The latest statistics of Da Nang's tourism industry showed that in the past nine months, the city only welcomed more than 1.6 million international visitors, equal to 67% compared to the time before the COVID-19 epidemic.
Da Nang is a bright spot in the picture of tourism recovery after the pandemic compared to the whole country. During the 3 peak months of summer 2023, the city welcomed a huge number of visitors. Domestic tourists still chose Da Nang as their destination, returning in the summer.
According to the latest report from the Da Nang City Department of Tourism, in the first nine months of 2023, the number of domestic visitors to Da Nang served by accommodation establishments is estimated to have reached more than 4.2 million, an increase of 1.7 times over the same period of 2022 and equal to 142% of that from the same period in 2019. Total tourism revenue is estimated to have reached nearly 915 billion VND.
But the challenge for Da Nang City's tourism industry is that the number of international visitors has decreased sharply. In the past 9 months, the locality only welcomed over 1.6 million international visitors, equivalent to 67% of the figure from before the Covid-19 epidemic. The leading market was the Republic of Korea with more than 770,000 arrivals, while Thailand ranked second with more than 147,000 arrivals.
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Da Nang City organises a tourism promotion programme in Indonesia, October 2023. |
After more than 2 years of severe impact from the COVID-19 epidemic, the global economic recession has made tourists cut spending, staying dates and choose nearby destinations, causing difficulties to the restoration of international flights and exploiting international markets.
At the recently held conference summarising Da Nang tourism in the first 9 months of the year, many tourism businesses mentioned difficulties and challenges, including the decline in international tourist sources as well as the international tourist market not being able to recover as expected.
According to Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee Tran Chi Cuong, in the context of the upcoming economic forecast — which will still have many difficulties and impacts on tourism — the industry must calculate and be flexible in finding and promotion in new markets, as well as renewing and investing in tourism products.
It is necessary to survey new and potential markets and market segments; develop domestic markets with direct flights to Da Nang, promote key and traditional international markets in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia combined with attracting potential markets such as India, Australia, the US, and Northern Europe.
