Da Nang builds halal-friendly destination to tap into fast-growing market

In 2025, Da Nang implemented targeted promotion campaigns to attract Muslim travellers from Indonesia, Malaysia, CIS countries and the Middle East, welcoming more than 617,000 visitors from these markets, supported by newly opened direct and charter air routes.

Da Nang welcomes the first group of foreign tourists to Hoi An in early 2026 (Photo: nhandan.vn)
Da Nang welcomes the first group of foreign tourists to Hoi An in early 2026 (Photo: nhandan.vn)

Da Nang (VNA) - As the global Halal tourism market continues to expand rapidly, Da Nang is well positioned to tap this high-potential segment by building a friendly, inclusive and internationally compliant destination for Muslim travellers.

Developing a Halal-friendly tourism ecosystem is not only expected to help the central coastal city diversify its visitor base and enhance competitiveness, but also reinforce its image as a safe, civilised destination that respects cultural diversity and promotes international integration.

In 2025, Da Nang welcomed more than 17.3 million overnight visitors, up 15% year on year. International arrivals exceeded 7.6 million, a sharp rise of 2%, while domestic visitors reached nearly 9.7 million, an increase of 8%.

Tourism revenue from accommodation, dining and travel services was estimated at around 60 trillion VND (2.28 billion USD), up over 21% and continuing to serve as a key pillar of the city’s economy.

The city has prioritised attracting high-spending, long-stay travellers from key markets such as Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, India, Australia and Europe, while expanding into emerging markets including India, the Middle East, and the US. Efforts are also underway to restore and launch new direct and charter flights from these markets.

In 2025 alone, Da Nang implemented targeted promotion campaigns to attract Muslim travellers from Indonesia, Malaysia, CIS countries and the Middle East, welcoming more than 617,000 visitors from these markets, supported by newly opened direct and charter air routes.

The national scheme on strengthening international cooperation to develop Vietnam’s Halal industry to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister in February 2023, has provided a strong policy impetus for the formation of a Halal ecosystem, with Halal tourism identified as a priority sector.

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Da Nang is improving the quality of its cuisine to serve domestic and international tourists (Photo: nhandan.vn)

Da Nang is steadily building its image as a Muslim-friendly destination by improving Halal-standard food, services and experiences.

According to Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, the city is well prepared in terms of location, infrastructure, human resources and service quality to serve Muslim visitors and develop a Halal tourism ecosystem under the vision of turning Da Nang into a Halal-friendly tourism destination.

Currently, the city has more than 800 dining establishments catering to Muslim guests, including nearly 40 Halal and Indian restaurants, over 10 of which are Halal-certified. Many hotels and restaurants have adapted their menus to suit Middle Eastern and CIS travellers, offering Halal, European-Asian and barbecue options.

Many major tourism operators have taken the lead. Sun World Ba Na Hills has introduced a Halal-certified restaurant and prayer rooms, while investing in staff training and multilingual materials to better serve Muslim guests. Furama Resort Da Nang has also built a separate Halal kitchen system operating under strict standards and has welcomed more than 5,000 Muslim visitors in 2025, with high satisfaction levels.

Industry experts view Halal tourism as a sustainable growth driver that can help Da Nang balance its visitor structure and reduce reliance on traditional markets.

Tan Van Vuong, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the city will continue market research, develop suitable products and implement its Muslim-friendly tourism plan for 2025–2030 in line with the national Halal scheme, while ensuring safety, supporting businesses in meeting Halal standards, expanding air connectivity, strengthening promotion and training human resources, and perfecting products exclusive for Muslim tourists./.

VNA

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