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| Fireworks displays lasting for two summer months have made Da Nang the center of attention, contributing to attracting domestic and international tourists. Photo: THU HA |
From contest to festival
DIFC 2008 was organized by the City People's Committee, consisting of 3 consecutive nights of performance. The appearance of fireworks at that time created a strong effect, attracting the attention of many domestic and international tourists. For the first time, Vietnam had a large-scale international fireworks competition hosted by Da Nang. This was also the first time that people in Da Nang enjoyed fireworks performances combined with music . Over the years, DIFC has gradually created an impression and become an event that people and tourists in Da Nang look forward to every summer.
Over 7 fireworks seasons (from 2008 to 2015), DIFC organized by the city increased from 4 teams in the first season to 5 teams in the following years. In 2017, the City People's Committee assigned DIFC toSun Group Corporation to organize with the desire to raise the scale, novelty and difference. From a competition lasting only a few days, DIFC was upgraded to become the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) spanning every month with many accompanying supporting activities. Tourism professionals said that this was a big turning point for the city's tourism industry. The two-month event has contributed to promoting and attracting visitors to Da Nang throughout the summer.
According to Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Truong Thi Hong Hanh, the previous DIFC and the current DIFF have created a big "boost" for the city's development, not only in the tourism sector but also in other sectors. This event has contributed significantly to the city's overall success when it was honored by the World Travel Awards as "Asia's Leading Festival and Event Destination" in 2016 and 2022, along with many other prestigious awards and international votes.
Having been involved with DIFF since its inception, Ms. Nadia Shakira Wong, Director of Global 2000 Fireworks Consulting Company, has seen the continuous development of Da Nang through the fireworks seasons. The Da Nang fireworks team entered the international fireworks competition without ever having performed in a major competition. However, over the years, the members of the Da Nang fireworks team have accumulated experience and have become more and more mature in combining music and fireworks, creating an impression on the audience. “The organization of DIFF has become more and more professional and methodical over the years. From the accommodation of the participating teams to the art programs, stages, stands for the audience, especially the fireworks installation area, waiting rooms, meeting rooms, drinking water... all have been carefully prepared by the organizing committee, making the consulting unit and the participating members very satisfied,” Ms. Nadia Shakira Wong expressed.
Danang's own brand
Having been involved with DIFF since its early days, Mr. Dang Van Binh, an expert at the Center for International Cooperation Development and Foreign Affairs Services (Department of Foreign Affairs) has worked as an interpreter for 9 years (from 2008 to 2019) and from 2023 to present, he has been a member of the Da Nang fireworks team. He has supported many teams performing at DIFF, including the fireworks team from the US, who won DIFC 2013. Mr. Binh shared that participating in DIFF is a wonderful journey, with different emotions each season.
It is also fireworks, it is also music, but each year it is designed and combined into new performances that are worth watching, worth waiting for. “The interpreter is not simply a language “bridge” between the parties to convey information from the organizing committee to the participating teams, but also needs to have a little more knowledge and experience in the fireworks industry… to make the work go smoothly. Every year, the city's DIFF organization is better implemented, the coordination between the parties is more methodical and rhythmic,” Mr. Binh shared.
Having performed at DIFF four times (2017, 2018, 2023, 2024), Da Nang has become a familiar address for the members of the fireworks team from Italy. Mr. Damiano Baraido, Captain of the Italian fireworks team, shared that although he has been to many countries to perform fireworks, Da Nang always gives him a different impression. “In Da Nang, we can comfortably meet and chat with each other as if we were in my country. When we go sightseeing or walking around the streets, the local people are always warm and welcome us with friendly smiles. That is why when we have the opportunity, we all want to come back to DIFF,” said Mr. Damiano Baraido.
After 17 years and 13 times of organization, DIFF has become a unique brand of Da Nang, contributing to the city's tourism development, becoming a festival event that attracts a large number of people and tourists. Since DIFF 2024, the number of international visitors to Da Nang has grown impressively and surpassed the same period in 2019, when Covid-19 had not yet occurred. According to data from the City's Department of Statistics, revenue from accommodation and catering services in June is estimated at VND 2,523 billion, an increase of 27% over the same period in 2023; of which, revenue from the accommodation sector is estimated at VND 973 billion; the catering sector is estimated at VND 1,549 billion. Accumulated in the first 6 months of 2024, revenue from accommodation and catering services is estimated at nearly VND 12,932 billion, an increase of 22.2% over the same period in 2023; In which, revenue from the accommodation sector is estimated at VND 4,684 billion, up 36.4%; the food and beverage sector is estimated at VND 8,248 billion, up 15.4%.
To achieve the success of DIFF, the city mobilized many human resources to join hands for the brand of a friendly, safe and hospitable tourist city. Along with supporting activities, DIFF becomes the focus of each summer, the quality of the event is constantly renewed, raised to international level, contributing to making Da Nang a city worth visiting, affirming the brand "Asia's leading event and festival destination" as well as making an important contribution to promoting the city's socio-economic development. DIFF has become a spiritual dish that domestic and international tourists look forward to every summer, becoming a unique brand of Da Nang with the affectionate name "fireworks city".
THU HA
Source: https://baodanang.vn/channel/5433/202505/hanh-trinh-xay-thuong-hieu-4007877/
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