The streets of Da Nang burst into life on June 2 when the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) returned for the first time since 2019. The successful opening night of DIFF 2023 was mainly attributed to the city’s thorough preparation for the much-awaited event in addition to hospitable attitude and friendly smile of local inhabitants towards tourists. Local residents play their part in leaving a deep impression on tourists with their smiles along with civilized and polite behaviour.

Tourists are really impressed with smiles along with civilized and polite behaviour of local inhabitants.

Developing Da Nang into a tourist-friendly destination

In their efforts to ensure their compliance with requirements of a civilized and commercial market, traders at the Han traditional market have simultaneously rearranged their stalls in an aesthetics and scientific way. Furthermore, they have focused on making and keeping their customers happy with exhibiting positive attitudes and practices towards their customers, as well as making sure that no customers suffer harassment from a seller, while all products are sold at the right price. The Han market witnessed a rise in consumer purchasing power two weeks before members of participating teams for DIFF 2023 arriving in Da Nang.

In addition, foreign tourists from such countries as South Korea, and China have spent more heavily on buying Vietnamese goods after they knew that Da Nang had launched a promotional month to stimulate shopping demand.

DIFF 2023 is considered to be an expected event of the city’s tourism and travel-related services after three years of COVID-19. The festive atmosphere has been felt in Da Nang since late May. Restaurants have simultaneously opened their doors to customers. The city has also witnessed an increase of foreign tourists who take cyclo rides along Bach Dang and Tran Hung Dao streets, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa coastal routes to explore the city. The occupancy rate in many hotels in the city reaches 50-60% on weekdays and even 80-90% on weekends.

Mrs. Huynh Thi Lan Huong, the Deputy Director of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center under the municipal Department of Tourism affirmed that DIFF provides a good opportunity for the city’s tourism industry, and local people to continue their efforts to brand the city as a safe and friendly tourist destination. Besides, hotels and travel agencies in the city have also focused on providing training courses for their staff in an attempt to keep their customers happy with their positive attitudes. Included are putting smiles on their faces, exhibiting welcoming, friendly, and helpful attitudes towards their customers.

Smile identified as the most important factor in wooing tourists

Smile is identified as the most important standard for staff of the service industry, especially the hotels, catering and tourism sector. Smile is also considered as the most important factor for many places in the city to attract visitors.

In 2017, the Da Nang Department of Tourism launched the ‘Da Nang Smile’ campaign among public employees, employees at local businesses and city dwellers. This campaign aimed to convey a message of ‘small acts, big impact’, thereby evoking a sense of responsibility among target people to brand the city as ‘DaNang FantastiCity - great city’.

Mrs. Truong Thi Hong Hanh, the Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said that in 2023, Da Nang targets to drive the rebound in international tourism, develop high-quality tourism products and services, and build a safety destination for travellers. In particular, smile and gentle attitude of each citizen and each employee working in the tourism industry become the most important factors in attracting tourists.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bui Van Tieng, the Chairman of the Da Nang Union of Literature and Arts Associations, highlighted the importance of smile of those who work in the tourism and hospitality industry, including guides, customs officers at airports and ports, drivers, museum narrators, receptionists at restaurants, hotels, in wooing tourists. He underlined the need for the city to identify smile as a mandatory standard for staff of the tourism and hospitality industry. Also, welcoming attitude of each citizen towards tourists plays a vital role in making Da Nang more inviting to domestic and foreign tourists.

Mr Tieng remarked that those who work in the tourism and hospitality industry must deliver warm greetings, friendly smiles, and a hospitable experience to tourists. More importantly, Da Nang people should deliver sincere smiles for each other, anytime, and anywhere. All these things help to brand the city as an attractive destination for travellers at home and abroad.  

Reporting by TIEU YEN – Translating by H.L