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DA NANG
In the heart of VietnamÂ
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DA NANG Strategically situated along the north-south Vietnam corridor, Da Nang is using its location to its advantage and boosting its tourism trade Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joe Palliser
“BOASTING NATURAL BEAUTY, amazing specialities, hospitable people and openness to the world, Da Nang is an ideal destination for any kind of tourist. “Tourists should be impressed by the mysterious beauty of the sacred Marble Mountains, the fantastic and untouched natural scenes in Son Tra Peninsula, the harmony of high mountains and blue sea, the festive vibes in the modern and lively recreational areas such as Ba Na Hills, Sun World Da Nang Wonder, Hot Springs Park… as well as the sparkling Dragon Bridge and Han River Bridge at night. “In particular, what makes Da Nang different is the civilisation and friendliness existing within each citizen that contributes to a safe and welcoming tourism environment.” Nguyen Thi Hoai An is a passionate advocate of Da Nang. As Deputy Director in Charge of Da Nang Center for Tourism Promotion, Mai’s job is to put this perhaps less well-known Vietnamese city on the global tourism map. Strategically placed between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi,
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Da Nang serves as a central lowland gateway, underpinned by one of the largest and most modern ports in the whole of Vietnam. “Da Nang is the cultural, economic and political hub of Central Vietnam, the end of the East-West economic corridor and the gate to Pacific region of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia,” Nguyen continues. “We are also close to four World Heritage sites: Hue Citadel, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Holy Land and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, and have infrastructure to ensure easy access to domestic and international destinations.”
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CAU VANG (Golden Bridge) at the Bà Nà Hills resort
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The Business End
FACTS & FIGURES SINCE BECOMING ONE of five independent municipalities in Vietnam in 1997, Da Nang has strengthened its position as a major economic hub of the country’s central region – indeed, the province has a higher urbanisation ratio than any of Vietnam’s other regions or centrally governed cities. “Together with various natural resources and peaceful living atmosphere, Da Nang is also equipped with modern and synchronised tourism infrastructure including sea ports, an international airport, and accommodation that meets international standards,” comments Nguyen. Such infrastructure has helped to create economic opportunities, supported by the establishment of Hi-
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Tech parks and industrial zones. Tourism is another industry on the up. According to figures cited by Mai, the sector contributes around 24.4 percent of gross regional domestic product, which amounted to $909 million last year. The industry is served by some 335 tour agencies and 747 accommodation facilities (33,665 rooms), 23 being fivestar hotels or resorts. A key priority for Mai is to boost the business travel segment, as the likes of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City dominate this subcategory at present. Cross-regional cooperation in tourism promotion is helping to bridge this gap, for example the ‘three province – on destination’ campaigns being collaborated on by Da Nang, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam.
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Languages: Area: Population (2017): Currency: GDP (approx.): Time zone: Dialling code: Internet TLD: Climate:
Vietnamese 1,285 km² 1.06 million dong (VND) US$1.5 billion GMT+7 +84 511 .vn Tropical
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Out & About DA NANG AT night is a sight for visitors to behold. After-dark tours are a popular activity, while the city’s restaurant and nightlife scene is also lively, backed up by a busy and vibrant street food setup. “The city has also invested into infrastructure development in order to serve its people as well as create a favourable condition for the tourism industry,” comments Nguyen. “Recently, many tourism products
have been built, such as: Asian Park, Than Tai Mountain Hot Springs Park, Ba Na Hills Resort, Ba Na Hills Golf Course, Ariyana international convention centre, and a series of hotels, resorts, and five-star coastal resorts which are managed by world famous hospitality groups like InterContinental, Hyatt, Marriott and Accor.” The city is also home to many landmark bridges and temples worth seeing, including the Dragon Bridge,
Da Nang Cathedral and the Cao Dai Temple. Further afield, and the Bach Ma national park is a relatively short journey away. The park hosts more than 1,400 species of plants and one fifth of the total number of species found in the whole of Vietnam. Bach Ma was extended in 2008 and stretches from the coast to the Annamite mountain range.
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Da Nang Center for Tourism Promotion ESTABLISHED IN 1999, the Da Nang Center For Tourism Promotion’s mission is to assist the Director of Da Nang Department of Tourism in tourism promotion. This involves coordinating with businesses, providing guidance on investments, working with government agencies to provide training for workers, researching and applying new technologies to the field and organising promotional events, among other activities. Nguyen Thi Hoai An plays a crucial role in ensuring the organisation carries out its objectives. Here she answers our questions on the association’s work and wider tourism scene in Da Nang.
in 1999, the tourism industry was not that well developed. The activities of tourism promotion mostly focused on promotional activities within Da Nang and training courses for human resources in the industry. In accordance with Da Nang’s strong economic growth, the activities of tourism promotion have experienced considerable changes, specialised in primary divisions, and designed to keep pace with the new trends of global tourism. Da Nang Tourism Promotion has placed emphasis on public relations and promoting the brand image and tourism products in Da Nang to tourism businesses and domestic and international tourists.
