Jun 25
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Vietnam’s Hoi An a top draw for solo travel

By | Vietnam Express | No Comments

Vietnamese ancient town is among three Asian cities in the list, alongside Gyeongju and Thimphu.

The popularity of Hoi An, which has been a top tourist destination in Vietnam for decades now, continues go grow.

It’s latest accolade and landmark achievement is making it to second place on the list of 10 safest and most exciting places on this earth for solo travelers compiled by travel editors at Momondo, a U.K. based travel site.

The travel search site finds and compares the best offers on flights, hotels, car hire and package holidays for travelers.

Unlike Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, the two biggest cities in Vietnam that are flooded with waves of noisy vehicles and modern skyscrapers, Hoi An casts a spell over backpackers for its tranquility and slow pace of life, the site said.

“Motorbikes are banned in the town center, so take a stroll past the yellow houses with their old red-tiled roofs and admire the street-side cafes and picturesque historical homes lining canals and winding alleyways,” the site gushes.

It’s best to cycle to the pristine beach An Bang, which is just around three kilometers away from the ancient town center, Momondo says.

The beach, which is home to fishing villages and provides a romantic setting for couples, is best enjoyed between May and September and has been raved about by leading global travel magazines.

For many, Hoi An is not just a collection of 16th century houses for which the former port city has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. A cuisine particular to the ancient town, influenced by many different cultures including Japan, China and Portugal, is a major part of its attraction, too.

The U.K. travel site also reminds its readers not to leave Hoi An without trying a bowl of signature cao lau (brown noodles with pork and greens) that can only be found there.

Gyeongju in South Korea and Thimphu in Bhutan are two other Asian cities that have made it to the list, which is topped by Bordeaux, the kingdom of wine, in France.

Other cities in the list are Ghent in Belgium, Split in Croatia, Banos in Ecuador, Florianopolis in Brazil, Dublin in Ireland, Havana in Cuba and Toronto in Canada.

Another U.K. based travel publisher, Rough Guides, earlier this year included Hoi An in the top 10 destinations in Southeast Asia while the New York-based Travel + Leisure’s readers last year voted it as one of the 15 best destinations in the world.

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Jun 22
0

City sees strong growth in high-end accommodation services

By | Danang today | No Comments

Many businesses operating in accommodation services in Da Nang have made great efforts to enhance their service quality, as the high-end accommodation segment is growing and investment in the segment projected to continue to rise in coming time.

 

Many accommodation establishments of three- to five-star are being built in the city, creating a foundation for development of middle- and high-end tourism.

Major projects under construction include the Ariyana Beach Resort and Suites Da Nang, JW Marriot, Hilton Bach Dang, My Khe Duc Long, Four Points by Sheraton, Golden Bay and Hai An, among others.

According to the municipal Tourism Department, domestic and foreign investment has been strongly poured into tourism services, especially in high-end tourism products. In addition to infrastructure, investors also paid attention to human resources development.

The number of holidaymakers in this segment has been on the rise, bringing big revenues for local hotels and resorts.

As of the end of April 2018, there were a total of 712 accommodation establishments in Da Nang with more than 29,730 rooms, rising by 7,355 rooms compared to the same period last year. Of the lodges, there are 156 three- to five-star hotels with more than 18,000 rooms.

By the end of this year, the city expects to raise the number of lodges to 774 with 36,031 rooms. Da Nang targets to have over 920 establishments with about 45,600 rooms by 2020.

In 2017, total earnings of three- to five-star hotels made up 86% of the city’s accommodation service revenue with 7.7 trillion VND (337.62 million USD), a year-on-year increase of 52%.

Viet Nam has witnessed an influx of international hotel brands and hotel management companies in the last few years, according to property consultant Savills Viet Nam.

From 30 hotels with international brand names in 2010, the number had increased to 79 at the end of last year. The strong growth of the tourism sector has also given a boost to the hospitality industry.

Da Nang is a popular tourist destination in Central Viet Nam. The online marketplace and hospitality service Airbnb announced a list of the world’s top 10 destinations for the 2018, in which Da Nang ranked fifth in booking surges of up to 255%.

According to the Da Nang Department of Tourism, the number of visitors to the central coastal city is increasing with annual average growth of 20.06% in the 2013-2017 period.

In 2017, the city welcomed a total of 6.6 million tourists, 2.1 times higher than the figure in 2013. The tourism industry generated 186,770 jobs in 2017, and grossed over 19.5 trillion VND (854.1 million USD) in revenues, 2.5-fold increase from 2013.

The city was ranked second in the list of the 10 most popular destinations among solo or couple travelers in 2018, according to the Republic of Korea’s Ticket Monster Inc.

The website said people who plan to travel abroad with family members chose Da Nang as the most popular destination.

The city is also the second-most popular destination among couple of travellers, followed by Bangkok (Thailand) and Guam (the US), it said.

