Da Nang, Hoi An to host hot air balloon festival to stimulate tourism

As part of a series of activities to welcome the first international flights to Da Nang after nearly two years of suspension, 17 colorful hot air balloons of all sizes and shapes will fly over APEC Sculpture Garden on Bach Dang Street at altitudes of 15 to 40 meters Sunday.

Da Nang is scheduled to welcome two international commercial flights from Singapore and Thailand the same day.

Hoi An also plans to host its first-ever hot air balloon festival from Friday to Saturday as part of a series of events to welcome the National Tourism Year 2022 it hosts.

Seventeen colorful hot air balloons will be put on display on the banks of the Hoai River.

The opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year event will be held at Hoi An Memories Island in Cam Nam Ward on Saturday night.

Da Nang, with its beautiful beaches, targets 3.32 million domestic tourists and 180,000 foreign visitors this year while Quang Nam Province, home to Hoi An, hopes to attract 1.7 million foreign visitors this year.

Vietnam fully reopened its borders on March 15 after nearly two years of closure. It has resumed its visa exemption policy for citizens from 24 countries, including ASEAN members, Japan, South Korea and several European economies.