Developing the potential of sports tourism

The IRONMAN competition held in early May marked the 10-year journey of IRONMAN presence in Vietnam. Photo: NGOC HA

Da Nang has made its mark with two large-scale sporting events: the Da Nang International Marathon and the IRONMAN. This year, these two competitions attracted a large number of international athletes. Specifically, last March, the Da Nang International Marathon 2025 marked its 12th season, with more than 7,000 athletes, including nearly 3,000 international athletes from 72 countries and territories - the highest number ever, an increase of nearly 45% compared to 2024.

This is also the marathon with the largest number of international athletes in Vietnam up to now, thereby affirming the strong attraction of Da Nang International Marathon on the world running map.

Mr. Bady Pham, Director of Pulse Active Company, the unit coordinating with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize the competition, shared that the success of this year's competition continues to be the driving force for organizing the next seasons. The organizing committee aims to increase the number of athletes competing in the competition each year, reaching the milestone of 20,000 athletes by 2027.

Meanwhile, the IRONMAN competition held in early May under the name IRONMAN 70.3 Da Nang 2025 marked the 10-year milestone of IRONMAN’s presence in Vietnam. In the past 10 years, Da Nang has been chosen to host the tournament 5 times.

This year, the event attracted more than 3,500 athletes from 72 countries and territories competing in triathlon events including: 21km run, 1.9km swim, 90km bike; and Sunrise SPRINT Vietnam race (a short-distance triathlon tournament of 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run); and IRONKIDS Vietnam with the participation of "child" athletes aged 5 to 14 years old competing in 2 events: Aquathlon (swimming - running), Triathlon (swimming - biking - running).

In addition to the two competitions above, in 2025, the city will continue to host many national sports tournaments and events, demonstrating that Da Nang is a prestigious and ideal location, aiming to become a sports center of the country.

Specifically, the city hosts the National Rowing Championship for Outstanding Rowers, the National Canoeing Championship for Outstanding Rowers, the National Youth Bowling Championship, the National Sailing Championship and Youth Championship; the National Youth Stand-Up Paddleboard Championship and the National Club Cup.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), sports tourism is considered one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry, estimated to be worth about 800 billion USD globally. This sector has an estimated growth rate of 17.5% in the period 2023-2030; at the same time, it can promote social, economic and environmental activities, even leaving a long-term positive effect on the destination. Anticipating this trend, the city has formed 9 groups of tourism products to attract visitors, focusing on festival and event tourism. On average, Da Nang hosts 15-20 national and international sporting events each year.

The successful hosting of domestic and international sporting events contributes to improving the efficiency and promoting the functionality and efficiency of sports facilities. Thereby, promoting economic development in the city, creating many jobs for people (accommodation, transportation, food and beverage services, etc.), promoting trade and services (shopping at supermarkets, shopping malls, traditional markets; entertainment at tourist areas, cultural sites, historical sites, etc.). Notably, through the hosting of sporting events, it contributes to promoting the image of the country and its people to localities nationwide, friends, and international visitors.

Citing the success of the IRONMAN competition, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Trong Thao said that Da Nang has been chosen as an ideal destination for IRONMAN for a decade, welcoming thousands of athletes from all over the world. This event not only promotes the image of a livable city, but also contributes to the strong development of local tourism. Therefore, for each event, the city pays attention to carefully preparing from facilities to reception, accommodation, cuisine, ensuring security and order for guests in order to leave beautiful images in the hearts of domestic and international friends.

NGOC HA

Source: https://baodanang.vn/du-lich-da-nang/202505/phat-trien-tiem-nang-du-lich-the-thao-4006576/