Da Nang (VNA) – Over 100 international buyꦿers and 28 foreign media and tourism bloggers have registered to participate at the Beach Leisure and MICE Travel Mart Da Nang from June 23-26.

The director of the central city’s Tourism Department, Ngo Quang Vinh, said at a press conference that the Travel Mart will be hosted for the first time in Da Nang and the coastal central region. “It’s a great rendezvous for domestic and foreign buyers and sellers in a tourism exchange of products and services. Travel agencies from major markets, including the Republic of Korea (RoK), the Chinese mainland, Japan, the US, Russia, Thailand and Hong Kong, will join the event to connect destinations with Da Nang and world heritage sites in the central region,” Vinh said. “We hope tourism bloggers and media would make Da Nang a favourite destination on the world tourism map after the event.” As scheduled, the Travel Mart has drawn 172 pavilions from 31 travel agencies and resorts, along with those from Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and RoK. It is expected that over 7,000 business visitors and 10,000 tourists would come to one of the largest beach leisure and MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition) events in Vietnam, after Hanoi and HCM City. According to the department, 22 travel agencies and 80 hotels have offered promotional programmes at the Travel Mart, with 10 and 20 percent discounts on service prices, and 25 to 65 percent discounts on hotel room rates. Additionally, Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, offers 20 percent discount ticket prices for the first 200 customers. Further, Vietnamese budget airline VietjetAir is offering 3,000 tickets priced at zero VND for all flights during the three-day event, while another budget airline, Jetstar Pacific, also offers 99,000 VND (4.4 USD) tickets. A seminar on tourism markets in Japan and RoK and a photo exhibition, a conference on luxury beach leisure services, as well as major activities will be held at the Tien Sơn Sports Centre. The organising committee will also host FAM trips and press tours to promote destinations in the central region. The central coastal city lies within easy reach of the country’s best heritage icons, including Phong Nha-Ke Bang in Quang Binh, the UNESCO-recognised world heritage Hue monuments complex, the ancient city of Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary and a world biosphere reserve, Cham Island in Quang Nam. Jetstar Pacific plans to operate a direct air route connecting Da Nang and Osaka, Japan – the second direct route from Da Nang to Japan after Vietnam Airlines’ Narita-Da Nang, beginning August 1. Last month, Bangkok Airways launched a direct route between Da Nang and Bangkok with four flights per week, while Vietnam Airlines also plans to begin operating its direct Da Nang-Bangkok flight on June 25. The city, which has 24 international air routes, hosted 4.6 million tourists last year, of which 1.25 million were foreigners.-VNA