The hidden beauty of Da Nang

Da Nang has some of the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia.

The name may sound strange to many in Indonesia, but this city in Vietnam is a must-see in Asia.

Da Nang is the third-largest city in Vietnam with a total population of about 1 million, and is located in the central coastal region bordering the South China Sea to the east. In the past, Da Nang was referred to as the “Saigon of the North” because of its central position for business after Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. Da Nang is also the main entry point to central Vietnam.

The city, together with Hue and Hoi An, is a primary tourist destination in the central part of Vietnam and has become an icon of the region’s path to a modern and open market economy. Da Nang has emerged as an alternative business destination to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, particularly because of its tourism and urban infrastructure.

Tourism is increasing in Vietnam, and central Vietnam plays an important role. Since the opening of the country’s economy to world markets in the 1990s, Vietnam’s tourism sector has experienced amazing growth and the country has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2008, the World Travel and Tourism Council named Vietnam the world’s fourth-fastest-growing tourist destination. In 2011, the country recorded 6 million foreign visitor arrivals, an increase of 19 percent from 2010. China is the biggest source of visitors with South Korea in second.

The Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that the city welcomed more than 500,000 foreign tourists in 2011. The surging number of tourists to the city has contributed to the speeding of hotel development.

Along the seashore from Da Nang to Hoi An, a number of four- and five-star hotels and resorts line the sand. Some just started operating in 2011, including such famous brand names as Hyatt and Crowne Plaza.

The hotel industry is the largest investment sector in the city. In 2010, there were a total of 181 hotels with 6,089 rooms, and that increased to 278 hotels with 8,883 rooms in 2011. The city has 57 tourism projects with a total investment of over US$3.1 billion, with most hotel and apartment projects. It is estimated that the number of hotel rooms will double within the next four years.

A number of international airlines have kept their eye on the potential of the region. AirAsia, Asia’s largest low-cost airline, has direct flights to Da Nang from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, four times a week and Korea’s Asiana Air has twice weekly flights to the city from Seoul, South Korea.

The above figures and trends show the dynamism of Vietnam’s central region and signal an optimism for a better future for the communist country. “On behalf of the Vietnam economy, we thank you for your visit here. We hope everything looks better when you visit Vietnam in the future,” said a senior tour guide to a group of journalists before leaving Da Nang recently.

But that was more than a wish, it was determination.