Tourists explore rural landscape and lifestyle in a village in suburban of Đà Nẵng City, The beach city plans to build it a leading Asia destination. — Photo courtesy Hoà Bắc Eco-tour co-operative

ĐÀ NẴNG — The beach hub's tourist industry is being urged to ride the tide by reshaping its brand as Asia’s leading coastal destination, capitalising on its world heritage sites, ‘green’ tourism services, MICE potential, island and beach getaways, and unique experiences such as the ‘Food Tour’, ‘Heritage’ and ‘Green Tour.’

Chairman of Đà Nẵng City’s Tourism Association, Cao Trí Dũng, made the call at a conference on the future development direction of the city’s hospitality sector, emphasising that there are abundant opportunities for Đà Nẵng to begin a new phase of growth in partnership with neighbouring Quảng Nam Province.

Trippers join a community-based eco-tour service in a village of Đà Nẵng City. The tourism hub has offered a plenty of unique tour service from beach to mountainous area, rural experience, islands and ethnic groups' living. Photo courtesy of Chu Mạnh Trinh

The city, located at the heart of world heritage sites including Hội An Ancient Town, Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary and the Chàm Islands-Hội An World Biosphere Reserve, has emerged as one of the most dynamic tourism hubs in Southeast Asia.

He said Đà Nẵng can build a luxury brand – the ‘Essence of Việt Nam’ – within its strategic hospitality industry plan, marking it as a favourite global destination in the coming decades.

Phạm Trung Lương, a member of the National Planning Advisory Group, suggested that a monorail system should be built to create smoother transport for cruise tourists exploring Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Huế in a short time.

“A good and convenient transport network would attract cruise tourists, a high-spending group, to stay longer after docking at Đà Nẵng’s port. They do not want to waste time travelling by bus between destinations,” Lương said.

“Đà Nẵng has become an international favourite destination rather than just an entry and transit point in the central region’s heritage route over the past decades. The city now benefits from a larger administrative area and a cluster of world heritage sites with two international airports, a designated cruise port and a series of key development plans for a Free Trade Zone, an International Finance Centre and a global hi-tech industries hub."

Lương, however, pointed out that the city has not yet developed a long-term strategic master plan for tourism, while inter-provincial traffic infrastructure links for multiple modes of transport remain limited.

He said Đà Nẵng needs to dredge the ancient inner waterway, the Cổ Cò River, to create a unique river tour service between Đà Nẵng and Hội An.

Lê Quốc Việt, from the Quảng Nam-based ‘Green’ tour and destination club, said the new Đà Nẵng City offers a full range of unique tourism products from the beach to the mountains, with dozens of tours including community-based eco-tourism, ethnic cultural exploration, rural and farm experiences, forest trekking and island visits.

A beach view from Chàm Islands, off the coast of Hội An ancient town. The islands conserve a rich value of marine ecological system and traditional culture. VNS Photo Công Thành

He offered a plan attracting retired tourists from Australia and Nordic countries in month-staying options.

“We have been seeking a long-vacation plan for 20,000 retires, and a 45-day visa exemption policy could keep them spending time of experience in Hội An and Đà Nẵng,” Việt said.

“It needs development of beach-related sports and entertainment activities including surfing, jet-skiing at beaches on Islands of Chàm and Tam Hải. Meanwhile, rural villages and farming area in Hoà Bắc, Hoà Vang and suburban of Hội An can help reduce mass tourism in core zone of heritage sites in the Old Quarter of Hội An and Đà Nẵng’s downtown,” Việt suggested.

He said peaceful craft villages in Hội An and Đà Nẵng can be reached by bicycles, and a bamboo structure bridge should be built in setting up a landscape seeing route in linkage of three villages Trà Quế, An Mỹ and An Bàng in Hội An.

Visitors pass through a vestige of an ancient Chăm tower in Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary. The UNESCO-recognised world heritage site is an attraction to international tourists  in central Việt Nam. — VNS Photo Công Thành

Đà Nẵng’s tourism industry is a forerunner in designing unique products including 'Culinary Passports,' 'Heritage Passports' and 'Event Passports' for visitors exploring food, culture and entertainment.

New Đà Nẵng (merged with the former Quảng Nam Province), which has hosted 14.4 million visitors including 5.8 million foreigners, plans to welcome 18 million tourists with an estimated revenue of VNĐ30 trillion (US$1.2 billion) by the end of 2025. — VNS