Vietnam:Travel boom brings more direct flights to Da Nang in busy year

A number of new international flights will be launched this summer to connect Da Nang with Asian destinations in preparation for the increasing travel demand to the coastal city, where many important events are set to take place. 

In late May, private carrier Vietjet will launch a new daily service between Da Nang and Seoul.

Betting on a higher volume of Thai tourist arrivals to central Vietnam, Thai AirAsia has also announced its Da Nang-Bangkok route. Daily flights will commence on June 9.

These services will benefit from the city's new international terminal, which is designed to serve six million passengers a year.

Da Nang is one of Vietnam's biggest cities and a major economy-tourism hub that attracts many foreign visitors, including Thai tourists, all year round, said Santisuk Khlongchaiya, head of commercial for Thai AirAsia. He said from Da Nang, tourists can easily travel to world-renowned destinations such as Hoi An, Hue and My Son Relics.

Hoi An, arguably one of the must-visit places in Vietnam, doesn't have its own airport but is only a short ride from Da Nang. More than 2.6 million visitors came to the town last year, an increase of 18 percent against 2015, with over 1.3 million foreign tourists, data showed.

Once a sleepy fishing town, Da Nang itself is now a formiddable tourism destination, known for its long beaches and upscale resorts.

Tourists to Da Nang are promised a range of events this year. Among them are Da Nang International Fireworks Festival 2017 lasting from April 30 to June 24, summer beach tourism activities, and Asia Golf Tourism Convention 2017.

Earlier this month, T’way Air, a South Korean low-cost carrier, started flying five times a week from Daegu to the Vietnamese city.

As many as eight airlines are operting services between Da Nang and South Korea. Meanwhile, Jetstar Pacific has been bringing in passengers from Hong Kong since late March.

Da Nang is now in final steps to launch its airport's international terminal worth $154 million next month, getting itself ready for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this November.

Da Nang received more than 1.3 million visitors in the first quarter this year, up 30 percent over the same period last year, according to the city’s tourism department. Nearly half were foreigners, a strong increase by nearly 60 percent.

South Korea, China, Japan and Hong Kong are the four markets with the highest growth rates.

By Vnexpress