Factors Influencing and Current Status of River Tourism Development in Da Nang City

CHAPTER 1 SUMMARY

The results of theoretical and practical research on the development of river tourism show that the development of river tourism not only exploits the value of river flows but also includes natural, cultural and social values along both sides of the river. Therefore, the development of river tourism is studied under many contents and perspectives such as influencing factors, potential, current status of river tourism development, etc. This is an important theoretical and practical basis as a foundation for the research on the development of river tourism in Da Nang city.

Based on a selective overview of theories and practices related to the development of tourism and the research area, the topic has built a theoretical basis for tourism development. Determining factors affecting tourism development in Da Nang City includes 8 groups of factors (geographical location, climate, hydrological characteristics, tourism resources, infrastructure, economic development and security, social safety, tourism development policies and participation of local communities). Developing criteria for assessing tourism development includes assessing the potential and current status of tourism development. For the criteria for assessing tourism development potential, a synthetic scoring method was used with 6 groups of criteria (river size, landscape attractiveness, ability to connect with tourism spots along the river, infrastructure and tourism infrastructure, river environment and accessibility). Assess the current status of tourism development with the following indicators (tourism visitors (number of visitors, average spending, satisfaction assessment of tourism visitors), total tourism revenue, tourism labor, tourism infrastructure, tourism management and operation). The assessment indicators are the basis for developing orientations and proposing solutions for effective tourism development.

The practice of tourism activities has been exploited and brought economic efficiency in the world and some localities in Vietnam. Depending on the natural characteristics of the river and the cultural values in each area, the river will create different tourism products. The development of tourism in Da Nang city can flexibly inherit practical lessons and tourism development models at home and abroad.

CHAPTER 2. FACTORS AFFECTING AND CURRENT STATUS OF RIVER TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN DA NANG CITY

2.1. Overview of the river network of Da Nang city

Da Nang City is located in the central region of Vietnam with a natural area not too large, about 1,284.73 km 2 , divided into 8 districts: Son Tra district, Thanh Khe district, Ngu Hanh Son district, Hai Chau district, Cam Le district, Lien Chieu district, Hoa Vang district and Hoang Sa island district (map 2.1) but has a dense river network spread across the regions with a total length of more than 155 km (map 2.2), the river mainly belongs to the downstream of the Vu Gia - Thu Bon river system. The common feature of the rivers is that they all originate from the West and Northwest of Da Nang City and Quang Nam province, flowing into the East Sea through the Han River and Cu De River. In the scope of the thesis, only 5 main rivers of Da Nang City are focused on: Han River, Cam Le River, Tuy Loan River, Co Co River and Cu De River.

Table 2.1. Main rivers of Da Nang city

River name	Length (km)	River width (m)	Depth (m)
1	Weld	9.4	120	4.5
2	Cam Le	8.7	150 – 505	-
3	Tuy Loan	14.1	20 – 80	3 - 5
4	Stork Neck	8.3	-	1.5 - 2.5
5	Cu De	39.7	20 – 700	0.5 - 5

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(Source: Da Nang City People's Committee, 2020)

- The Han River is located in the inner city of Da Nang City, in the downstream of the Vu Gia River system flowing through the center of Da Nang City in the South - North direction to Da Nang Bay. The river is quite short, only about 9.4 km, the average width is 120 m, the average depth ranges from 4.5 m in the dry season and 5.5 m in the rainy season. In the classification of inland waterways in Vietnam, the Han River is divided into 3 river levels. Level I is 4 km long from the river mouth to the downstream of the Han River bridge; level III is 2.4 km long from the upstream of the Han River bridge to the downstream of Nguyen Van Troi bridge; level IV is the remaining 3 km long section extending to the Cai River junction.

- Cam Le River (Cau Do River) is formed from the confluence of Yen and Tuy Loan rivers flowing into the Cai River junction. The river is quite short, only about 8.7 km long, and averagely wide.

The average depth is from 150 m to 505 m, with a large average depth. Cam Le River is a class V river in the classification of inland waterways in Vietnam.

- Tuy Loan River originates from the western mountainous area of the city, formed by 3 main branches: An Loi River, Lo Trao River and Lo Dong River converging into Cam Le River. The river has a managed length of 14.1 km, quite narrow in the upstream, only ranging from 20 m to 80 m, the further upstream, the narrower the river. The average depth is from 3 m to 5 m, in the dry season, many areas have a depth of 0.7 m - 1 m. Tuy Loan River is a level VI river in the classification of inland waterways in Vietnam.

