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Da Nang Urged to Accelerate Inland Waterway Tourism Development

Da Nang, Vietnam – Recognizing inland waterway tourism as a unique product, Da Nang City has issued numerous projects and plans to develop this sector over the years. However, inland waterway tourism has yet to be exploited to its full potential.

Untapped Potential

Currently, two inland waterway tourism routes are in operation: the Han River - Tran Thi Ly Bridge route and the CT15 - Hon Sup - Bai Nam - Bai Da route. Both routes attract a large number of tourists.

In 2024, inland waterway tourism saw 939,675 visitors, a 13.4% increase compared to 2023. On the Han River - Tran Thi Ly Bridge route, boats departing from the Han River area (in front of the Novotel Hotel, Bach Dang Street) slowly take tourists to admire the city at night.

Over the course of about an hour, tourists can enjoy the modern beauty of riverside buildings, listen to explanations about the bridges spanning the Han River, such as the Han River Bridge, Dragon Bridge, Nguyen Van Troi Bridge, and Tran Thi Ly Bridge, and watch the Dragon Bridge's fire and water displays on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. They can also enjoy traditional art performances like Cham dances, contemporary dances, and culinary experiences.

Meanwhile, the CT15 - Hon Sup - Bai Nam - Bai Da inland waterway tourism route takes visitors to beautiful destinations on the Son Tra Peninsula. Currently, three businesses are operating on this route: the Aphrodite yacht of Viet An Group and two speedboat companies, Le Hung and Sao Bien Xanh.

Many believe that inland waterway products still do not match the potential of a city "with the sea at one end and the river at the other." According to Mr. Dang Hoa, owner of the Han Giang tourist boat, the city is exploiting a short section of the river, while there is much more room and many more river and sea tourism products. The city has issued the Project on Inland Waterway Tourism Development in Da Nang City for the period up to 2030, with a vision to 2045, and announced many inland waterway passenger transport routes in the city, but implementation has been slow. Mr. Hoa believes that the city needs to dredge the Co Co River soon to develop cultural, historical, and spiritual tourism routes to Quan The Am Pagoda and the Ngu Hanh Son scenic area.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tam, General Director of Viet An Group Joint Stock Company, believes that relevant authorities need to quickly finalize mechanisms and policies, support, and call for investment in inland waterway tourism products. Specifically, expand the CT15 route to Hon Sup - Bai Nam - Bai Da and have mechanisms to call for investment in destinations along the route to increase tourism products, and quickly meet the needs and tastes of customers. In particular, the city needs to quickly plan, zone, and allow the organization of water entertainment activities, swimming, and snorkeling to enhance the tourist experience.

When Will New Routes Be Exploited?

The Da Nang City Tourism Development Plan for 2024, issued by the City People's Committee on December 20, 2023, identifies the development of inland waterway tourism as one of the key tasks. On that basis, on April 16, 2024, the City People's Committee issued Plan No. 95/KH-UBND to implement the Project on Inland Waterway Tourism Development in Da Nang City for the 2024-2025 period. According to the plan, inland waterway tourism activities focus on four main routes, with the feasibility of organizing daytime/nighttime activities and services, including: Han River - Tran Thi Ly; Han River - Co Co; CT15 - Hon Sup, Bai Nam, Bai Da; route from the mainland to the island: Da Nang - Cu Lao Cham (after permission is granted); and connect and soon implement the Han River - Da Nang Bay route.

According to the Department of Tourism, in 2025, relevant departments and agencies will continue to implement the inland waterway tourism development plan. In particular, accelerate the completion of auxiliary works at the Quan The Am Pagoda wharf area (X6); accelerate the project to dredge the Co Co River, connecting with Quang Nam, to effectively exploit the Han River route to Ngu Hanh Son, connecting with Hoi An - Quang Nam; propose solutions to exploit the western wharf of Nguyen Van Troi Bridge (Y7) for waterway tourism.

At the same time, continue to call for investment in the construction of Han River Port (Y6) and the Han River Marina area (Y5) into a large-scale specialized tourist port associated with auxiliary service complexes along Bach Dang - Nhu Nguyet Street according to the Da Nang City Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; call for investment in Sung Co and Ma Da to connect and develop waterway tourism.

In addition, relevant agencies will implement contents related to the investment and construction of inland waterway wharves according to planned locations in Da Nang Bay (Sung Co beach area, Ma Da beach area, etc.) and consider allowing the call for and attraction of investment in floating pontoons at suitable locations in Son Tra area to serve entertainment activities on the route; call for organizations, businesses, and individuals to invest in high-speed boat fleets with large tonnage, ensuring the operation of the waterway route from the mainland to the island: Da Nang - Cu Lao Cham and Da Nang - Ly Son, propose to expand and exploit the Son Tra Peninsula inland waterway route.

Relevant agencies will gradually implement the Project on Inland Waterway Tourism Development in Da Nang City for the period up to 2030, with a vision to 2045, with the overall goal of building and developing inland waterway tourism into one of the centers for infrastructure and tourist boat services in the country.