Asia Outlook (AO): Since inception, how has the Da Nang Center For Tourism Promotion developed and progressed? Nguyen Thi Hoai An (NTHA): Back
AO: How would you evaluate the tourism sector in Da Nang now compared to its condition when the Da Nang Center For Tourism Promotion began?
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NTHA: In recent years, Da Nang’s tourism industry has accomplished many positive achievements which contribute directly to the social economic development of the region. From 2011-2016, the average tourist growth rate was 20.97 percent, the international tourist growth rate reaching 28.65 percent. In the first nine months of 2018, the total number of tourists visiting Da Nang hit approximately 6.51 million, an increase of 27.7 percent in comparison to the same period of 2017. International tourists accounted for 2.4 million of these visitors, an increase of 40 percent in comparison to the previous period. In 2018, Da Nang is expected to welcome 7.47 million visitors, 13.2 percent more than last year. Da Nang as a brand is becoming increasingly popular in the world. For four consecutive years between 2013
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and 2017 it was voted by the world’s leading organisations, magazines, and travel websites as a top 10 destination. In 2016, Da Nang was named as “Asia’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2016”; Nam An Retreat resort was named as “Asia’s Leading Retreat”; and InterContinental Da Nang Peninsula Resort was named as “Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort”. In 2017, Da Nang was chosen as the destination for APEC Economic Leaders Week. This was a big step in asserting the tourism brand of Da Nang in the international market. Da Nang also concentrates on promotional activities for domestic as well as foreign markets. The city is building its image as a festival and event destination. We regularly host festivals and cultural events which have included Da Nang International Firework Festival, Da Nang Summer Destination, Da Nang International Marathon competition, IRON Man 70.3, Clipper Race, Asia Beach Games (ABG 5), International Tourism Fair for Resort and M.I.C.E, Cocofest, Global Environment Forum, Asia Goft
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Tourism Conference, APEC Economic Leaders Week 2017, and more. These events attracted a lot of investors and promoted Da Nang as a destination for international guests as well as domestic guests.
America, and expanding into Australia, India and Russia. Meanwhile, the tourism authorities will still continue improving Da Nang’s market position domestically with a strong focus on leisure and MICE tourism. By 2020, Da Nang aims to welcome AO: What are your ambitions for 8.9-9.35 million tourists (3-3.5 million Da Nang Center For Tourism international tourists and 5.85 million Promotion and Da Nang as a whole over domestic tourists), raising the total the next few years? tourism expenditure to 36.4 billion NHTA: Considering the current Vietnam Dong. status of Da Nang’s tourism industry in By 2030, Da Nang’s tourism industry the era of global integration, ambition could become the leading industry and direction for further tourism with modern and synchronised development will focus on several tourism infrastructure, wide source points. markets, and high-quality tourism By 2020, we want tourism to products, encouraging the growth of become the leading industry, other industries as well as raising the specifically beach tourism for high-end competitiveness of Da Nang. markets nationwide and worldwide. To further enhance Da Nang’s We also want to identify prominent capacity in global integration, Da markets, strengthening branding Nang tourism authorities realise the activities in Northeast Asia, maintaining need to utilise technologies and apps, and enhancing market shares in adopt e-marketing to better and faster traditional markets like Southeast connect with tourists. It is also part of Asia whilst uplifting the presence in the city’s long-term strategy to build up new markets such as Europe, North Da Nang as a smart city or e-destination. >
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T AA N N D Z A N G I A
Da Nang Center for Tourism Promotion
Visitors take part in a beach sack race
AO: What are the core industry trends dictating your investments and initiatives at present? NHTA: The environment is considered an important factor determining the quality and attractiveness of tourism products, and in turn the destination’s overall competitiveness and tourism activities. The foundation and development of tourism as an economic industry relates to the ability to use natural resources and their surroundings in order to develop tourism products. Natural resources such as mountains, rivers, beaches, and cultural resources including heritage, architecture and artworks enable this. In other words, tourism activities and the environment support and influence each other. To some extent, tourism activities can create a new environment or improve environmental conditions such as the building of parks or cultural villages. However, improper exploitation and poorly-planned development can be the cause of deterioration in the conditions and quality of the environment, hence the decrease in effectiveness of tourism activities. With Da Nang tourism identified as the spearhead industry, the
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authority realises the importance of balancing tourism development and environmental protection. Developing tourism in a responsible, harmonious and sustainable way economically, socially and environmentally is the right direction on all fronts.
international events capturing the attention of millions around the world. We also have modern infrastructure such as an international airport and luxurious hotels with facilities for international conferences that are located in two main areas of the city – the centre and along the coast. The two convenient locations enable accessibility to attractions, shopping centres, entertainment and particularly MICE facilities. Da Nang Exhibition and Fair Center and Tien Son Sports Center are two major projects that are fullyequipped with modern facilities to host international conferences, exhibitions, fairs, national and international cultural and sports events.
