Tourists play on Da Nang beach (Source: VNA)

Speaking at a workshop to promote central Da Nang city’s tourism in Tokyo, the official added that the number of visitors between the two nations surpassed 1.2 million last year, in which 826,000 Japanese people traveled to Vietnam, and 390,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Japan.

She attributed the positive figure to an increase in the number of flights linking the two countries. Each week, there are 120 flights between the two countries conducted by the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost carrier Vietjet Air. Bamboo Airway, Vietnam’s newest airline, has also announced its plan to open direct air routes connecting Vietnam and Japan.

Deputy head of the Da Nang municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh said that the city is focusing on attracting tourists from key markets, including Japan.

It has many tourism products suitable for Japanese holiday-makers, especially a long and beautiful coast, he stated.

He told Vietnam News Agency reporters on the sidelines of the workshop that last year, around 160,000 Japanese tourists entered Vietnam via the Da Nang International Airport.

The figure is quite impressive, but fails to match tourism potential of the city in particular and the central region in general, he added.

VNF ( VNA )