Nearly 120 foreign tourists arrived in the central city of Da Nang on January 31 on Flight MI630 operated by Singapore’s Silk Air, becoming the first visitors of the Year of the Horse to the beach city. 

On this occasion, the tourists from Singapore will join in activities to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year, besides regular destinations in their tour package. 

Since the beginning of this year, Da Nang has welcomed nearly 180,000 visitors, including 58,500 foreign arrivals, up 22.4 and 23.7 percent, respectively, from the same period last year. 
 

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 domestic tourists 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 expand regular flights from China, Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Russia to the city. 

In 2013, Da Nang’s tourism sector maintained stable growth, welcoming over 743,000 foreign tourists. Of the figure, 264,200 came through direct air routes, up 80 percent from the previous year, thanks to the presence of 16 air routes linking the city with foreign destinations. 

The number of domestic holidaymakers exceeded 2.3 million, up 17 percent.-VNA