Da Nang is a favorite destination of domestic and foreign tourists.

The central city of Da Nang ranks first in tourism competitiveness in Vietnam, according to the Vietnam’s Provincial Tourism Destination Competitiveness Index 2021 for 15 provinces and cities, released recently by the EU Delegation to Vietnam.

According to the report, Da Nang had a total of 4.7 points, followed by Quang Ninh (4.68), Khanh Hoa (4.56), Quang Nam province (4.55) and Thua Thien - Hue (4.52).

The country’s two largest cities - Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - ranked 6th and 8th, respectively. Can Tho stands at the bottom of this report.

Kai Partale, an expert on tourism marketing and destination development, said that Da Nang took the lead for the destination competitiveness index because the city scores highly in safety and security, accessibility to sanitation and health conditions, and high level of readiness for information technology. The city always gives priority to tourism and travel, which is demonstrated through the effectiveness of marketing and brand promotion activities.

In addition, accessibility via air and the quality of tourism infrastructure in Da Nang are very good.

In second place is the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh. This province has recorded many improvements in destination competitiveness thanks to assurance of safety and security, transport infrastructure, business environment, and IT readiness.

However, the price competitiveness is low, especially the retail price of food. At the same time, it is necessary to improve cultural resources and tourism infrastructure (accommodation and dining facilities) due to the low level of guest satisfaction.

The report reveals that Quang Ninh has a much higher index of sustainable development and environmental protection than Da Nang, Khanh Hoa or Hanoi.

Kai Partale said that, in tourism development, localities need to pay special attention to sustainability, creating a balance between exploiting natural resources and ensuring environmental sustainability. The United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) attaches great importance to this.

According to Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, visitors are always interested in whether the destination is attractive, safe, and whether it has any new products. The 15 localities in the report are considered the “leading birds” with outstanding strengths in tourism. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the two leading locomotives.

The Minister said the index is the most objective, transparent and fair data for localities to look at, recognize their strengths and limitations, and then have solutions to promote and improve its tourism sector.

He suggested that the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, with the support of experts, assess its own indicators for tourism, rather than wait for an international organization to do it.

In 2019, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Thua Thien - Hue and Quang Nam were rated for the first time in a pilot project.

In 2020-2021, the EU Delegation again supported the assessment of tourism destination competitiveness in 15 provinces and cities in Vietnam, with the participation of the Council Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) and the Private Economic Development Research Board (Board IV).

Ngoc Ha

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