Danang outlines tourism strategy

DANANG Danang tourism authorities project the city will attract 8.85 million visitors by 2020, including 2.45 million foreigners.

Tourism earning will reach USD1.41 billion.

Local media reported the city aims to make tourism, especially maritime leisure tourism, an economic springboard to boost the economy.

The city also targets an increase in hotel rooms to 23,000 by 2020, 5,000 rooms more than the 2015 room count.

Danang will encourage homestay accommodation to meet an increasing demand during peak travel seasons, the report said.

Apart from developing competitive tourism products, Danang will improve connectivity with the neighbouring provinces of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue, the south central region and other localities.

The city will also offer incentives to investors to develop tourist sites such as the Son Tra Peninsula, the Ngu Hanh Son cultural and historical park and the Hai Van Pass, waterway tourism and night entertainment centres, according to the municipal Tourism Department deputy director, Tran Chi Cuong.

While maintaining bookings from traditional travel markets such as Southeast Asia, western Europe and North America, the city will focus specifically on northeast Asia and expand promotions to the Middle East, India, Russia and eastern Europe.

So far, 83 tourism projects worth more than USD7.3 billion have been implemented in Danang, of which 20 have foreign investment with a total capital of USD1.28 billion, the report added.

This year, the city targets 5.1 million visitors, including 1.32 million from abroad, to generate USD616 million in revenue.

Last year, the city logged 4.6 million tourist arrivals, including over 1.2 million international tourists, a 22.4% year-on-year increase. The city’s tourism revenue reached USD558.8 million.

Danang is Vietnam’s third largest city located on the eastern sea coast, midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.