Coracle tours are an option for visitors at the UNESCO world heritage site of Hội An ancient town. Đà Nẵng's tourism industry is shaping the city into a major destination on the world tourism map. — VNS Photos Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — Đà Nẵng's tourism industry has been positively shaping its global standing by hosting a series of international MICE events and brand meetings, starting after the city was selected to host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit for the first time in 2017.

At a conference on establishing the central city as a global destination, Chairman of the city's Hotels Association Nguyễn Đức Quỳnh said that the hub has successfully hosted elite luxury travellers and world-famous billionaires, including American billionaire Bill Gates. He also highlighted its success with Indian tycoons' wedding celebrations and world-class entertainment festivals.

Quỳnh went on to state that the city, which is one of the most searched-for seaside holiday destinations, will continue its sea-based promotion programmes. He envisions it becoming a leading global destination for MICE and other events, luxury tourism, film festivals, golf and entertainment celebrations, styled as a ‘mini’ Việt Nam.

“Đà Nẵng has been regularly organising successful International Fireworks Festivals for nearly two decades, along with Routes Asia Events, the Asia Film Festival, the BRG Open Golf Championship, a significant part of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) system of the Asian Tour and HORECFEX, an international conference on hospitality and technology,” he said.

Đà Nẵng is famous as a beach holiday destination, one of the most-searched keywords for travellers around the world. The central city is promoting its beach services and entertainment globally.

Quỳnh, also the general director of Bắc Mỹ An Tourism JSC under the management of Furama Resort Đà Nẵng and International Ariyana Convention Centre, said that the city’s tourism infrastructure offers high standards for both regular and high-profile guests, building its reputation as an attractive destination.

Thân Thị Thu Huyền, CEO of Hội An Memories Land, which was voted the World's Leading Cultural Tourism and Entertainment Complex in 2022, 2023 and 2024, said that Đà Nẵng can become a top spot for arts and entertainment, traditional culture and experiencing sea-based lifestyles.

The city needs to build itself up as one of the most liveable cities in Asia as well as a global vacation destination, she suggested.

“It needs various strategic communication and promotion programmes to place itself in the global tourism space, such as building specific marketing policies for key markets including South Korea, Japan, Australia, the EU and the US,” Huyền said.

“Đà Nẵng’s tourism industry has been facing tough competition against global names like Bali in Indonesia, Phuket in Thailand and domestic beach destinations like Phú Quốc and Nha Trang. Meanwhile, it has yet to label itself as a global luxury brand. Instead, tourism marketing solutions have mostly been built on current famous Key Opinion Leaders and TikTokers, or famtrips,” she added. 

A craftswoman demonstrates lantern making at Furama Resort Đà Nẵng during a tourism promotion event.

“The hub’s tourism brand promotion is developed by the private sector, especially key businesses like Sun Group and Vin Group. Yet, global unique brand marketing tools have not been very effective," Huyền explained.

Deputy director of the city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department Tán Văn Vương said the beach hub's tourist industry has achieved remarkable success in promoting the landscapes of its world heritage sites, ‘green’ tourism services, MICE potential, island and beach getaways and the unique experiences derived from the former Quảng Nam Province (now merged with Đà Nẵng) and the dynamic urban life of Đà Nẵng itself.

Vương added that the city, which inherited the significant heritage value of World Heritage Sites such as Hội An Ancient Town, Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary and the Chàm Islands-Hội An World Biosphere Reserve from the former Quảng Nam Province, will now focus on the greater potential of becoming a global destination. 

This includes developing a Free Trade Zone, an International Finance Centre, a global centre for semiconductor and AI manufacturing, technological innovation, ‘green’ tour services and its existing heritage value.

Delivering Asia CEO David Johnson suggested employing marketing strategies and drawing on the experience of Phuket, Thailand, in shaping a world-class destination.

He said that a successful destination always offers experiences that encourage visitors to explore beyond their hotels, such as going to the beach or having dinner on a day trip.

Vietnamese coffee is a popular drink among international tourists visiting Việt Nam and the central region. Food tours and culinary experiences are included in Đà Nẵng's tourism promotions.

“We hosted a group of high-end American media people a few months ago. It was a food-related trip to promote our restaurants and resort dining, but we also took them on a day-long exploration of street food, which is a very hot topic in the media,” he said. 

“We’re always looking for new ideas and ways to integrate the destination experience into our hotel story, and I think there’s an opportunity from the hotel industry to do that more and do it better.

“That particular story generated a lot of attention, and it linked to our hotel. One story was just about street food. The idea is to find topics that resonate with the media that are kind of on trend, and then find what’s happening in the area that can match.”

Đà Nẵng, which has been encouraged to reshape itself as Asia’s leading coastal destination, has hosted 14.4 million visitors – including 5.8 million foreigners – in the first three quarters of 2025.

The central city was named as ‘Asia's Leading Event and Festival Destination’ by the World Travel Awards in 2022 and 2024.

Last year, the prestigious American travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller placed Đà Nẵng as the only representative of Việt Nam on the Top of Asia list, and ranked the city second on the list of 11 best places in Asia that tourists should visit if they plan to travel.

The hub was also the only one in the country included in travel magazine Time Out’s prestigious list of the top eight travel destinations in Asia for 2025.

Đà Nẵng is home to major world heritage sites, including Hội An ancient town, Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary and the Chàm Islands-Hội An world biosphere reserve, along with golf courses designed by Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald. — VNS