In order to create favourable conditions for travel as well as contribute to attracting tourists, the Da Nang tourism industry has been focusing on increasing the number of flight routes connecting Da Nang with other parts worldwide this year.

The opening of new flight routes contributes to bringing more tourists to Da Nang. Passengers are pictured arriving at the Da Nang International Airport. Photo: HA KHUE

According to the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre, in the first quarter of 2024, the total number of domestic and international flight arrivals to Da Nang was estimated at 9,578, reaching 1.6 million passengers, up 3.5% and 10.5%, respectively compared to the first quarter of 2023.

In detail, there were 4,724 international flight arrivals carrying a total of more than 802,000 passengers whilst 4,854 domestic flight arrivals brought a sum of more than 806,000 passengers to Da Nang. For the time being,  there are 21 regular direct flight routes connecting Da Nang with four domestic destinations (Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Can Tho) and 17 international destinations: (Bangkok and Chiang Mai). of Thailand), Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Taipei - Taichung - Kaohsiung (Taiwan - China), Macau (China), Hong Kong (China), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Incheon - Busan - Daegu - Cheongju (South Korea), Narita (Japan), Manila (Philippines), Vientiane (Laos).

The summer flight schedule of international airlines to Da Nang has increased by 20%, expected to reach about 50 flights/day, with a frequency in the last quarter of 2024 reached 40 flights/day. It is expected that in the second quarter of 2024, a number of international routes from Malaysia, Hong Kong (China), Japan (Osaka, Narita in June) to Da Nang will be reopened or newly opened, contributing to making the city's tourism more exciting in the near future.

According to Mr. Nguyen Son Thuy, the Director of Duy Nhat Indochina Travel Company, that domestic airlines are narrowing domestic flights will directly impact tourism business activities in Da Nang this summer. However, in international markets, in December 2023, Da Nang started welcoming Cebu Pacific-operated flights from Manila, the Philippines with frequency of 4 flights/week.

Besides the Taiwan (China) and Malaysia markets that are still being maintained, the new market of Da Nang has been introduced quite popularly in the Muslim country of Indonesia and the number of tourists from this country arriving in Da Nang is also quite encouraging. Fully aware of this good signal, tour operators are looking for air connections from Jakarta or Bali to Da Nang in the near future.

Recently, the Da Nang tourism industry has made great efforts to cooperate with airlines to open new flights. Specifically, in early 2023, Da Nang and national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement for the 2023 - 2027 period.

Vietnam Airlines has also coordinated with the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre to organise many cooperative activities to attract more tourists to Da Nang such as welcoming the first flight from Narita (Japan) back to Da Nang (March 2023), welcoming domestic and international flights to Da Nang for the New Year, hosting receptions for famtrip groups from Nagoya, Japan (May 2023); Thailand (December 2023) that wanted to survey Da Nang tourism, and showing video promoting Da Nang’s image through fair events, media channels and magazines.

Ms. Mai Thi Thanh Hai, the Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre, said that in 2024, this centre will continuously cooperate with other agencies  to organise trade promotion activities, promote cultural tourism, welcome more famtrip and presstrip delegations from markets such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Cambodia, EU, Australia, America, Taiwan (China) and India to survey services and write articles on Da Nang’s products and services, and expand international and domestic flight networks to/from Da Nang.

Reporting by HA KHUE - Translating by A.THU