A livable city is definitely a worth-visiting place, but a worth-visiting place doesn’t mean it is livable. Da Nang is now striving to become a worth-visiting and worth-living city.

Da Nang boasts many advantages to become a worth-visiting and and worth-living city. Photo: NGUYEN XUAN TU

According to Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, the Director of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy, affirmed that Da Nang is considered one of the most worthy-visiting cities in Viet Nam.

Specifically, the city boasts a long-standing cultural identity, and amazing natural landscape. It hosted many international-standard events such as the APEC 2017 Economic Leaders' Week (AELW).

Additionally, the city is now home to many high-end resorts, including InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, and famous destinations such as the Sun World Ba Na Hills.

Da Nang is a wonderful place for people to visit. However, it also needs to be a livable city as well. To do this, the city must be an attractive and pervasive growth pole of the Central Viet Nam, and the country as a whole.

Dr. Vo Tri Thanh emphasised the necessity for the city to keep its distinct identity, and exploit the strengths of the natural landscape such as rivers, mountains, forests and sea as well during the planning process. At the same time, there must be suitable spaces to make permanent residence for new citizens.

Besides, he underlined a must-do for Da Nang to attract businesspeople, and high-quality and high-skilled professionals, to live and work in the city because they are pioneers in following new trends, and have high requirements and very good creativity.

It is also very important for the city to attract "eagles" - large economic groups -which expect to create a complete ecosystem meeting all the needs of visitors and residents from experience, entertainment, and long-term residence and business.

In parallel with taking advantage of tourism's strength, Da Nang needs to invest in developing high-tech industries, innovative industries, digital technology and logistics services.

Only then, Da Nang has the strength to withstand the uncertainties and shocks from the outside. On the other hand, this will help the city to attract more high-quality human resources to live and work, thereby realising its goal of turning itself into a livable city. Attracting talented and wealthy people and large economic corporations is a way for Da Nang to soon become Asia's second Singapore.

International visitors enjoying a city tour by cyclo. Photo: THANH LAN

According to Dr. Thanh, a livable city is not necessarily only rich people, but it must develop sustainably. In that city, citizens must be happy. However, a very important point that proves the city is really worth living, whether it is comparable to international competitors or not, is its ability to attract elites, the wealthy, and businesspeople.

To do that, the city must respond to new living trends: green, humane, safe and resistant to possible incidents and resolved in the best and fastest way. A livable city is required to have an ecosystem to ensure that the elite, including the talented and the rich, have a good access to high-class services from education, healthcare, entertainment, working and relax; a favourable business environment; and a space to unleash their creativity.

Many people are interested in Da Nang because they see that this as a place where they can do good business and make good investment. Therefore, Da Nang has a lot of potential to become a livable city. However, before being worth-visiting and worth-living for people everywhere, Da Nang should be a worth-visiting and worth-investing place for "eagles".

The main reason is thought to be that the presence of such large corporations will lead the market to follow the trend of modern, civilised and modern development, and at the same time attract more investors to invest in the city.

Therefore, Da Nang must focus on the media story. Nothing is impossible because at present, the process of urbanisation is very strong. The development of Da Nang is inevitable and this process needs to keep pace with new trends of being green, smart, and worth living city.

Reporting by Dr. Vo Tri Thanh - Translating by M.DUNG