- Co Co River (Cau Bien River or Lo Canh Giang River) in history Co Co River is an important trade route between Da Nang and Hoi An. The river originates from the confluence of Cai River to Hoi An City (Quang Nam) with a length of 27 km, but the part managed by Da Nang City is only 8.3 km, the river has a depth of 18 m to 200 m, average depth and has not been classified. The downstream part of the river under the management of Quang Nam province is quite narrow, many sections of the river are blocked or have been filled, but are currently being planned and invested in to clear again.

- Cu De River (Truong Dinh River) is located in the North of Da Nang City, originating from the western mountainous area of the city, converging between the Bac River and the Nam River and flowing into the Nam O estuary. The length of the river is calculated from Vung Bot area where the Bac River and the Nam River converge in Hoa Bac commune to the Nam O estuary with a length of about 39.7 km, an average width of 20 m to 700 m, an average depth of 0.5 m to 3.5 m, the further upstream, the narrower and shallower the river becomes. Cu De River is a class V river in the classification of inland waterways in Vietnam.

2.2. Factors affecting the development of river tourism in Da Nang city

2.2.1. Geographical location

Da Nang City is located in the central region of Vietnam, with coordinates ranging from 15 0 55' North to 16 0 14' North and 107 0 18' East to 108 0 20' East, bordering Thua Thien - Hue province to the North, Quang Nam province to the West and South, and the East Sea to the East. With this geographical location, Da Nang City is naturally deeply influenced by the sea, making the climate of Da Nang not too cold in winter, not too hot in summer, so it is suitable for tourism and resort activities. In terms of socio-economics, Da Nang is located on

North-South traffic axis by road, rail, sea and air, is the midpoint of 3 world cultural heritages: Hue Imperial City, Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary. In the region and internationally, Da Nang is one of the important gateways to the sea of the Central Highlands and Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar through the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) with the end point at Tien Sa Port. With this location, Da Nang City has become a transit point, welcoming and serving tourists for the Central region and the whole country. This is considered the driving force to attract tourists to Da Nang City.

Regarding the geographical location of rivers in Da Nang City, the rivers are all located downstream of the Vu Gia - Thu Bon river system, in the inner city or near the center of Da Nang City, creating favorable conditions for tourists to easily access the rivers. On the other hand, the rivers belonging to the Vu Gia Da Nang river system (Han River - Cam Le River - Co Co River) are converging and diverging at the Cai River junction, creating favorable conditions for linking and building a tourism route between the Han River from the city center with other rivers. In particular, the Co Co River flows from Da Nang City to Hoi An City (Quang Nam), creating opportunities for linking tourism exploitation between the two localities.

- The location of the Han River is in the inner city area, downstream of the Vu Gia River system, the river flows through the center of Da Nang City into the East Sea with a prime location " sea head, river end " creating an airy landscape space and also convenient in accessing the river by sea or river from the Cai River junction. The two banks of the Han River are considered the central area of the city, where events, festivals, culture and entertainment of the city are regularly held. Da Nang attracts tourists and builds tourism programs.

- The location of Co Co River is a tributary originating from the confluence of Cai River flowing in the Northwest - Southeast direction from Da Nang City to Hoi An City (Quang Nam). Therefore, it is easy to access the river by river or road from the city center. Co Co River flows to Hoi An City. Although the river is currently blocked in some sections, the two local authorities are planning to reopen it, so there is a lot of potential to link and build a tourism route between Da Nang City and Hoi An City by river.

- The location of Cam Le River is near the center of Da Nang City, originating from the confluence of Yen River and Tuy Loan River flowing through Cam Le District to the river junction.

The. This location is convenient for access by road or river from the Han River or Co Co River or connecting the DLDS with the Han River and Tuy Loan River.

- The Tuy Loan River originates from the high mountain slopes in the Northwest and flows into the Cam Le River, which is quite far from the city center, so access to the river is less convenient. The river can be accessed by road or river from the Cam Le River.

- The location of Cu De River is in the North of the city, the river originates from the mountain ranges in the West and Northwest, flows into Nam O estuary and flows through many different landscape areas. The river is located about 14 km from the center of Da Nang city, quite far from other rivers in the city, access to the river is mainly by road.

Thus, with the unique characteristics of the geographical location of Da Nang City and the geographical location of each river, it has created many advantages in attracting and accessing the river for tourists, as well as many advantages in linking and building tourism routes between rivers of Da Nang City or linking with Quang Nam province in exploiting tourism on the Co Co River. The rivers also flow through different geographical areas, creating diversity in tourism resources, creating favorable conditions for the development of diverse river tourism products.

