USS George Washington visit boosts spending on tourism services in Vietnam's Da Nang

Despite the end of the peak summer travel season, tourism activity in Da Nang remained vibrant in August, supported by a series of cultural, sporting and international exchange events, the city's Statistics Office said.

The city hosted a number of major events during the month, including the Co Co River Festival, the Ngoc Linh Ginseng and International Medicinal Herb Festival, the final round of the People's Public Security Sports Festival, the Vietnam-Korea Festival 2026 and the 2026 Pickleball World Cup.

Notably, the visit and exchange activities involving the USS George Washington aircraft carrier and two escort ships in Da Nang from July 30 to August 5 contributed to increased demand for dining, shopping and sightseeing services in the city.

In the first eight months of the year, revenue from accommodation and catering services reached VND46.932 trillion (US$1.78 billion), up 25.1% year on year.

Accommodation establishments served more than 14.2 million guests, an increase of 24.9 percent.

Travel services also maintained their growth momentum.

Although the number of package-tour travelers declined from the previous month following the summer peak, it remained higher than in the same period last year.

Tour operators have focused on higher-spending segments, including luxury destination weddings, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), as well as resort programs combined with conferences and experiential activities.

Travel service revenue totaled VND3.611 trillion ($137 million) in the first eight months, up 15.9 percent year on year.

The number of package-tour travelers rose 11.9 percent, with Vietnamese outbound tourism showing signs of further expansion.

Alongside traditional markets, Da Nang is continuing to develop specialized tourism products.

The organization of events, together with increasingly comprehensive accommodation, dining and transport infrastructure, is expected to help the city maintain its appeal in the coming months.

As previously reported by Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper, with permission from the Vietnamese authorities, the USS George Washington and its escort ships arrived at Da Nang Port on July 30 and stayed until August 5.

During their stay, thousands of crew members visited and experienced the city.

Travel company Visit Indochina designed tours taking the sailors to well-known craft villages and local destinations, including Nam O fish sauce village and Non Nuoc stone carving village.

The aircraft carrier's crew also sampled local specialties such as Quang noodles, Cao Lau noodles and pork rice paper rolls, while enjoying sidewalk coffee in Da Nang.