In its efforts to resume all tourism activities and lure visitors back, Da Nang is hosting amazing array of festivals during the summer months in a bid to create excitement for locals and tourists and increase visitor arrivals. These are part of the city’s strategies to renew its tourism products in an attempt to make the city more inviting to domestic and foreign visitors.

A performance of bronze drum dance at the Sun Fest Street Carnival themed ‘Take me to the Sun’ within the framework of the ’Enjoy Da Nang Summer’ Festival 2022 which is co-organized by the municipal Department of Tourism, relevant departments and agencies and Sun Group took place late June. Photo: XUAN SON

Since late June, on weekends, performances at the street carnival have created a vibrant and bustling atmosphere in the extended Bach Dang route, a section from the APEC Sculpture Garden to the area adjacent to Tran Thi Ly Bridge, and the Vo Nguyen Giap route, a section from T- junction oppositing the My Hanh Restaurant to T- junction oppositing the Loseby Hotel. The Sunfest Street Carnival which features ten vehicles lavishly decorated with replicas of the city’s famous tourist attractions along with domestic and international dancers in colourful costumes is bringing a fresh perspective to the city's cultural scene at night.

Summer events and festivals in the city are drawing great deal of attention from tourists at both home and abroad. IN THE PHOTO: A staff member from the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center (left) helping a foreign visitor access to tourism information in the ‘Enjoying Da Nang Cuisine and Beer Space’ Festival at the East Sea Park. Photo: NHAT HA

Apart from the Sun Fest Street Carnival, visitors could have fun and explore amazing experience in the ‘Enjoying Da Nang Cuisine and Beer Space’ Festival at the East Sea Park located on Vo Nguyen Giap Street, Son Tra District. Visitors to the festival could enjoy typical Da Nang foods or join traditional Da Nang dish making process to learn how to make Tuy Loan Rice Paper, Quang noodles, sizzling pancakes and more. These events were very attractive to locals and tourists, especially foreigners.

Ms Yvonne, a tourist from Singapore, expressed her deep impression with learning how to make tradditional Da Nang dishes and making a new dish by herself, creating very memorable experience for her during her trip to the city. She said that she looks forward to returning to Da Nang in the near future.

Mr. Anatole, a tourist from Malaysia, said that he was surprised to see a bustling atmosphere at the ‘Enjoying Da Nang Cuisine and Beer Space’ Festival as he could explore local culture and cuisine right at the city’s beach.

Besides, the East Sea Park hosted the Viet Nam - Japan Festival 2022 from July 14 to 17, and this event was co-organised by the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs, and local relevant agencies, along with the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City. The festival featured a wide range of cultural exchange programmes and tourism events. Included were introduction of culture, education, tourism, trade and cuisine of the two countries. The festival’s arts programme highlighted the best national characteristics of the two countries’cultures, such as Tuong (Vietnamese Classical Opera), Japanese calligraphy, traditional and contemporary dance, traditional Vietnamese and Japanese martial arts, Japanese culinary art. During the festival, there were other exciting events, including a conference to connect tourism businesses in the two countries, and a painting exhibition. The festival offered the chance to local people and tourists to learn more about Japan and its culture.

Mrs Huynh Thi Huong Lan, the Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center, highlighted the importance of summer festivals in diversifying the city’s tourism products during the summer months, creating new attractions in the city, improving visitor experience, and increasing the attractiveness of the city.

During the recent seminar on developing Da Nang into worth-visiting and worth-living city which was co-hosted by the Investment Newspaper and Sun Group JSC on Monday morning, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association Cao Tri Dung highlighted 5 pillars for creating breakthroughs and building the identity of Da Nang tourism, namely high-class marine tourism products, cultural heritage tourism products, MICE tourism, urban tourism, and ecotourism.

Mr Tri emphasized the necessity of fully exploiting the potential of local tourist sites around the Son Tra Peninsula, Da Den Beach, Van Village, and more, as well as developing nigh-time services, sea tours, fun water sports and activities. The heed should be paid to organising more international cultural events like International Fireworks Festival in order to make the city more attractive to domestic and foreign tourists.

Mr Truong Thi Hong Hanh, the Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism said that the "Enjoy Da Nang Summer 2022" Festival promises stunning surprise for locals and tourists with a lot of exciting, impressive and fun activities after a long hiatus due to COVID-19.

Reporting by NHAT HA – Translating by H.L