Many accommodation providers in Da Nang are planning to offer handful of great deals on their services in tandem with taking strictly preventive measures against the coronavirus in a bid to restore traveller confidence, and ensure their safety during their stay in the city before, during and after Tet.

Domestic visitors arrived at Da Nang Airport in the morning of 29 January

In previous years, the Smeraldo Hotel and Apartment in Son Tra District’s Phuoc My Ward mainly served foreigners from all around the world.

Since coronavirus spread around the world, Viet Nam has taken its most drastic measures to stem the spread of the deadly virus, including temporarily halting all inbound international commercial flights. From then, Smeraldo has changed its marketing strategies with a focus on attracting domestic tourists amid ongoing 'new normal' adaptations.

Ms Nguyen Thi Nga, Director of the Smeraldo Hotel & Apartment, said that the hotel is offering 40% discount on its services, and renewing its tourism products, so as to seek guest resources across Viet Nam over the forthcoming holiday.

Similarly, the Song Han Hotel, located at 14 Ly Tu Trong Street in Hai Chau District, is providing great deals on it services, as well as cooperating with tour operators, in a bid to increase visitor arrivals to Da Nang.

The hotel’s Deputy Director Le Tuan remarked, last year, the room occupancy rates at Song Han Hotel reached only 10% due to the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.

“Our hotel will take proactive infection prevention and control measures following the Ministry of Health’s guidelines with the aim to promote Da Nang as a safe place to travel for travellers amid the coronavirus fears” Mr Tuan noted.

Till date, many accommodation establishments across the city have been decorated with colourful flowers and ornamental plants to celebrate the arrival of the Lunar New Year. Also, they have created closer links with such online hotel distribution channels as Ivivu and Traveloka to attract visitors to Da Nang.

Such 4 to 5-star hotels in Da Nang as Furama, Grand Mercure, Muong Thanh Luxury, and Muong Thanh Grand, have been on course to map out highly-effective plans to to attract even more groups of M.I.C.E guests during this year as a move to help local tourism businesses in driving their post-pandemic recovery in tandem with promising fresh and unique experience for tourists.

Data published by Da Nang Department of Tourism show that, as of late January, Da Nang had housed to around 1,231 serviced accommodation establishments with a combined total of 44,505 rooms, a slight hike in both establishment and room volumes compared to the same period last year. 212 of them are 5-star hotels and resorts with a total of 26,050 rooms, and the remainder are 1 to 2-star hotels and resorts, apartments, and homestays.

Many tourism businesses and tourist attractions across Da Nang were forced to make temporary shutdowns, letting their employees be laid off or on unpaid leave due to Viet Nam's two coronavirus waves in March and late July.

Worse still, between 28 July and 5 September, more than 88% of the Da Nang-based serviced accommodation establishments halted their operations.

After Da Nang government started further relaxation of social distancing restrictions to allow served accommodation venues to reopen on 5 September, only nearly 52.8% of the total has resumed their operation. Due to low numbers of guests, many accommodation establishments in the city plan to close their doors until late February.

By VAN HOANG - Translated by M.D