As localities are stimulating domestic tourism under the recent direction of the prime minister, tourism businesses in the central city of Danang have proposed pricing promotions and updated tourist attractions to solicit guests this summer.
This information was unveiled at a meeting on May 12, on ways that tourism businesses and authorities can stimulate tourism in the post-Covid-19 world.
The Tourism Department should ask the municipal People’s Council to offer free entry to tourist sites such as Marble Mounts and Champa Museum as well as visa fee exemptions, suggested Cao Tri Dung, chairman of the Danang Tourism Association.
“Hotels and resorts should offer large discounts,” stated Dung, who is also the chairman of Vietnam TravelMart Co.
“Businesses specializing in travel, accommodation and tourist sites can band together to offer tourism packages to encourage guests to visit over the summer and during the year-end festive season,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Hai Dang, director of Vietravel in Danang City, noted that these groups should organize trips to localities to directly offer their products.
“The city should also offer free parking and relax inspections to create favorable conditions for those serving the tourism transportation industry, so they can recover after the Covid-19 crisis,” remarked Ngo Tan Nhi, general director of Vitraco Co. and vice president of the Danang Tourism Transport Society.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy general manager of Furama Resort Danang, proposed that Danang rebrand itself quickly so that sensitive tourism source markets like South Korea will return to normal after the epidemic.
At the meeting, Truong Thi Hong Hanh, director of the Danang Tourism Department, reported that her department is planning many programs to help businesses recover as fast as possible. “However, businesses should not be too optimistic. They must always ensure the safety of tourists,” stressed Hanh.
Accordingly, the city’s tourism industry will initially focus on attracting tourists from nearby localities as they can easily travel to Danang City. These localities include Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Binh Dinh. Visitors often travel in groups, with families or as couples with their own means of transportation. Leisure packages, including health care, with reasonable prices are suitable for guests who prefer short holidays.
In addition, Danang city is cooperating with domestic airlines to serve travelers from localities with direct air links to the city, such as Hanoi, HCMC, Can Tho, Haiphong, Quang Ninh and Gia Lai. The memorandum of understanding between the city’s People’s Committee and Vietnam Airlines will be applied to run appropriate policies and incentives for passengers on flights from Hanoi and HCMC and on transit flights to Danang.
At the same time, the city is coordinating with Viettravel to actively attract local visitors from Hanoi, HCMC and the Mekong Delta region to Danang.
Regarding entertainment programs, the Department of Tourism, in coordination with the Department of Industry and Trade and the Danang Tourism Association, will run the “Danang Thank You” program with promotions related to tours, accommodation, dining, shopping, health care, air fare, ground transportation and so on.
The city will also organize an overnight town feature in Ngu Hanh Son District, apart from developing community tourism in the Tho Quang-Man Thai area and at Nam O Beach.
Nguyen Thi Hoai An, deputy director of the Danang Tourism Promotion Center, added that the city’s tourism industry plans to invite KOLs to join these stimulation programs. Danang will also have its own song to promote tourism.
Reporting by the Saigon Time