In 2024, Da Nang’s tourism industry strives to reach 10.3 million overnight visitors, an increase of 39% compared to 2023. In detail, international visitors were at 4.2 million, an increase of 2.1 times whilst domestic ones were at 6.1 million, up by 13%. To achieve this number, the city’s tourism industry and businesses need to proactively renew high-quality tourism products, creating attraction for diverse tourist markets.

Tourists experience rowing at the Nui Than Tai Hot Spring Park. Photo: THU HA

Continuously adding more products

According to the Da Nang Department of Tourism, compared to the time before COVID-19, the international tourist markets to Da Nang this year have shifted significantly. Some traditional tourist markets such as South Korea, China, Thailand and Japan have all decreased, especially South Korea down by 8.5% and China 13.6%; whereas the growth has been recorded in some new markets such as Taiwan (China) up 8.1%, India 4.2%, Australia 1.1% and Russia 1.4%.

This reflects the shift trend of some traditional tourist markets to new destinations, and also clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the policy of diversifying the international tourist market through promotional activities, searching for and expanding markets, restoring and developing direct international flights, strengthening the organisation of festivals, events to attract visitors and promoting the city’s images in the past time. In addition, to maintain and attract visitors, the tourism industry has supplemented and renewed products and experiences for tourists at the destination.

According to Ms. Lam Nhat Quynh Chau, the representative of the Entertainment and Recreation Brand Block - Sun World (Sun Group), efforts to renew the products of tourist attractions, since the beginning of the year, the number of visitors to the Sun World Ba Na Hills Tourist Area has reached 116% compared to the same period in 2023. The number of international visitors alone has increased by 127%.

The above-mentioned figures show the role and effectiveness of renewing the existing products and developing attractive new ones for the sake of the local tourism industry. Therefore, Ms. Quynh Chau proposed that the city needs to have solutions to connect, open new routes or increase direct flights to Da Nang.

In addition to traditional routes such as South Korea, China and Thailand, it is necessary to increase promotion to new potential international markets such as Japan, India, Southeast Asian countries and European countries, continue to have solutions to encourage and facilitate businesses and destinations to develop night-time tourism, making Da Nang a vibrant and attractive night destination; soon announce the tourism promotion plan for 2025 so that businesses can take advantage of the opportunity to participate.

General Director of Furama Resort Da Nang Nguyen Duc Quynh acknowledged that in order for Da Nang tourism to develop sustainably, it is high time to renew the existing annual events as a tourist attraction way.

Accordingly, diversifying event and festival products will help turn Da Nang into a city specialising in organising major music events for domestic and foreign singers. Along with that, it is possible to build Da Nang as a green, sustainable, civilised and safe tourist destination by organising an award related to these criteria for accommodation establishments, add more large shopping centres combining entertainment and souvenir shopping services.

Attract tourists from distant markets

International tourists enjoy at the Sun World Ba Na Hills Tourist Area. Photo: THU HA

Mr. Doan Hai Dang, the representative of the Viet Nam Tourism and Transport Marketing Joint Stock Company (Vietravel), said that Da Nang is still an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists, but currently it is mainly exploiting visitors from nearby international markets. Therefore, it is necessary to promote attracting visitors from distant markets such as Europe and North America (USA and Canada).

Currently, visitors to Da Nang from some distant markets can take connecting flights from North and South of the country, but the cost will increase, but if there is a direct flight, it will be much more advantageous. This is a group of visitors with high spending levels, who like to experience local culture. If exploited well, it will contribute to diversifying the tourist markets for the city.

On the other hand, the city also needs to pay attention to and exploit local tourist resources such as tourists who love sports, adventure tourism such as mountain climbing, coral diving, and develop the night-time economy in the true sense as countries with strong tourism are doing...

According to Director of the Department of Tourism Truong Thi Hong Hanh, since the beginning of the year, the city’s tourism activities have achieved strong growth. The total number of visitors staying in Da Nang over the past nine months was 8.67 million, an increase of 33% over the same period in 2023, equal to 163% of the same period in 2019. There were more than 3.17 million international visitors, up by 30%, equal to 134% over the same period in 2019; and 5.49 million domestic visitors, up by 34%, equal to 186% compared with the same period in 2019.

In addition to the cited positive results, there are still many difficulties and obstacles that need to be handled, so in the coming time, the local tourism industry will focus on removing them to implement three breakthroughs. 

It is a need to promote the city’s tourism development including the launching of new tourism products such as the new site of the Museum of Da Nang at 42 Bach Dang, new service products and shows at tourist attractions, implementing the Da Nang food tour campaign (culinary tour), tea tasting tour on Ban Co Peak, the Son Tra Peninsula....

Breakthroughs must be made in promoting market expansion, flight routes, stimulating tourism, maintaining growth in the South Korean and Taiwanese (China) tourist markets; expanding the Chinese, Australian, American, Middle Eastern, Uzbekistan, Indian, and Southeast Asian markets.

Heed will be paid to enhancing the quality of service and human resources for tourism, including building, announcing and organising the application of the ‘High Quality Criteria’ in tourism activities and services in the city, supporting businesses to organise seminars, vocational skills training, experience sharing, handling customer service situations, piloting the organisation of ranking tour guides.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by A. THU