Waiting for movement of southwest tourism corridor of Da Nang

Many areas in the mountainous region of Tra My are often densely covered with clouds in the early morning, making them ideal for young people to experience "cloud hunting." Photo: QUOC TUAN

Unique corridor

The former Quang Nam province had a strategic plan to expand tourism westward and southward. Initially, this involved identifying and developing the potential of a chain of destinations starting from Tam Ky and ending in the Tra My mountain region. A key advantage of this corridor is that most tourist destinations are located along National Highway 40B, beginning in Tam Thanh commune (now Quang Phu ward) and extending to the Tra My mountain region.

Following the prominent destinations along the route, tourists can explore a diverse range of tourism options, from beach tourism (Tam Thanh); ecotourism (Phu Ninh Lake, Phu Ninh commune); cultural tourism associated with the community (Loc Yen ancient village, Thanh Binh commune); and ecotourism and community-based tourism linked to experiences in the Ngoc Linh ginseng region…

A major highlight that sets this route apart is its abundance of valuable medicinal plant regions. Even more remarkable is the close historical connection between these regions, such as Tien Phuoc agarwood and Tra My cinnamon, and the Hoi An trading port. This is crucial for defining the tour's identity and creating a compelling narrative to persuade tourists to experience the journey.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Quang Nam Destination Club for Preserving Local Values ( Da Nang City Tourism Association), assessed that some destinations along this route complement each other very harmoniously in terms of both nature and culture. “In the past, the Club has actively coordinated with relevant agencies to train people in these destinations on skills for developing community tourism. In reality, most people in community tourism villages have a strong desire to access and develop tourism to improve their livelihoods,” Mr. Viet said.

With the growing trend of green tourism and nature-based experiences, the southwestern Da Nang tourism corridor is also seeing some positive signs. In Loc Yen ancient village, several new standard accommodation facilities have been established, connecting experiential products with the local community and supporting the promotion of the "Fairyland" culture in Hoi An to more widely spread the destination's brand to tourists.

With Tak Po (Tra Tap commune) as a destination, after camping and cloud hunting on the summit of Tak Po was voted among the top 7 most impressive travel experiences in Vietnam in 2024 by Saigon Tiep Thi (a publication of Saigon Times Group), more and more backpackers have visited the village over time. Homestays have begun to be established in Tak Po to serve tourists; at the same time, the local government is actively improving and upgrading the tourism environment to further enhance Tak Po's attractiveness.

In August, as part of the 7th Ngoc Linh Ginseng Festival - 2025, Tra Tap commune launched the "Legend of Ngoc Linh Ginseng" experiential tourism tour. Participating in this tour, visitors will hike through the forest, visit ginseng gardens, listen to stories about the vast Tra My forest, and learn from the locals about ginseng cultivation and harvesting. They will also enjoy traditional local cuisine, including dishes made from ginseng. This is considered a starting point for sustainable development of community tourism linked to the preservation of cultural identity and indigenous medicinal plants.

Wait for more movement

According to several travel agencies, a common weakness of destinations along this corridor is the poor infrastructure and limited transportation links between them. The most vital transportation artery along this corridor, National Highway 40B, needs to be upgraded and completed along its entire length to act as a catalyst for tourism, especially since this route provides convenient access to the tourist destination of Mang Den (Quang Ngai). In addition, the quality of accommodation, particularly in the Tra My area, is a major issue that needs improvement to meet basic requirements for retaining tourists.

According to Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh, General Director of Emic Hospitality Hoi An Co., Ltd., in the new city's tourism "map," the Tam Ky - Phu Ninh area could be zoned to form a health tourism zone, developing a center for elderly care combined with relaxation, physiotherapy, meditation, and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, the Tra My mountain region needs to develop "healing" tourism, forest ecotourism, and characteristic OCOP products such as ginseng and cinnamon, linked to the local culture.

In early 2025, the local government announced the Hoi An - My Son - Dong Giang Heaven's Gate heritage tourism corridor, leading to positive developments in investment and product upgrades. With its unique potential and value, if the chain of destinations in the southwest of the city receives further support, it could potentially form a distinctive tourism corridor for Da Nang in the future. This would contribute to diversifying routes and destinations, encouraging longer stays for tourists, and improving the livelihoods of people in the southwestern area of Da Nang.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/cho-chuyen-dong-hanh-lang-du-lich-tay-nam-da-nang-3305476.html