According to the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, Da Nang was said to be the best place to live in Viet Nam with many world-recognised records. It is famous for My Khe Beach, one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet selected by the US’s Forbes Magazine in 2013, the cable line to Ba Na Hills at an altitude of 1,487 metres, and Sun Wheel, which is 115 metres in height and situated in Asian Park, Hai Chau district.

Besides, Da Nang International Airport was ranked third among the best airports in the world in 2014, according to a survey by Dragon Air.

Source: Danang Today 

Jun 22
0

Sharp rise in tourist arrivals to city

By | Danang today | No Comments

Some representatives from Da Nang’s travel agencies are predicting that the city is likely to welcome a higher number of visitors during this year’s summer tourism season against last year.

 

Therefore, the travel agencies are now focusing on enhancing the quality of their services, and offering a wide range of new tourism products to attract even more visitors from both home and abroad.

Mr Doan Hai Dang, the Director of the city’s branch of Vietravel cum Vice Chairman of the city’s Travel Association, said that about 200 delegations of domestic and foreign visitors have booked tours to Da Nang through his company, a rise of 40% compared with the same period last year. 185 of them are domestic visitors.

His company is offering the Da Nang-Hoi An-Hue-Ba Na, and the Da Nang-Ba Na-Hue-Phong Nha Cave tours, Director Dang added.

Mr Dang noted that the city’s summer tourism season which is from April until late August attracts a large number of domestic visitors, especially those from Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and some central regional localities. This is mainly attributed to the city’s beautiful and its clean beaches, plus local delicious and fresh seafood.

The city branch of the Ben Thanh Tourist Company has recently seen about 10% increase in the number of tour bookers against last year. It has been paying special attention to employing tour guides, and working with accommodation and transport service providers, to enhance their service quality. The company’s ‘Dat Quang Xua’ and Ba Na-Hoi An-Hue-Phong Nha Cave tours are priced at 3.75 million VND/ person.

 

In a similar vein, the Viet Da Travel Company is expected to bring around 2,500 tourists to the city. The company’s 4-day/3-night tour at 4-star hotels, with the price of 3 million VND/person is preferred by visitors.

The company’s Director Dinh Van Loc remarked Da Nang boasts clean, beautiful and safe beaches, and a wide range of fascinating entertainment activities. In addition, the city’s popular tourist attractions, and local friendly and hospitable residents, leave a deep impression on visitors from both home and abroad.

“A 2-day/1-night tour named ‘Free and Easy’ at the Cocobay Entertainment and Tourism Complex is being offered at the price of 390,000 VND per person. Also, there are tours to the Ly Son Islands, Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands), Con Co Island, and Son Tra Peninsula, combined with going fishing with fishermen, watching fireworks from yachts, and having dinner at the Hai Cang Da Nang Restaurant located on the 33rd floor of the Novotel Danang Premier Han River. All tours will promise visitors wonderful times and memorable experiences’, Mr Loc added.

Currently, there are over 100 travel agents operating in Da Nang, which is expected to bring more visitors to the city. Notably, the ongoing Da Nang – Summer Rendezvous programme 2018 and the grand finale of the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2018 are considered as the city’s special cultural activities, helping the city more inviting to visitors.

This year’s number of local residents to visit domestic localities and foreign countries is also higher than last year’s.

In particular, in June, Vietravel has organised tours to other localities nationwide and foreign countries for 121 groups of local residents.

Mr Dang noted that the main reasons are thought to be simpler visa procedures, attractive tours with reasonable prices, and many direct flights connecting Da Nang and foreign countries.

As of late last year, there had been a total of 15 scheduled and 14 charter direct international routes connecting Da Nang with other destinations worldwide, together offering over 195 flights per weeks in total.

Source: Danang Today

Jun 08
0

Da Nang a top summer draw for South Koreans

By | Vietnam Express | No Comments

South Koreans expected to surpass Chinese tourists as biggest group of visitors soon.

South Koreans, one of the biggest contingents of foreign tourists to Vietnam, are heavily favoring Da Nang City as a summer destination this year, according to the Ticket Monster website.

Ticket Monster Inc., one of the largest travel booking sites in South Korea, has named the central coastal city among top 10 places of choice by families and couples this summer based on the number of bookings in the next two months, said Seoul’s Yonhap news agency.

Da Nang, home to Asia’s most beautiful My Khe Beach and a neighbor to the popular ancient town Hoi An, came in second on the list, followed by Tokyo, Bangkok and the U.S. territory of Guam. The Japanese city of Osaka topped the list compiled by the website.

South Koreans are expected to surpass Chinese tourists and become the biggest group of visitors to Da Nang in the near future.

Vietnam’s third largest city has welcomed 538,000 South Korean tourists so far this year, accounting for a third of total foreign arrivals in the city, according to the municipal tourism department.

Apart from long and beautiful beaches and breathtaking natural landscapes, an open visa policy is also a big draw among South Korean holidaymakers. Vietnam offers a 15-day visa exemption for visitors from South Korea.

As many as eight airlines are operating services between Da Nang and South Korea, with a frequency of 84 flights every week.

Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel-life/travel/da-nang-a-top-summer-draw-for-south-koreans-3760109.html