[Da Nang, July 9, 2025] The Da Nang Tourism Association and the Quang Nam Tourism Association officially held a Board of Directors meeting regarding the merger of the two associations at Furama Resort Da Nang. This event marks a significant milestone in the development of the central region’s tourism industry, ushering in a new era aimed at sustainable tourism development and enhancing Da Nang’s position on the international tourism map post-merger.
Full view of the Board of Directors meeting at Furama Resort Da Nang
Opening the conference, Mr. Cao Tri Dung, former Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, stated: “The merger of the two associations is the result of discussions and consensus among leaders and members, recognizing the importance of close linkage to optimize resources, diversify tourism products, and enhance competitiveness. Instead of operating independently, a unified organization will have a stronger voice, making it easier to propose policies, attract investment, promote jointly, and create attractive linked tourism packages for visitors.”
Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh, former Chairman of the Quang Nam Tourism Association, added: “This merger is an important step, marking the beginning of strong and sustainable unity between Da Nang and Quang Nam. We are delighted to have the opportunity to build and develop regional tourism together, bringing new values and attracting both domestic and international tourists.”
Structural Changes Post-Merger
Mr. Nguyen Duc Quynh shares insights
Consulting on the merger, Mr. Nguyen Duc Quynh, Chairman of the Da Nang Hotel Association and Vice Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, shared: “This merger is not just an organizational synergy but also an opportunity to enhance the quality of the region’s tourism workforce. In the near future, training and professional development for members will be a focus of the Association. Alongside specialized tourism-hospitality training institutions like IBH Academy, I aim to develop training programs that update new trends in market management, operations, and digital transformation, enabling personnel to quickly adapt to industry requirements.
Additionally, maintaining and developing regular activities such as tourism forums, fairs, destination survey famtrips, tourism awards, etc., will continue to be organized regularly and expanded in scale. These are important bridges for businesses inside and outside the region to interact, cooperate, and jointly create distinctive linked tourism products.
During the merger process, the Association also actively works with the Vietnam Tourism Association to ensure synchronization in organizational structure and operational criteria of member branches and clubs. This unification will help the Association’s activities become stable, transparent, and effective, laying the groundwork for sustainable development and professionalization of the local tourism industry.”
Thus, the merger does not fragment the market share but, conversely, enriches it. With a unified product strategy, tourism businesses can proactively combine services, creating many new options for tourists. Mr. Cao Tri Dung, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, further shared: “Businesses should also consult with investors and government agencies on investing in service infrastructure and tourism products to not only improve service quality but also build a complete tourism ecosystem that meets the increasing demands of tourists, thereby creating unique and differentiated experiences for all visitors.”
Mr. Cao Tri Dung delivers the opening speech at the conference
Sharing the same sentiment, Mr. Tran Kim Tho, General Secretary of the Da Nang Hotel Branch, stated: “The Hotel Branch and the Tourism Association, in general, need to actively develop regular events to promote Da Nang as a professional destination, such as the Da Nang Hotel Association Cup Football Tournament, Da Nang Professional Chef Competition, Da Nang Tourism Festival, Da Nang Green Tourism Day, etc. Alongside this, branches and clubs need to hold early meetings to unify the direction of the branches post-merger.”
Mr. Le Quoc Viet, Head of the Quang Nam Destination Club, shared: “Previously, both Da Nang and Quang Nam were major tourist attractions. The merger will help us maximize potential, build a unified destination image, and attract more tourists, especially international visitors.”
Mechanical Merger of the Two Tourism Associations Opens Up Prospects for Sustainable Tourism Development and Elevates Regional Position
This merger event is expected to create strong momentum for the recovery and sustainable development of the central region’s tourism industry, contributing to the socio-economic growth of both localities.
Agreeing with this view, Ms. Linh Chi, Head of the Homestay Villa Branch in Hoi An, shared: “I firmly believe that the merger of the two Tourism Associations is a golden opportunity for us to promote inter-regional sustainable tourism development. When Da Nang and Quang Nam join forces, we can coordinate to organize cultural events and activities with stronger linkages. Even if expanded to Hue, we will create a unique cultural experience journey combined with relaxation, attracting a significant number of international tourists to each locality, meeting the increasing demand of tourists wanting to explore the deep cultural identity of Central Vietnam.”
Representatives of the Executive Committees of Da Nang and Quang Nam Tourism Associations vote at the conference.
Mr. Ho Thanh Tu, General Secretary of the Da Nang Tourism Association, summarizes the content of the meeting of the Standing Committee of the two Associations.
After the meeting, the two Associations agreed on the merger policy and nominated Mr. Cao Tri Dung as the interim Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association and agreed on the following points:
- Name: Da Nang City Tourism Association.
- Agreed on the merger policy and nominated Mr. Cao Tri Dung as the interim Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association post-merger.
- Temporarily merged and retained the entire organizational structure of the Executive Committee, Standing Committee, branches, and clubs of both Associations.
- Agreed that the office of the Da Nang Tourism Association will be located at the Ariyana International Convention Center in Da Nang.
- The second office of the Da Nang Tourism Association will be located in Hoi An ward.
- Agreed on the financial matters of the Da Nang Tourism Association post-merger.
- Assigned the interim Standing Committee of the Da Nang Tourism Association to prepare a proposal to submit to the Da Nang City People’s Committee for approval.
