The Danang Tourism Promotion Agency reported that 822,000 Korean tourists booked room service in the city in the first half of this year, accounting for a 41 percent share of international visitors.
According to a report by the Danang City People's Committee, Danang served 6.6 million visitors in the first seven months, up 33 percent year over year, including 2.5 million foreign tourists.
The committee said, "The city tourism sector has so far reached 80 percent of its target of serving 8.4 million visitors this year." Meanwhile, the target of receiving 2.5 million foreign visitors had already been met.
Vice Chairman of the Danang City People's Committee Tran Chi Cuong shared that South Korean tourist segments to Da Nang have remained stable since 2015.
"The city also keeps boosting meetings, incentives, Conference and exhibition space, and golf tour services," he said. "New tourism products include night walks on Bach Dang Street along the Han River, Downtown Da Nang with fireworks, and a jet ski and flyboard show every night."
Deputy director of the Danang Tourism Department, Nguyen Thi Hoai An, also said that the city was striving to become a leading destination for events and festivals in Asia focused on high-end international tourists.
"South Korea is currently our biggest market," the official said. Our Enjoy Da Nang Again programme for South Korean visitors has helped attract many visitors from this market."
According to some tourism experts, the media effect created by K-pop celebrities' affinity for Vietnam has also helped spark a wave of interest among South Koreans.
In KBS's Battle Trip programme, a trip to Da Nang by female artists Oh Hyun Kyung and Jung Si Ah was seen as helping to make Vietnam one of the top 10 destinations most loved by South Korean viewers.
Danang will host the annual Vietnam-South Korea Cultural Exchange Day in September to create more entertainment and cultural events for Korean tourists in Danang.
In addition to low costs, increased direct flights from South Korea to Vietnam, friendly visa policies, and tourism campaigns in the South Korean media also helped drive tourism growth from the Northeast Asian country.
Since August last year, Vietnam has extended the stay duration for South Korean tourists to 45 days from 15 days, and e-visas are valid for up to 90 days.
During a recent visit to South Korea, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted tourism co-operation between the two countries as "a bright spot in bilateral ties" and hoped both would work together to advance tourism ties to a new level.
