In an effort expand the international tourist market to Da Nang, the city's tourism industry has organised many famtrips and presstrips (a form of travel for travel agencies and newspapers) and KOLs (key opinion leaders). Through these trips, travel and service businesses of famtrip groups have the opportunity to connect with local businesses to build tours, routes and products that are attractive to customers.

A famtrip group is welcomed at the Da Nang International Airport. Photo: NHAT HA

During a recent famtrip to survey services and tourist sites in Da Nang on the occasion of the opening of the new route Manila (Philippines) - Da Nang, Mr. Lopez Maylene, the Marketing Supervisor of the Regent Travel Company, along with members of the delegation who were the representatives of travel agencies from the Philippines had the opportunity to experience services at Da Nang’s famous tourist sites such as the Sun World Ba Na Hills, the Asia Park, the Linh Ung Pagoda, the Han River Cruise Ship, the Marble Mountains Special National Monuments, the Cham Sculpture Museum, the Da Nang Cathedral (Chicken Church) and shopping at the Han Market.

The members of the delegation all expressed their excitement when experiencing Da Nang products as well as the beauty of the city's mountains, rivers and sea. After experiencing the services, representatives of travel agencies from the Philippines believe that in the near future they will connect with local businesses so as to build tourism products that suit their needs and tastes of guests from the Philippines.

According to Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre under the Department of Tourism Mai Thi Thanh Hai, along with promoting tourism in domestic and international markets, welcoming famtrip and presstrip groups for service experience is an effective way to connect with customer markets. Famtrip participants often focus on learning about the new destination's accommodation facilities, infrastructure, and tourism products, thereby building products for businesses. Normally, international famtrip groups often organise the opening of new routes.

Recently, the national flagship Vietnam Airlines opened a flight from the Don Muong airport (Bangkok, Thailand) to Da Nang and organised a 30-person famtrip group including representatives of Thai travel agencies and online travel agencies (OTAs) Thai influencers who came to Da Nang for the survey of the tourism services of Da Nang and neighbouring localities.

Upon the opening of the Manila (Philippines) - Da Nang on December 7, the Da Nang Department of Tourism welcomed a presstrip group including 10 press reporters, celebrities on social networks and a group of 11 people who were the representatives of major travel companies from the Philippines, and all of them surveyed services and tourist spots in Da Nang.

When welcoming famtrip and presstrip delegations the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre often introduces outstanding tourism, sightseeing and entertainment products suitable to the tastes of each customer market so that the representatives of travel agencies can find it easier to capture key local products or support press media groups can make films and shoot videos promoting the city's tourism products.

Chairman of Da Nang Travel Association, Director of Omega Tourist Service Trading Company Limited (Omega tour) Nguyen Ngoc Anh analysed, in a bid to explore a new tourist source  market, in addition to promoting and advertising in their country with programmes, introductions, roadshows (promoting brand products by reaching out to the public on the streets), participating in international tourism fairs, the most effective way is to invite representatives of foreign travel businesses to the city for service experience, especially those from other countries in the Southeast Asian market. This is very necessary because after they experience it, they will build up tour products that suit the needs and tastes of tourists.

The famtrip group from the Philippines experiences tourist boat rides on the Han River. Photo: NHAT HA

Besides, through famtrips, businesses from both sides have the opportunity to connect with each other, thereby helping to speed up customer exchanges. This famtrip activity can be done multiple times a year to increase connections and expand partners. However, when developing a promotion plan or welcoming famtrip groups, there should be a way to stay ahead of the trend so that partners can update the status of local tourism products and services.

Ms. Mai Thi Thanh Hai added that, in 2023, the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre coordinated with relevant local agencies to welcome more than 20 famtrip, presstrip, and KOLs delegations from countries and territories in the region such as South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, Thailand, India, Australia, Japan and Taiwan (China).

With regard to the 2024 market orientations, the Da Nang tourism industry eyes to reach the target that the number of guests served by the accommodation establishment will be 7.5 million, an increase of 12% from 2023, of whom international travellers will be about 2.1 million, up by 17% from 2023 and domestic ones reach 5.3 million, a rise of 10% from 2023.

The city's tourism industry will continue to restore and promote key and traditional international markets in Northeast Asia such as South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong (China) and those in Southeast Asia including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines, in combination with potential markets such as India, Australia, America, Northern Europe and the Middle East.

Also, sights will be set on connecting with new regular and charter flights trips, welcoming more famtrip, presstrip, and KOLs delegations from other countries to survey new products and create connections with Da Nang’s tourism businesses.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by A.THU