Danang Hotel Association to provide training to scale up low-rated hotels

Nguyen Duc Quynh outlines his plan to maintain Danang's prestige as a holiday destination

In an interview in Singapore, Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy chairman of the Steering Committee of the Danang Hotel Association cum deputy general director of Furama Resort Danang, said: “The biggest issue we have in Danang is the large supply of one- and two-star hotels. There are 25,570 hotel rooms in Danang, 40 per cent of which are in one- and two-star hotels. These hotels tend to attract lower-end tourists who may bring with them certain social issues that will ultimately influence Danang’s reputation as a holiday destination. Danang needs to be a destination for quality tourists.”

As a solution, deputy chairman Quynh recommends that one- and two-star hotels “convert into long-stay properties that are suitable for business travellers and domestic family groups on holidays.”

He explained: “Following the APEC meetings in Danang on November 4-11, trade and foreign investment will pick up in Danang, which will result in more foreigners coming in for business projects. They will need a place to stay and one- and two-star hotels could provide that by scaling up their facilities and changing their business structure.”

“Going after the long-stay market will also help alleviate these hotels’ poor business during the winter season,” he said.

The association will provide guidance on business transformation and training on critical knowledge such as revenue management.

When asked where the association will get its funding for these activities, Quynh said: “They will come from membership fees and sponsorship from businesses that have an interest in our members, for example hotel booking technology companies that hope to introduce their solutions to these one- and two-star hotels.”