Potential from the "gold mine" of the Middle East
Emirates - the world's leading international airline (according to Forbes Travel Guide 2025), has the largest scale in the Middle East with 4,100 flights/week from Dubai International Airport to 140 cities in more than 80 countries around the world.
Emirates' launch of a direct flight to Da Nang has officially built a bridge for billionaires from the richest country on the planet to the coastal city, bringing the huge spending of the Middle East's upper class.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City, as of April 2025, the number of visitors from Middle Eastern countries to Da Nang was more than 13,000, accounting for 0.73% of the international visitors to Da Nang structure (the most of whom are visitors from Iran, Israel and Türkiye). This figure is expected to increase significantly when Emirates has a new route, contributing to helping Da Nang city's tourism revenue reach thousands of billions of VND.
As a trendy tourist city, Da Nang has made many strides in recent years in realizing its strategy of expanding new markets but rich in potential, considered a new high-end tourism "lowland" in the world, such as the Middle East and Central Asia markets.
Currently, many charter flights are being operated directly to Da Nang, including: From Kazakhstan ( Astana, Almaty) there are 7 airlines operating with a frequency of 10 flights/week from April to October 2025; From Uzbekistan (Tashkent), Centrum-Air Airways also operate 1 flight/week from the end of April 2025.
Emirates' official operation of the Dubai - Da Nang route has marked a special milestone in this luxury passenger attraction strategy.
Mr. Tran Chi Cuong - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City. Da Nang said: "With a network of connecting more than 140 global destinations, this route helps shorten the gap between Da Nang and potential markets such as the Middle East, Europe, North America and Africa, contributing to promoting tourism, while opening up cooperation opportunities in the fields of trade, investment and cultural exchange".
What does Da Nang have to "treat" luxury customers?
Multi-experience travel and high-end resort travel are the first factors needed to serve high-spending customers. Statistics show that the Middle East tourist market is increasingly eager to explore new resorts in addition to some familiar destinations in Southeast Asia such as: Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore...
This is an opportunity for Da Nang - a city that owns natural landscapes and high-end tourism services that are not inferior to any famous destination in Southeast Asia - to welcome this luxury customer base.
Mr. Hassam, one of the first passengers to arrive in Da Nang via Emirates' flight on June 2, 2025, said that the Han River city is one of the destinations he most hopes to visit: "Da Nang has a very beautiful My Khe sea, there is the Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills, there is the Fire-Spraying Dragon Bridge... This city has so many unique experiences that I have wanted to visit for a long time, now they have come true".
Also one of the passengers on Emirates' flight to Da Nang on June 2, Ms. Laura, who was transferred from the US to Dubai to Da Nang, shared that after a few days of experience in the coastal city: "I have heard about the beautiful city of Vietnam for a long time and now I personally enjoy it as wonderful. Many entertainment experiences, many high-end resorts... It can be said that everything is there, but the natural scenery is wonderful".
By May 2025, Da Nang will have about 1,290 tourist accommodation establishments, of which 111 establishments meet 4-5 star standards. High-class hotels are considered a popular accommodation for high-end Middle Eastern guests in Da Nang such as: InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Premier Village Danang Resort, Novotel Danang Premier Han River, Mercure Danang French Village Ba Na Hills... along with a series of international brand hotels including Hyatt, Sheraton, Marriott...
The city also has 16 tourist areas and destinations, with prominent landmarks such as Sun World Ba Na Hills with world-famous iconic tourism works such as the Golden Bridge, Da Nang Downtown, Nui Than Tai Hot Spring Park...
Golf tourism - a favorite product line of Middle Eastern tourists is also a great strength of Da Nang, with 3 international standard golf courses. Notably, Ba Na Hills Golf Club was designed by legendary golfer Luke Donald and managed by IMG Group and has been honored as "Best Golf Course in Asia" 5 times.
Even for billionaires to come to Da Nang and feel like they are at home, Halal tourism - a form of tourism that meets religious standards and lifestyle of the majority of people - has been applied by Da Nang as a main trend to "treat" visitors from the Middle East.
Currently, Da Nang has nearly 30 restaurants and eateries serving Halal cuisine or dishes suitable for Asian tourists, some of which have been granted Halal certificates such as: Halal Indrapura, Bharata restaurant at Sun World Ba Na Hills...
Ms. Nguyen Vu Quynh Anh - Deputy General Director of Sun Group, General Director of Sun Hospitality & Entertainment Group added that businesses in Sun Group's ecosystem in Da Nang are currently investing in many more utilities and suitable experiences, especially Halal food restaurant or praying room in Ba Na Hills...
"In addition to luxury services, understanding culture and providing sophisticated cultural experiences is a way to be able to fully meet the needs of customers who are considered this difficulty" - Ms. Quynh Anh said.
With the official marking on the Emirates airline destination map, Da Nang has opened an important step forward in exploiting the "gold mine" of the Middle East.
Ms. Truong Thi Hong Hanh - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City. Da Nang once shared: "This route not only promotes tourism development but also expands opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment and economic and cultural exchanges, contributing to spreading and promoting Da Nang to the world with the message "Discover the stories of Danang - Let's explore the story of Da Nang".
