Da Nang encourages longer stays

Da Nang is seeking to encourage travellers to stay longer and spend more while in the central city after surveys found that many people stay there for less time than in neighbouring Hoi An and Hue.

Travellers stay in Da Nang for 1.8-2 days and spend money (on things like shopping) for an even shorter period, Huynh Minh Nhon, deputy director of the city Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told a press conference held last week to introduce the "Da Nang - the Reservoir in Summer 2012" tourism programme.

Russian travellers coming by chartered aircraft spend only four of their 15-day tours in Da Nang despite landing there. They spend four days each in Hoi An and Nha Trang and two days in Hue.

Reports released by the department show that 664 Russians have arrived in Da Nang since the first flight on May 12 and only 200 of them stayed in Da Nang.

"The problem is that travellers cannot see good conditions for them to integrate into the community," Nhon said.

According to a survey by the Da Nang Socio-Economic Research and Development Institute, 92.3 per cent of foreign travellers to the city spent less than US$2,000. In fact, 70.8 per cent spent less than $500, while only 6.5 per cent spent $1,000-2,000.

The high costs of accommodation and services and inconvenient traffic are the reasons making Da Nang unattractive to visitors. —VNS