Da Nang attracts KOLs, KOCs, and content creators to promote tourism

On December 9th, the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued plan No. 450/KH-SVHTTDL to attract KOLs, KOCs, and digital content creators (people with online influencers) to experience and promote tourism in the city.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the context of the strong development of digital media, leveraging the influence of KOLs (influential figures on social media, reputable experts in various fields) and KOCs (consumers with real-world experience, who provide authentic product and service reviews and influence the target audience) has become an inevitable trend in the tourism promotion strategies of cities around the world.

Content shared by KOLs is often authentic, relatable, and spreads rapidly, thereby contributing to shaping consumer perceptions, emotions, and behavior.

Especially young customers (genZ and millennials), who tend to make decisions based on digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook.

The Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the online travel platform Klook, brought more than 30 digital content creators from India and the Middle East to promote tourism in the city.

Many popular destinations such as Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Bali, etc., have proactively implemented unique programs to attract international KOLs to experience and promote their tourism image.

Popular collaboration models today include: associating destination brands with representative KOLs, organizing themed fam trips tailored to specific markets and sectors (food, lifestyle, sports, music , etc.), and building long-term partnerships instead of short-term, fragmented activities.

Recently, articles, video clips, reels, vlogs about Da Nang from KOLs on social networks have increased in number, especially during festival seasons and peak tourist seasons, helping to increase interactions, shares and build the image of a dynamic, friendly, and worth-experiencing city.

However, local businesses have not yet fully played their role in coordinating the approach, nurturing, and support of KOLs. Furthermore, inviting KOLs is mainly short-term, focused on individual programs or events, and has not been integrated into a coordinated communication campaign.

Malaysian KOLs visit Da Nang Cathedral in Da Nang tourism promotion program.

To further encourage and attract KOLs to Da Nang, flexible and attractive incentive policies are needed to increase its competitive advantage compared to other destinations in the region; there should be clear procedures regarding the rights, obligations, and media requirements for invited KOLs as well as for partner businesses providing support.

Therefore, the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued a comprehensive plan and strategy to enhance the recognition of Da Nang as a destination on social media platforms, especially through the influence of KOLs, KOCs, and content creators.

Mr. Tan Van Vuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City, said the goal is to attract and diversify the tourist market through the influence of KOLs, KOCs, and influential figures both domestically and internationally, especially in key and emerging markets.

The combination of traditional channels and new global trends will both save on tourism promotion and advertising budgets and contribute to the goal of reaching 17.3 million overnight visitors in 2025 and 19.4 million overnight visitors in 2026, with estimated revenue from food, accommodation, and travel exceeding VND 60,000 billion in 2025 and VND 71,000 billion in 2026; building Da Nang's image as a modern, dynamic destination suitable for experiential tourism trends.

Malaysian KOL group experiences making food in Hoi An.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Tham, Director of the Da Nang City Tourism Promotion Center, in line with Da Nang's tourism development plan for the 2025-2030 period, the city is promoting destinations on digital platforms. Digital communication ensures practical effectiveness, measurable by specific data (views, interactions, posts, etc.), and is suitable for available resources, scalability, and long-term sustainability.

Besides attracting KOLs, KOCs, and digital content creators, Da Nang City continues to strengthen coordination among departments, businesses, and media outlets to implement the plan synchronously and widely.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/da-nang-thu-hut-kol-koc-nha-sang-tao-noi-dung-quang-ba-du-lich-20251210092735544.htm