In recent years, Da Nang has hosted many large-scale cultural and entertainment events, contributing to promoting the image and people of the city to domestic and foreign tourists.

The festive atmosphere amidst the clouds at the Ba Na Hills Tourist Area is ready to welcome visitors on the occasion of Tet 2025. Photo: NGOC HA

However, the city needs to expand the scale of events in many fields in a bid to effectively exploit potential and available advantages and reaslise its goal of becoming a hub for regional and international events and festivals following the spirit of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2019, thereby enhancing the advertisement of local tourism in the context of increasingly fierce competition among destinations.

The International Fireworks Festival held for the first time in 2008 marked the beginning of the journey to build the brand of Da Nang - a city of events and festivals. The city has so far successfully hosted a number of international-scale events such as the international parasailing competition, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the 2016 Asian Beach Games, and the APEC Economic Leaders' Week 2017.

The successful organisation of such festivals and events has helped Da Nang become one of top choices for important national and international events in recent years, contributing to promoting the image and people of Da Nang to domestic and foreign tourists. This is also the city's orientation in the spirit of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW on building and developing Da Nang until 2030, with a vision to 2045.

As for the cultural sector, the Da Nang Asian Film Festival was held in the city for the first time in 2023. With the success of the event, in November, the city signed a cooperation agreement with the Viet Nam Film Development Association (VFDA) on hosting the Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF) for the 2025-2030 period.

Building DANAFF into a brand event is in line with the orientation and development roadmap of the city as well as the orientation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the development of the film industry, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Ha Vy said.

Mr. Ha Vy added, to achieve this goal, we will focus on building mechanisms and policies to best support film crews in the coming time. The focus will be on mobilising local businesses, especially accommodation and culinary establishments, and tourist areas, to create a mutually beneficial mechanism. At the same time, attention will be paid to researching and building a number of specific incentive mechanisms for film businesses; supporting communication and promotion work for film crews; and promoting Da Nang destination to film crews in a synchronous and effective manner.

Mr. Le Tan Thanh Tung, Deputy General Director of Vitraco Da Nang Company, said that Da Nang has formed 9 groups of tourism products to attract visitors, including festival/event tourism, and cultural - historical and entertainment tourism.

With regard to festival and event tourism, the city has hosted many special events in recent times such as the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival – DIFF 2024, the Viet Nam - Brazil Football Festival 2024, the 'Enjoy Danang 2024' Festival, and the BRG Open Golf Championship Da Nang 2024.

The 'Enjoy Danang 2024' Festival left a good impression on domestic and foreign tourists. IN PHOTO: The art kite flying activity during the 'Enjoy Danang 2024' Festival. Photo: NGOC HA

However, to further promote the image of Da Nang, in addition to performance events, the city needs to host major multi-industry events at home and abroad.

“Da Nang is an important traffic gateway for both the Central and Central Highlands regions, and boasts great potential for the development of education, healthcare, finance, etc. Every year, many major events and conferences at national and international levels in various fields are organised by universities and specialised units in the city. The target audience is experts and researchers who have the conditions and are willing to use and experience the services. Therefore, it is necessary to lay an emphasis on educational, healthcare and financial events in building the brand of an event city” Mr. Tung noted.

Meanwhile, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the Council of the University of Economics under the University of Da Nang underlined the must-do for the city to focus on communications activities to promote the local tourism development.

Specifically, the information and communication sector needs to build a database of history, culture, and architecture related to street names, names of celebrities, and historical sites (QR codes) in popular languages; as well as advertise cultural - sports - tourism festival events, and product brands, and exploit more overseas Vietnamese students to expand connections and communication for Da Nang in the international market.

She stressed the necessity for the culture - entertainment sector to maintain and expand the scale of cultural - sports festivals and events; as well as review and promote the development of games with prizes.

Reporting by NGOC HA - Translating by M.DUNG