From a competition to a festival
The DIFC was first organised in 2008 with four teams. From then on, every two years, people in Danang looked forward to the two days in the year in which they got to see the elaborate performances, and welcome tourists from everywhere who visit in the occasion.
Two days were two short, and two years was a long period of time. Both the people and tourists wanted something of a grander scale that would match the potential of this tourism city. Now when the authorities have announced that the competition would turn into a festival of two months long, starting from 2017.
Instead of having only performances that show the skill of the teams, the festival will be an occasion for culture, entertainment, art and tourism. Tourists can breathe in the atmosphere of bustling Danang when they visit the city and it will leave a deeper impression on them.
From being spectators, the people and tourists will now join in the festival, bring it to life, and create unforgettable memories together.
This year, the festival welcomes seven teams from seven countries namely the UK, Australia, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, China and Italy, besides the home team of Danang.
Five fireworks nights, named after the five elements namely fire, earth, metal, water and trees, are going to happen every Saturday. The nights aim to convey the message of the harmony between people and nature.
With the theme, “Lighting up the Ngu Hanh Son”, and six companion programmes namely the beach festival, the fire festival, Cham culture festival, sculpture festival, food festival and beer festival and street performances, the DIFF 2017 will bring to tourists an experience that is infused with culture but at the same time is creative and attractive.
New opportunity
The upgrade of the festival is going to be a significant boost to the Danang tourism sector, especially in the context that Danang has just been awarded the “Leading Festival and Event Destination 2016” title by the World Travel Awards.
Huynh Van Hung, director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Danang, said that DIFF is expected to be a signature event of the city, attract more tourists, make their experience better and reaffirm the creativity of this young city. He added that the city is building its tourism brand around this event.
Tourism companies in Danang have been preparing to greet the heavier flow of tourists to make sure their different needs are catered to. “Not all tourists will stay for two months. Companies should prepare tours to meet the demand of different segments of tourists so that they can have the best experience in the festival season,” said Huynh Tan Vinh, chairman of the Danang Tourism Association.
The city has been improving its infrastructure in transport, healthcare, commerce an services to welcome the higher volume of tourists. It is striving to grow both economically and culturally in order to remain an attractive destination.
RELATED CONTENTS: | |
Danang to invest US$70 million on new public bus network | |
Danang - Vietnam’s most liveable city: Asia Institute | |
Da Nang: Activities held to lure tourists during New Year holidays |
What the stars mean:
★ Poor ★ ★ Promising ★★★ Good ★★★★ Very good ★★★★★ Exceptional