Along with international visitors to Da Nang by air and road, cruise tourism is one of the city’s advantages. However, in order to attract tourists from the market in the near future, the city’s tourism sector and businesses are in need of appropriate and effective solutions.

The city is in need of unique tourism products to lure more cruise ship passengers

Very potential tourist market

According to a report released by the Da Nang Department of Tourism, between 2015 and 2019, the average annual growth rate of passengers and cruise ships reached 10.3% and 3.8% respectively. Da Nang received 47 cruise ships with a total of 22,314 passengers in 2015, and 88 ships with 122,844 passengers in 2019.

Cruise ship passengers to the city were mainly Chinese nationalities accounting for over 80% of the total during the 2015-2019 period, whilst the remainder came from the UK, Australia, the US, and Germany.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, between 2020 and 2022, the number of cruise ship passengers to the city was very low. Particularly in 2021, there were no cruise ship arrivals to the city. The city welcomed 500 passengers from three cruise ship passengers in 2022 and 8,300 passengers from 13 ships in the first 6 months of 2023.

With regard to infrastructure, the Tien Sa Port is able to welcome large cruise ships with a registered capacity of up to 150,000 GRT. However, at present, it still has to use the same docking area to serve both tourist ships and cargo ones, causing anxiety for tourists.

Besides, there are no waiting houses and toilets meeting international standards to serve tourists in the high-end segment. At the same time, there are no specific shopping and entertainment services onshore for cruise ship passengers. Therefore, some large cruise ships choose to dock at the Chan May Port in Thua Thien Hue Province because it was more convenient.

Up to now, many big and famous shipping lines in the world such as Star Cruises, Costa Cruises, Dream Cruises, Holland America Cruises, MSC Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Seabourn Cruises have brought tourists from different markets such as Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and China to Da Nang and other neighbouring provinces.

Da Nang has a lot of potential to develop the cruise tourist market. IN THE PHOTO: A cruise ship docked at the city-based Tien Sa Port. Photo: T.H

Complete tourism products needed for cruise ship passengers

Mr. Lam Ny from the Da Nang branch of the Saigon Tourist Travel Service Company said that cruise ship passengers to Da Nang often visit such popular tourist attractions as the Marble Mountains Tourist Area special national-level relic site, the Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula, and the Museum of Cham Sculpture.

These tourist spots are often crowded with tourists not only from cruise ships, but also from other markets, so the functional forces need to ensure security and order for visitors.

Besides, he suggested local relevant units allow cruise ships to stay overnight as before. However, Da Nang is lacking in European-standard restaurants as well as trekking products for this tourist market.

Sharing the same opinion, Mr. Ho Mai Linh, Director of the Pacific Legend Travel Services Co., Ltd., proposed the city to develop shuttle buses into a complete tourism product. Additionally, at the shutter bus points, information counters, as well as kiosks selling goods and souvenirs, should be set up to introduce and promote the city’s tourist destinations.

According to Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association Cao Tri Dung, Da Nang has many favourable conditions to develop cruise tourism.

He stressed the need for relevant units to change their approach to receiving cruise ship passengers, as well as for the city’s tourism industry to have survey trips to major ports in Singapore and Malaysia to learn about how to exploit cruise ship passengers.

At the same time, the Da Nang Port must also be a key unit to improve the capacity of welcoming passenger ships. The tourism industry should propose to the city to have a project to develop city cruise tourism, Mr. Dung added.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Tan Van Vuong, in the city's tourism development orientation to 2030, with a vision to 2045, the city identifies cruise tourism as one of the key and important tourist sources of the city.

Therefore, the city focuses on building the Lien Chieu Port and conversing the existing Tien Sa Port into a tourist port; as well as calling for investment in the formation of international standard guest services at the ports.

Furthermore, the city continues to invest and upgrade products to serve current cruise ship passengers, restore a number of traditional craft villages, and develop eco-tourism and community-based tourism, in a bid to attract international tourists, especially those from European and North American markets.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by M.DUNG