ĐÀ NẴNG  — Over 100 international buyers and 28 foreign media and tourism bloggers have registered to participate at the Beach Leisure and MICE Travel Mart Đà Nẵng from June 23-26.

The director of the central city’s Tourism Department, Ngô Quang Vinh, said at a press conference that the Travel Mart will be hosted for the first time in Đà Nẵng and the coastal central region.

“It’s a great rendezvous for domestic and foreign buyers and sellers in a tourism exchange of products and services. Travel agencies from major markets, including South Korea, the Chinese mainland, Japan, the US, Russia, Thailand and Hong Kong, will join the event to connect destinations with Đà Nẵng and world heritage sites in the central region,” Vinh said,

“We hope tourism bloggers and media would make Đà Nẵng a favourite destination on the world tourism map after the event.”

As scheduled, the Travel Mart has drawn 172 pavilions from 31 travel agencies and resorts, along with those from Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and South Korea.

It is expected that over 7,000 business visitors and 10,000 tourists would come to one of the largest beach leisure and MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition) events in Việt Nam, after Hà Nội and HCM City.

According to the department, 22 travel agencies and 80 hotels have offered promotional programmes at the Travel Mart, with 10 and 20 per cent discounts on service prices, and 25 to 65 per cent discounts on hotel room rates.

Additionally, Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, offers 20 per cent discount ticket prices for the first 200 customers.

Further, Vietnamese budget airline VietjetAir is offering 3,000 tickets priced at zero đồng for all flights during the three-day event, while another budget airline, Jetstar Pacific, also offers VNĐ99,000 (US$4.4) tickets.

A seminar on tourism markets in Japan and South Korea and a photo exhibition, a conference on luxury beach leisure services, as well as major activities will be held at the Tiên Sơn Sports Centre.

The organising committee will also host FAM trips and press tours to promote destinations in the central region.

The central coastal city lies within easy reach of the country’s best heritage icons, including Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng in Quảng Bình, the UNESCO-recognised world heritage Huế monuments complex, the ancient city of Hội An, Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary and a world biosphere reserve, Chàm Island in Quảng Nam.

Jetstar Pacific plans to operate a direct air route connecting Đà Nẵng and Osaka, Japan – the second direct route from Đà Nẵng to Japan after Vietnam Airlines’ Narita-Đà Nẵng, beginning August 1.

Last month, Bangkok Airways launched a direct route between Đà Nẵng and Bangkok with four flights per week, while Vietnam Airlines also plans to begin operating its direct Đà Nẵng-Bangkok flight on June 25.

The city, which has 24 international air routes, hosted 4.6 million tourists last year, of which 1.25 million were foreigners. — VNS