September to December is considered the low season for tourism in the central region. To overcome this downturn, Da Nang is focusing on business tourism, also known as ‘MICE,’ which stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. In our next report, let’s find out why this coastal city is an ideal destination for this type of tourism.
This convention center was the venue for the 2006 APEC Senior Official Meeting held in Da Nang. The event has been the pride of Furama Danang, the first 5-star beach resort in Vietnam, built in 1997. The resort is now building new facilities to prepare for the APEC Summit in 2017.
Huynh Tan Vinh, General Director, Furama Resort Da Nang said: "It’s our pleasure to be appointed by the central and municipal authorities to host the CEO Summit for leading enterprises and state leaders from various countries. We’ve already started construction on an international conference palace with a 2,500 person capacity, equipped with advanced services.
Newly built in 2013, Novotel is now among the top choices for conferences in the city thanks to its prime location and modern facilities.
Da Nang’s easy access to the World cultural heritage sites in the central region makes it convenient to combine MICE tourism with leisure travel here. This is among the reasons why tour operators are more interested in MICE tourism in the city.
Tran Luc, Vice Director, Saigon Tourist, Danang branch said: "Da Nang has many advantages to boost MICE tourism. First, it is a secure and healthy environment to conduct tourism business. Second, there are more direct flights to Da Nang from cities in Vietnam and other countries. This makes organizing tours more convenient."
According to domestic tourism experts, revenue from MICE tourism is about 6 times higher than other types of tourism. The reason is that MICE clients tend to travel in big groups and have high spending power. On average, an Asian MICE tourist spends over 400 USD per day and a European one spends 700 to 1,000 USD per day.
Nguyen Thi Hoai An
Vice Director, Danang Center for Tourism Promotion said: "MICE tourism has received attention from many countries because it can bring in more profits than individual or group tourism. MICE is among three focal points of Da Nang’s tourism development, alongside beach resort tourism and culture tourism. MICE also helps overcome the seasonal lows of tourism here.
With a strategic location and developed infrastructure, Danang city has emerged as a top destination for MICE tourism. Local companies and authorities are now investing more in human resources and infrastructure to attract more conventions and meetings to the city. Linh Huong, Vietnam Television, Danang city.
