Unlike in previous years, the plans for the Da Nang Beach Tourism Season 2014 were announced many months ago, aiming to attract more visitors to Da Nang this summer , a local newspaper reported.

The Management Board of the Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourism Beaches has arranged for a wide range of entertainment activities, and they have appealed for the active involvement of local travel agents and service providers , the Da Nang online said.

The Da Nang Beach Tourism Season 2014 is expected to be the central city’s most outstanding event this year, particularly with the absence of the Da Nang International Fireworks Competition.

The season will see local residents from all districts and businesses participating in such cultural activities as introducing consumer products and local foods, planting trees, and raising public awareness of marine environmental protection.

In addition, many new tours to the Son Tra Peninsula have now been introduced by local travel agencies to tap the site’s tourism potential.

Visitors have an opportunity to join local fishermen for their festivals and to engage in many activities.

These include going fishing with local fishermen, weaving fishing nets, fishing competitions, tug of war, diving to discover the underwater world of the coral reefs, and touring the peninsula by bike.

According to the Management Board, the opening week of the Beach Tourism Season 2014 will run from April 30 to May 5. It will feature over 20 sporting and cultural activities along the Hoang Sa-Vo Nguyen Giap-Truong Sa coastal route. Apart from entertainments, there will also be various events for the promotion of marine culture and environmental protection.

With various activities in the air and on the water, the Da Nang Beach Tourism Season 2014 will help further promote the city’s image of marine tourism to visitors and create a unique and sustainable tourism product for the city.

In 2013, Da Nang’s tourism sector maintained stable growth, welcoming over 743,000 foreign tourists. The number of domestic holidaymakers exceeded 2.3 million, up 17 percent.

This year, the city plans to promote its tourism image in key foreign markets, including China, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Russia and Japan, while luring holidaymakers from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Can Tho and Hai Phong.

Furthermore, it will accelerate the establishment of the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Fund and increase regular flights from China, Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia to the city.

The municipal tourism sector looks to attract 3.6 million visitors this year, including 880,000 foreigners, up 15 percent and 18 percent, respectively, from 2013. Total turnover from tourism is projected to rise 13 percent to over 8.8 trillion VND (419 million USD).-VNA