Promoting Danang as a safe destination
On 12th February, Truong Quang Nghia – member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly deputy delegation of Da Nang City – had a meeting with Danang Tourism Association on the activities over the past time and the orientation in the coming time. Secretary Truong Quang Nghia stated that the tourism industry must run a campaign to promote tourism and Da Nang’s safety image in the coming time.
According to the report of Danang Tourism Association, in the last few years, the Association together with tourism authorities have generated coordiation programs to boost new trends for the city tourism development. There occurred a variety of events and campaigns with the participation of associations and clubs. The association has made considerate contribution to the generation of new products and destionation promotion as well as the collaboration among provinces.
Nevertheless, according to Mr. Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of Danang Tourism Association, to further develop tourism, the city shall focus on planning space development (to the direction of the mountain and sea towards 4 centers), service structure (restricting core areas and low-level services, encouraging service types capable of attracting customers …); quickly invest in river tourism products to the river and Danang Bay, products associated with indigenous culture; encourage large projects to create characteristic tourism products …
Danang Tourism Association also proposed that the city should organize an international tourism fair in Da Nang on an annual basic and support mega tourism events; consult big airlines on new market promotion plans; speeding up in operating tourism promotion fund; create an equal business environment for operation mechanism and supervision mechanism; cooperating with localities to utilize attractions such as Hai Van pass, Sung Co, Pearl Island…, operating Co Co route, East-West Economic Corridor 2 route through Dak Oc border gate …
Mr. Cao Tri Dung also mentioned the impact of acute respiratory infections caused by new strain of Corona virus (Covid-19) which has considerately affected tourism activities of the city. In particular, for travel agencies, tourists inflow reduce by 10-50% depending on the market. The tourist arrivals from Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia decreased by 20-30% while hotel room occupancy rates have dropped by 30-40%. Other hotels have a occupancy rate of only 10-20% and are mainly independent travellers. At tourist attractions, the capacity also plunged sharply by 30-40% over the same period. Similarly, there witnessed sharp downturn in the capacity of tourism transportation. The load factor only remained at 40-50%, making the businesses to face many difficulties while most of them rely on bank loans.
Therefore, Danang Tourism Assocition suggested the city government to frequently update on the Covid-19 for the general public and tourism businesses; request the comprehensive support from city leaders and all departments to overcome the ostacles. In fact, the following actions should be undertalen, including reduce the rent fares of the hotel and resorts in 2 years, allow late tax payment in the fourth quarter of 2019…; exempt or cut the entrance fees the sites and relics managed by the city. The city should request the airlines to have flexible policies for travel companies to refund or change flight ticket to the markets that detect positive cases of Covid-19.
The government accompanies the business
At the meeting, Vice Chairman of Danang People’s Committee Le Trung Chinh has affirmed the continuous support of city government for the requests from Tourism Association. Those will be taken in consideration and there will generate new tourism products such as Bach Dang Walking Street – Night Market to be completed by 29th March, investment in river and beach tourism has been conducted but still there exists certain hurdles. The attractions along the river route were available but there is a need of big investors’ involvement to effciently operation those properties. The city will carry on boosting tourism development and supporting tourism businesses. In return, the city also expectes the tourism businesses to accompany with the city, actively participate in tourism promotion activities and building new tourism products for the city.
Vice Chairman of Danang People’s Council Le Minh Trung believed that the prevention of Covid-19 in Danang has been conducted well and the city has prepared the best solutions against the diseases at different levels. “The most important point currently is to educate people that the prevention and control of Da Nang over Covid-19 is very managed so Danang is a safe destination. At present, the service sector accounts for 64.35% of the economy and there needs to research and issue the solutions in the short and long term. The businesses should express their needs so that the government could assist accordingly. All industries should take active role in updating the effects of Covid-19 in Danang and generated English version for foreign firms.”, highlighted by Vice Chairman of Danang People’s Council Le Trung Chinh.
Sustainable Tourism Development
Also at the meeting, City Party Secretary Truong Quang Nghia has recognized all efforts of Danang Tourism Association that partly contributed to the city tourism development. The city has made synchronous investment in infrastructure and facilities to turn Danang to an attractive destination. Under the huge influence of Covid-19 on the tourism industry at the present as well as the consequences of real estates investment, City Party Secretary Truong Quang Nghia noted that even though the increase in tourist inflows has opened up opportunities for local people and business to invest in this industry, there should be paralei in the growth of tourist inflow and hotels. The lost control over hotel planning and construction has resulted negative influences. Therefore, there must be warning for hotel investors. The city has been prioritizing services products for tourists in which they could spend money. Danang has been investing in duty free shopping center and new yet unique tourism products.
Speciffically, when there is information about Covid-19 affecting the tourism, the industry should have appropriate solutions while strengthening hotel management; Tourism industry and Tourism Association must have a campaign to promote tourism and safety image of Danang. From beginning, Danang has been serious and careful in preventing the outbreak.
“Well- prepared solutions to prevent Covid-19 is the solid evidence to prove Danang as a safe destination. Together with good preparation, there must raise the messages that Danang is still safe and the virus in under control. The tourism business should stay calm and continue the tourism promotion plans, take great care of customers and look for new tourist markets. The city aims to expand the source markets as well as right tourist segmentation with higher income. More than ever, this is a hard time for any business but it is also a great chance to restructure the tourist arrivals. The Association should research the successful models of other countries for sustainable tourism…”, stressed by City Party Secretary Truong Quang Nghia.
Coordiation in preventing Covid-19 and solutiosn to recover tourism industry
On 12th February, Danang Department of Tourism has issued a plan to coordinate the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections caused by the new strain of Corona virus (Covid-19) in the tourism industry.
Specifically, with the plan to prevent and control epidemics when there are no cases of infection, to focus on inspecting and directing the responses to epidemics, Covid-19 Prevention and Control Team, Relevant government departments regularly update information and instructions of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the City People’s Committee to request the departments in giving official documents to tourism businesses and propaganda on different channels, namely City tourism website, Danang FantastiCity fanpage …; via Tourism Asscociation and members, Quick Tourism Reponse Team and Tourist Support Center to quicky handle situations arising at the time of epidemic, promptly support enterprises and tourists about the epidemic situation…
Danang Center for Tourism Promotion shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Tourism Departments, units and Association in adjusting the tourism promotion plan in 2020 in accordance with the actual situation. There includes the reception of international famtrip delegations and organizing domestic and foreign roadshows (completed before February 20); the proposal of restructuring of tourism markets to Danang in 2020 and the period of 2020-2025; advise on solutions to attract tourists in the current context, focusing on the domestic market and the source markets such as Korea, Europe, Japan, India, Russia, ASEAN (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore) and Taiwan-China (in February 2020); promote linkages of 3 localities (Thua Thien Hue – Da Nang – Quang Nam); propose solutions to disease outbreaks and enhance tourism promotion of 3 localities. With the implementation plan for prevention and control of epidemics when there are cases of infection according to 4 levels, at each level there will be specific solutions… In addition to the above-mentioned response plans, the plan also shows solutions to recover tourism promotion activities after controlling epidemics to support businesses.
Luong Vy – Promoting Danang as a safe destination
