Delegates attending the 2024 International Conference on Rural Tourism in Quang Nam Province experienced foot massage and bath at the Tra Que Vegetable Village. Photo: Quoc Tuan

Combination of tradition and modernity

Wellness tourism has been defined by the Global Wellness Institute as travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing.

Good news for local tourism is that just before the establishment of the new Da Nang, Hoi An was named by India's leading daily the Times of India among the top five ideal destinations for a vacation that combines physical and mental therapy.

Hoi An is highly regarded in this field with yoga courses, body detox packages, and spa treatments in traditional Vietnamese style, in addition to its quiet space and slow pace of life.

In late 2024, one of the experiences welcoming the delegation attending the International Conference on Rural Tourism in Quang Nam during their visit to the Tra Que Vegetable Village was massage and foot bath using the village's refined medicinal herbs.

Ms. Le Pham Thien Hang, who is the founder of An Farm Hoi An, said "Wellness tourism is a very unique service, and An Farm Hoi An itself is implementing wellness tourism in the agricultural sector which aligns well with the local characteristics and advantages. There is still potential to promote this type of tourism in various agricultural tourism destinations in Da Nang. This could include experiences such as tree planting, foot baths, meditation, and the use of organic foods".

In March 2025, the People's Committee of old Da Nang issued a Plan for Developing Medical Tourism for the 2025 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050. The plan mentioned the development of the medical tourism and health care market in Da Nang. In the old city, in recent times, a number of medical facilities and tourist areas have actively upgraded their services and products to keep up with this trend.

Recently, the Wafaifo Hoi An Resort in Hoi An Tay Ward has collaborated with its partner Verita Health (a major global brand in the field of personalized medicine) to put into operation the first health care center in Da Nang. According to the resort representative, not simply a health care center, Verita Health brings a new approach to experiencing high-end resorts associated with modern functional medicine.

Visitors will undergo advanced therapies personalized to their health status through three steps: detection, reversal and prevention, and optimization. These therapies include pressurized oxygen, infrared sauna, electronically controlled ice baths, and stem cell treatment.

The Nui Than Tai Hot Spring Park in Hoa Vang Commune, Da Nang, offers many relaxation and health care services. Photo: Quoc Tuan

Target market positioning

The field of wellness tourism is quite broad, catering to the diverse needs of different customer markets. Da Nang’s medical tourism development plan aims to promote products and services such as meditation and yoga tours for Korean and Japanese guests, as well as healthcare services and weight loss programmes for Russian and Eastern European visitors.

India is also a notable potential market in this field when Da Nang and Hoi An have witnessed an increasing number of Indian guests over the past few years. This is a country with many Halal guests. Additionally, the Indian diplomatic agencies often work with authorities in former Quang Nam Province to organize international Yoga events.

With the addition of a diverse landscape and tourism resources ranging from the mountains to the sea after merging with Quang Nam, the wellness tourism sector in Da Nang is becoming even more expansive. The city plans to enhance its tourism products, which are identified as key advantages, including spiritual sightseeing, saunas, resorts, mineral mud baths, herbal baths, and mountain climbing. Both the quantity and quality of these offerings will be improved, allowing local tourism management and investors to better access and develop this sector.

According to Mr. Le Tan Thanh Tung, Deputy General Director of VITRACO Tourism - Event - Transportation Company, the potential customer market in the wellness tourism sector of Da Nang is very diverse. Japanese customers tend to be interested in nursing, rehabilitation, and therapeutic resorts. Meanwhile, South Korean customers like to travel combined with health check-ups and aesthetics. Western customers like to travel combined with health care; ASEAN customers are suitable for dentistry, traditional medicine; and the domestic customer market likes to travel for rehabilitation, and physical therapy.

Mr. Tung stressed the need for Da Nang to build an integrated medical tourism ecosystem, develop specialized products for each market, promote communication, and advertise medical tourism destination brands in order to effectively exploit the source of tourists in this field. In addition, it is necessary for the city to train high-quality human resources, develop infrastructure and support policies, and build linkage models.

Translated by M.DUNG