Da Nang (VNA) – The central city of Da Nang hasfocused on recovering the pandemic-hit tourism to continue boosting thesector’s sustainable development, focusing on high-end services in associationwith resort real estate.

According to the municipal People’s Committee, the city hasdrawn out two scenarios for tourism development in the 2021-2025 period.

In the first with optimistic vision, COVID-19 will becontrolled in the city and Vietnam in late 2020 and the vaccine againstCOVID-19 is provided to the market in the third quarter of 2021, the city willlaunch a domestic tourism stimulation programme with the connection with otherlocalities from 2021. In this scenario, the city expects a total number ofvisitors equivalent to 60-70 percent of that in 2019, with the domestictourists recovering by 90 percent and foreign visitors 30 percent.

In 2022, after the re-opening of international air routes, thetotal number of visitors is hoped to reach about 8.7 million, equal to that in2019.

In 2025, the city aims to receive 12.3 million visitors, up1.4 times over 2019, including 4.2 million foreigners. The average growth ofthe sector in the 2020-2025 period is projected to reach 5-6 percent each year.

In the year, Da Nang hopes to earn 61 trillion VND (2.63billion USD) from tourism, doubling that in 2019, with growth rate of 12-12.5percent per year. The sector is expected to make up 27 percent of the grossregional domestic product (GRDP) in 2025. In the year, the city hopes to extendthe stay to 2.75 days for domestic visitors and three days for foreigners.

In the second scenario, COVID-19 pandemic is controlled inDa Nang and Vietnam in the end of the first quarter of 2021 and a vaccine isprovided in late 2021, tourists remain unconfident to the controlling of thepandemic. Under this, the city only expects the recovery of about 55-65 percentcompared to 2019 in the number of domestic tourists, and the number of foreignarrivals recovering by only 5 percent.

International air routes are forecast to re-open fordiplomats, experts and workers in the second quarter of 2022 and for allpassengers in 2023. The total number of visitors is expected to recover 65-70percent compared to 2019 in 2022 and equivalent to that in 2019 in 2023.

In 2025, the number of visitors to the city is hoped toreach 11.6 million, including 3.9 million foreigners. Total earnings from thesector is estimated at 54 trillion VND (2.33 billion VND), making up 23.8percent of the city’s GRDP.

Along with the two scenarios, Da Nang will concentrate ondesigning planning for the sector’s development, focusing on the area along SonTra-Ngu Hanh Son coast and the west of Son Tra peninsula, while investing morein sea-based, cultural, historical and spiritual tourism.

Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee Le Trung Chinhsaid that in order to effectively implement the scenarios, the city willconduct twin targets of controlling COVID-19 and recovering tourism activitiesat the same time.

Meanwhile, the city will complete infrastructure system fortourism development, improving the human resources for the sector, andenhancing State management over the sector, he added./.