ĐÀ NẴNG - Đà Nẵng City is focusing on becoming a city of events and festivals.

In October, the Furama Resort Đà Nẵng International Conference Center hosted the GBA Oktoberfest 2023, a German cultural festival, attracting thousands of locals and tourists who came to indulge in culinary delights and enjoy the festivities.

The GBA Oktoberfest has been an annual event since 1992 in Hà Nội and HCM City, but this was the first time this event took place in Đà Nẵng.

Nguyễn Đức Quỳnh, deputy chairman of the Đà Nẵng Tourism Association, chairman of the Đà Nẵng Hotel Association, and general manager of Furama Resort Đà Nẵng, said that compared to other cities in the country, Đà Nẵng still needs many high-profile events.

Starting from this year, the GBA Oktoberfest will be an annual event, contributing to creating a unique cultural, culinary, and touristic product and pushing Đà Nẵng towards becoming a city of events and festivals.

The GBA Oktoberfest, apart from its culinary delights, German beer and music, serves as one of the activities to enhance the strategic partnership between Việt Nam and Germany across various cultural, economic, commercial, and investment sectors.

According to Nguyễn Xuân Bình, deputy director of the Đà Nẵng Department of Tourism, relevant authorities will continue to evaluate and allocate resources to each event appropriately and address seasonal variations.

In addition to attractive promotions for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) groups, groups with over 700 tourists will be offered welcome ceremonies, transportation, artistic performances, souvenirs and thank-you letters from the city's People's Committee [Administration] when visiting Đà Nẵng.

Phạm Trường Quốc Vương, chairman of the Đà Nẵng Events Association, said that to truly make Đà Nẵng a city of events and festivals, it is crucial to enhance the local capacity for on-site event organisation.

Most businesses in the event planning sector in Đà Nẵng are small enterprises, Vương said.

Most large-scale cultural, sports, and entertainment events are organised in the two ends of the country, namely Hà Nội and HCM City. Đà Nẵng businesses only participate in the role of supplying equipment and essential items.

The main challenge is the lack of unique, innovative ideas and slow adaptation to technological advancements due to limited investment resources, Vương added.

Relevant authorities have set goals and solutions to enhance their members' capacity and human resources quality, focusing on creative ideas, professional directing, and contributing innovative concepts to construct Đà Nẵng as a city of events and festivals in the true sense.

Furthermore, there is a crucial need for investment in internationally standardised event spaces with modern, flexible infrastructure suitable for various types of events, including major concerts and sports events, meeting the requirements of international programmes and renowned stars, Vương said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Việt Nam Travel Association Vũ Thế Bình said that not only has Đà Nẵng established a brand for events and festivals such as APEC 2017 and the International Fireworks Festival, but also Thừa Thiên - Huế with the Huế Festival and Quảng Nam with the Heritage Festival can completely turn the Central region into a national MICE tourism centre, in which Đà Nẵng, with its central role and convenient transportation, has a great advantage.

Post-COVID-19, MICE tourism has shown rapid development, especially with the resurgence of big events attracting thousands of participants, revitalising the tourism industry.

Đà Nẵng’s decision to become a city of events and festivals, offering numerous incentives to MICE groups and developing tourism infrastructure, along with nurturing young businesses in this field, can undoubtedly usher in a new wave of development, Bình emphasised.  VNS