Danang in November had two more chartered flights a week from neighboring China. By the end of this year, the city will welcome an extra two chartered flights a week from China using Airbus planes, taking its total number of weekly chartered flights to 16.

The chartered flights mainly come from China’s provinces and cities like Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Xian and Shanghai. “Chinese visitors to Danang are expected to rise further in the forthcoming Lunar New Year holiday. From the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month to the seventh day of the first lunar month, the city will serve about 4,000 travelers from China a day,” said Tran Chi Cuong, deputy director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. At present, most Chinese visitors arrive in Danang on chartered flights and stay at hotels and resorts of four- to five-star standards for touring the city and other destinations like Hoi An and Hue while others are taken to the city by the cruise line StarCruises.

China has already become the leading visitor-generating market for Danang’s tourism industry, Cuong said. Danang has welcomed over 743,000 foreign visitors this year, with those from China accounting for some 15%. A group of 30 members including tourism companies’ representatives and officials from China’s Guangdong Province has recently come to make surveys and set up business links with local partners for tour arrangements.

“Many Chinese firms inform that Danang has become one of the most attractive destinations to Chinese tourists and that the market’s growth must be stronger as businesses of the two sides are cooperating to bring in more visitors,” Cuong added.