitors in 2018, 13,017 in 2019, 9,002 in 2020 and 4,769 in the first half of 2022.

The above figures show that India is still a potential international tourist market. However, Indian people have yet to have much information about Da Nang tourism, and there are no direct flights connecting Da Nang and India, so Indian tourists do not choose Da Nang as their favourite destination.

According to the assessment of travel agencies, in recent years, Indian tourists have known Da Nang as a ‘paradise’ for high-class travel. However, currently, Da Nang has faced some difficulties and limitations in attracting Indian guests. Specifically, there are not many restaurants dedicated to Indian vacationers, and there is no linkage between travel companies, restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions to attract tourists. Besides, Indian tourists who want to go to Da Nang must travel from Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi, or transit in Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore and Malaysia.

Therefore, Director of the municipal Tourism Department Truong Thi Hong Hanh expects that Vietjet Air’s opening of the two first direct air routes linking Da Nang to India’s largest and most important cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in October will create favourable conditions for both sides to boost tourism.

Preparations for new sources of tourists

In order to prepare for the new international tourist market, the Furama Resort Danang has recruited chefs specialising in serving Indian-style dishes.

Mr. Gentzsch André Pierre, Operation Director of the Furama - Airyana Danang Tourism Complex, highlighted the significance of opening Da Nang-India air routes in luring more Indian tourists to the city. He remarked that Indian and international tourists, plus locals, will have the opportunity to experience the taste of authentic Indian cuisine right in Da Nang.

Sharing the same view, Director of the Hai Van Cat International Travel Company Nguyen Minh Xoang expressed that tourism firms have prepared human resources, ready to welcome guests from this tourist market. The most difficult thing today is that in Da Nang, there are no restaurants for Indian and Middle Eastern customers with a large capacity with the number of up to several hundred guests.

He, therefore, stressed the need for local tourism businesses to expand their restaurants, recruit more chefs, and research additional dishes suitable for Indian tourists.

Ms. Do Thi Quynh Nhu, Deputy Head of Sales Department at the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Exploitation Joint Stock Company (AHT), shared that the company will design a prayer room to serve Indian guests as well as encourage dining establishments at the airport to have menus tailored to suit the taste of vacationers from India.

For Vietjet Air flights connecting localities such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to Da Nang, the company will support the welcome of newly-opened flight routes, and free-of-charge advertising at airport screens to make guests feel more comfortable.

According to Mr. Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, Da Nang and India shared many similarities in culture. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare carefully to welcome the source of visitors that is expected to increase several times compared to 2019 (before the epidemic) and quickly have an ecosystem to serve the influx of guests from India and the Middle East, including accommodation establishments, Indian chefs and culinary ingredients.

He underlined the importance for the municipal Department of Tourism to coordinate with relevant units to develop a programme and propose a visa for Indian visitors to Da Nang, and open more direct flights to India and the Middle East in the time to come.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by M.DUNG