AO: What is in store for Da Nang over the course of 2018 and beyond in terms of tourism/business travel? NHTA: Local authorities have developed a five-year strategy with focus on: prioritising AO: How has Da Nang developed tourism more professionally; in recent years as a business travel diversifying international tourist hub and what are the key reasons markets; developing high-quality behind its growing appeal? tourism products and night-time NHTA: Asides our strategic location, entertainment; improving human Da Nang has been identified a potential resource training; and protecting the destination for business travels thanks tourism environment. to the following factors… In the near future, Da Nang will International recognition and continue to promote MICE tourism awards, as well as international events: development, encouraging the In 2016, Da Nang was honoured as participation of other departments and Asia’s Leading Event and Festival local authorities to organise roadshows Destination 2016 by World Travel in different provinces around the Awards, placed in the Top 10 leisure country, and other cities abroad via destinations in Asia by Smart Travel our overseas representative offices in Asia, and the Top 10 most beautiful target markets. destination in Vietnam by Rough Furthermore, Da Nang Center for Guides. Da Nang also leads in Tourism Promotion will cooperate destination competitiveness, as ranked with international airlines to develop by Vietnam Division of Commerce and new direct flights to Da Nang, Industry in 2017. The Marble Mountains emphasise cooperation of the three beach was named in the top 25 most provinces (Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang beautiful beaches in Asia by Trip and Quang Nam), and collaborate Advisor. The APEC Leader’s Week in Da with tour operators to promote MICE Nang was one of the most important packages to Da Nang.
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Outlook Recommends “Nowhere in Vietnam is changing as fast as Da Nang. For decades it had a reputation as a provincial backwater, but big changes are ongoing” – Lonely Planet
HOSPITALITY
FOOD & DRINK
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Ngon Villa Da Nang
Da Nang Golf Club
Veda’s Kitchen
Vietnam Easy Rider
Red Sky Bar & Restaurant
Da Nang Climbing
Four Points by Sheraton Da Nang Operated by Marriott, the Four Points by Sheraton Da Nang is a luxurious five-star hotel on the seafront, with 36 floors offering stunning coastal views. The hotel also boasts 730 square metres of meeting and events facilities, ideal for those wishing to host in style.
Sanouva Hotel Monarque Hotel 10
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MUSEUMS
Art in Paradise
Da Nang Museum
Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture WWW.ASIAOUTLOOKMAG.COM
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DA NANG’S MAIN transport asset is its international airport, which is helping to bring in greater numbers of both domestic and international visitors. “Currently, there are 26 direct international routes (14 frequent routes, 12 charter routes) and eight domestic routes serving Da Nang international airport,” says Nguyen. “Da Nang welcomes 345 flights a week from the likes of Singapore, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, China, Thailand and Cambodia.” The airport is around two kilometres from the city centre, a taxi ride away which will cost approximately 60,000 Vietnamese dong. Another popular way into the city is by train, with Da Nang rail station serving all destinations on the northsouth mainline, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and Nha Trang. Arguably the best way of navigating the city itself is by bicycle, which can be rented from the city’s visitor centre and used to venture across the bridge to the beaches. Motorbike taxis are also common, and should allow you
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PHOTO BY TẤN VIỆT - THU HỒNG - BÁO GIAO THÔNG
Transport Links
to get around town for no more than 40,000 Vietnamese dong a trip. For those preferring conventional
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taxis, a metred taxi network is a reliable choice, while ride-hailing service Grab has also set up in the city.
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Landmark Attractions Lady Buddah
“Being the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam, Lady Buddha Da Nang is located at Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang which is nine kilometres away from My Khe beach, or 14 kilometres from Da Nang city centre” – ladybuddah.org
Dragon Bridge
Marble Mountains
“Just off the Da Nang Beach coastal road, the Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) consist of five craggy marble outcrops topped with pagodas. Each mountain is named for the natural element it’s said to represent: Thuy Son (Water), Moc Son (Wood), Hoa Son (Fire), Kim Son (Metal or Gold) and Tho Son (Earth)” – Lonely Planet
Bach Ma National Park
“A French-era hill station, this national park reaches a peak of 1,450 metres at Bach Ma mountain, only 18 kilometres from the coast. The cool climate attracted the French, who built over a hundred villas here. Not surprisingly the Viet Minh tried hard to spoil the holiday – the area saw some heavy fighting in the early 1950s and again during the American War” – Lonely Planet
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BY DUNCAN WRIGHT - OWN WORK BY THE ORIGINAL UPLOADER, CC BY-SA 3.0
PHOTO BY JEAN-PIERRE DALBÉRA - FLICKR: LA GROTTE HUYEN KHONG (MONTAGNE DE MARBRE, DA NANG), CC BY 2.0
“Dragon Bridge in Da Nang is the longest bridge in Vietnam, offering a dazzling display of lights, fire, and water that no first-time visitor to Da Nang should miss out on. Measuring at 666 metres in length, it is located in Da Nang City and constructed in the shape of a golden dragon” – vietnam-guide.com
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