On Sunday morning, ceremonies took place at the Da Nang International Airport to welcome the first 2 flights of 2023. The new year’s first air passengers were given flowers and gifts on the occasion of New Year's Day.

Lucky guests on an international flight at the beginning of the new year are given flowers and gifts by representatives of the municipal Department of Tourism and other agencies. Photo: THU HA

Specifically, at the domestic terminal, national flag carrier Viet Nam Airlines-operate flight VN161 brought 165 passengers from Ha Noi to Da Nang.

Meanwhile, the international terminal welcomed more than 170 passengers from Incheon, South Korea to Da Nang on flight VJ879 run by budget carrier Vietjet Air.

The first footers were treated with art performances, welcome lion dances, flowers and gifts.

Representatives of Viet Nam Airlines also awarded 3 business-class tickets applied on domestic routes for 3 passengers on flight VN161. In a similar vein, Vietjet Air also handed out 3 international round-trip tickets to 3 passengers on flight VJ879.

Present on the first flight of the new year from Incheon, and as the lucky guest to have received a pair of round-trip tickets from Vietjet, Mr. Park Sang Hoon expressed his surprise and joy to have a very warm welcome in the coastal Vietnamese city.

Mr. Park Sang Hoon, a South Korean tourist, expresses his joy as a lucky guest on the new year’s first flight to Da Nang. Photo: THU HA

He said that he had heard a lot about Da Nang, and Viet Nam at large and this was his first time he had been to this city. During his stay here, he would visit all the famous attractions of Da Nang as well as enjoy local specialties.

Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh said that welcoming the first flight in 2023 is one of the traditional cooperation activities between his agency and the Da Nang International Airport to celebrate the new year with the outlook for positive growth of the aviation and tourism industries.

“The first flights of the New Year show a very good and positive signal of tourism recovery and development in 2023. In the coming time, the tourism industry will coordinate with the airport, the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation Joint Stock Company (AHT) and airlines to reopen flights that had previously arrived in Da Nang. At the same time, heed will be attached to promote key international tourist source markets in 2023”, emphasised Binh.

It is known that air travel is still the main source of tourists for Da Nang tourism. International direct flights have been re-operated in recent times, accelerating the recovery of Da Nang tourism.

In 2022, the total number of air passengers to Da Nang was more than 4.4 million, comprising more than 3.8 million domestic travellers, an increase of 91.7% over the same period in 2019 and more than 633,000 international visitors, up 17.9% from the year-ago period.

By the end of December 2022, there had been 24 domestic and international routes to Da Nang, of which 15 direct international routes have been restored from South Korea, India, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, Cambodia, Taiwan and Hong Kong (China) with a combined total of more than 4,700 flights.

It is expected that the total number of domestic and international flights to Da Nang during the New Year 2023 from December 30, 2022 to January 2, 2023 is about 395 flights carrying more than 58,000 passengers in total.

International tourists are excited to receive Vietnamese conical hats as gifts. Photo: THU HA

Domestic tourists receiving New Year's gifts at the domestic passenger terminal. Photo: THU HA

First footers are welcomed with arts performances, lion dances. Photo: THU HA

International tourists receiving gifts from the Da Nang tourism industry. Photo: THU HA

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by A.THU