Quang Nam - Da Nang promote tourism in Nagasaki (Japan): Connecting from historical heritage to modern cooperation

On June 12, 2025, at the Huis Ten Bosch luxury resort (Nagasaki province), the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province in coordination with the Department of Culture, Tourism and International Cooperation of Nagasaki province organized a program to introduce and promote the cultural and tourism destination of Quang Nam - Da Nang to Japanese partners, businesses and media.

Mr. Van Ba Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province, spoke at the event.

A cultural journey that began over 400 years ago

The event not only concretizes the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in tourism development and cultural exchange between the two localities, signed in March 2025 in Quang Nam, but also marks a substantial development step in the over-time cooperation relationship between Quang Nam - Da Nang and Nagasaki province.

Thereby, the program contributes to deepening the Vietnam - Japan friendship, while opening up new cooperation opportunities in the fields of culture, tourism, investment and communication between localities.

Attending the event were Mr. Tsuyoshi Komiya, Director of Nagasaki Tourism Promotion Center; representatives of management agencies, airlines, tourism businesses, investors and Japanese media.

On the Vietnamese side, there were representatives of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province, typical tourism businesses of Quang Nam and Da Nang city, and representatives of Vietnam Airlines Japan branch.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Van Ba Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam province emphasized: “We came here not only to promote a destination, but also to continue a cultural journey that originated more than 400 years ago, from the beautiful love story between Princess Ngoc Hoa (Anio) and merchant Araki Sotaro - a symbol of the lasting friendship between Hoi An and Nagasaki”.

Delegates attending the event

A key market needs a long-term strategy

In the overall picture of Vietnam's tourism industry, Japan has always been one of the most valuable outbound markets, thanks to its stable number of visitors, high spending ability and love for Vietnamese culture, heritage, nature and cuisine.

For Quang Nam and Da Nang, Japan is a market with its own historical depth and emotional foundation: from the Hoi An - Nagasaki exchange in the 17th century to today's cultural exchange activities such as the opera "Princess Anio" that has "revived" the story of connection between the two lands.

Data shows that the potential is still huge: In 2023, Quang Nam welcomed over 28,000 Japanese visitors, in 2024 it reached nearly 47,000, impressive growth but still modest compared to the attraction of Hoi An heritage and Central Vietnam tourism products.

Many products suitable for Japanese tourists' tastes were introduced at the event.

Introducing strategic products that suit Japanese tastes

At the event, the Quang Nam - Da Nang tourism industry introduced a diverse product ecosystem, rich in identity and suitable to the tastes of Japanese tourists.

The highlight is the heritage tourism product line, with two World Cultural Heritages: Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Cham Relics - destinations that are always on the dream list of many Japanese tourists who love cultural depth and architecture.

Sea and island tourism in Cu Lao Cham - a World Biosphere Reserve, is becoming an ideal choice for the trend of "green tourism", experiencing nature after Covid of Japanese tourists who highly value environmental factors and harmony with nature.

In addition, Quang Nam - Da Nang also focuses on developing resort and wellness tourism, with products combining high-end resorts and body and mind care.

Experiencing indigenous culture and traditional craft villages - a product line that is especially loved by Japanese tourists in the trend of in-depth experiential tourism.

In particular, the MICE and golf tourism segments are also emphasized, aiming to exploit the increasing demand from Japanese business travelers and high-end groups, which have strict requirements on service quality and comprehensive experiences.

Vietnam Airlines representative in Japan also announced plans to increase direct flights from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya to Da Nang International Airport - a key factor to increase competitiveness as Japanese customers highly value convenience and time-saving travel.

Visa exemption for up to 45 days for Japanese citizens is a strategic advantage, helping Vietnam differentiate itself from competing destinations such as South Korea, Taiwan or Thailand.

The event received much attention from Japanese partners.

Gaps to be filled

Looking at the feedback from Japanese businesses at the event, it can be seen that the information gap is still a big barrier.

Mr. Takaaki Hisano, Director of the Promotion Strategy Office of Nagasaki Shipping Corporation frankly shared: “We love Vietnam very much, but in Nagasaki, information about tourism in Vietnam, especially in the Central region, is still very limited. The language barrier makes accessing information difficult.”

This is a weakness that needs to be overcome by strengthening Japanese-language communication channels and developing digital content products that are suitable for Japanese information consumption habits.

According to Mr. Nakamura, representative of the Nagasaki Tourism Promotion Center, the opera “Princess Anio” has stimulated the demand for cultural tourism to Hoi An, but in reality, many Japanese tourists still face obstacles when having to travel many stages and lack specific information.

Opening a direct flight from Nagasaki to Da Nang not only helps remove this barrier, but also stimulates demand for cultural and experiential tourism products for the Nagasaki market and the wider Kyushu region.

Delegates frankly shared issues that could promote two-way visitor exchange.

Need a systematic and sustainable cooperation strategy

At the end of the event, representatives of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam pledged to accompany businesses from both sides in designing, connecting and implementing tour products suitable for the tastes of Japanese visitors.

In addition, Quang Nam - Da Nang also invites Japanese investors to explore cooperation opportunities in potential fields: eco-tourism, luxury resorts, smart tourism, education, high-quality healthcare - fields that are of great appeal to Japanese businesses.

From a strategic perspective, to conquer the Japanese market - a market that requires high standards, sophisticated experiences and the ability to build long-term trust, localities like Quang Nam - Da Nang need to go in a more professional direction.

Positioning products based on cultural depth and personalized experiences, suitable for the psychology of Japanese tourists who prefer cultural depth, heritage and sophisticated services.

Building a professional, multilingual digital media ecosystem to fill the information gap.

Expanding direct transport connection channels, especially direct flights from key cities in the Kyushu, Kansai, and Kanto regions to Da Nang.

Actively cooperate with local Japanese media agencies and business associations, and take advantage of the effects of cultural icons such as “Princess Anio” to build attractive media stories.

Connecting from the 400-year historical story to today's modern cooperation is the key to help Quang Nam - Da Nang not only approach but also win the hearts of the Japanese market, the most sustainable and valuable tourist market that Vietnamese tourism can aim for.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/quang-nam-da-nang-xuc-tien-quang-ba-du-lich-tai-nagasaki-nhat-ban-ket-noi-tu-di-san-lich-su-den-hop-tac-hien-dai-20250613092617164.htm