2.2.2. Climate

Da Nang's climate is located in the Central Coastal region, with a tropical monsoon climate with a large amount of radiation, lots of sunshine, high temperatures, and abundant rainfall. This is a transitional place between the Northern and Southern climates, divided into two distinct seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season lasts only 4 months, from September to December, the dry season lasts from January to August.

- Da Nang's temperature is located in the tropical belt of the Northern Hemisphere, so it has a high temperature and little fluctuation during the year. The annual variation of the average air temperature has a peak, the maximum in June or July, the minimum in January. From January, the temperature begins to increase until June, July, then gradually decreases until January of the following year. The average annual temperature is 26.5 0 C, the annual temperature range is low, the month with the highest average monthly temperature is June, reaching 30.2 0 C, the average monthly temperature is lowest is January, reaching 21.5 0 C. The average number of sunshine hours per year is 2,158 hours/year. In general, the weather is warm all year round, summer is not too hot and winter is not too cold, so the temperature and sunshine hours of Da Nang City are suitable for human health and activities, creating

favorable conditions for tourism and recreation activities. However, in the dry season, low rainfall, high temperatures, and high evaporation in low water years cause a relatively small low flow in July or August.

- The average annual rainfall of Da Nang is quite large compared to other places in the region as well as in the whole country, with an average annual rainfall of about 2300 mm. The total average annual rainfall in the plains is from 2000 mm to 2500 mm, increasing gradually to the North, Northwest and increasing with altitude, the highest being on the top of Ba Na with an average annual rainfall of over 5000 mm. Rainfall distribution over time is uneven, the rainy season is concentrated from September to December, accounting for about 80% of the total annual rainfall. The highest rainfall is in September, reaching 528.8 mm/month and the lowest is in April, reaching only 30.8 mm/month. In general, the total annual rainfall and the rainfall in the flood season months in Da Nang do not show clear differences in the law of change. Abundant rainfall helps provide water for rivers, but uneven rainfall distribution over time causes floods in the rainy season and low water causing salinity in the dry season in the downstream rivers.

- The humidity of Da Nang City has a dry season coinciding with the period of activity of the Southwest monsoon in the summer, a rainy season coinciding with the period of activity of the Northeast monsoon in the winter, so the average annual humidity is high, from 82% to 90%. The relative humidity in the rainy season and early season with little rain is higher than the humidity in the main summer months, the relative humidity variation over time during the year is almost inversely proportional to the average temperature variation.

- Storms and tropical depressions have an average of over 10 storms and tropical depressions operating annually in the East Sea, of which 5 to 6 directly affect Vietnam's weather. Determining the wind level in the Da Nang sea area when there is a storm or tropical depression of level 6 or higher, on average, the city is directly affected by 1 storm or tropical depression each year, most frequently in October and May.

11. However, unseasonal storms or storms that do not follow the general climate rules can also cause damage to the locality. Although storms and tropical depressions only last for a short time, during this time, tourism activities are interrupted and in case of strong storms, damage can be caused.

2.2.3. Hydrological characteristics

* Average annual flow of rivers

The river system of Da Nang City is greatly affected by the hydrology of the Vu Gia - Thu Bon river basin, so the total average annual flow on major rivers, specifically:

- Cam Le River has a large average annual flow for many years due to the confluence of Tuy Loan River and Yen River, reaching 5.92 billion m3 . Of which, the average dry season flow reaches 2.17 billion m3 , accounting for 36.6% of the total annual flow.

- Tuy Loan River has an average annual flow of 0.59 billion m3 , the average dry season flow is 0.18 billion m3 , accounting for 30.51% of the total annual flow.

- Cu De River has a total annual flow of 1.24 billion m3 , of which the average dry season flow is 0.36 billion m3 , accounting for 29% of the total annual flow.

Table 2.2. Total annual flow on rivers

STT

River basin	Total flow years on the rivers		Total flow dry season on rivers
River basin	Total flow flow W (m 3 )	Ratio (%)	Total flow flow W (m 3 )	Ratio (%)
1	Vu Gia upstream	8.72	100	3.17	100
2	Downstream Vu Gia	5.92	100	2.17	100
2.1	Yen	5.33	89.98	1.99	91.88
2.2	Tuy Loan	0.59	10.02	0.18	8.12
3	Total river water on the city	7.16	100	2.52	100
3.1	Cam Le	5.92	82.70	2.17	85.78
3.1	Cu De	1.24	17:30	0.36	14.22

(Source: Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Da Nang City, 2016)

- The Han River and Co Co River are located in the downstream of the rivers, so the total annual flow also depends on this river system, which is directly from the total annual flow of the Cam Le River.

In general, the total annual flow of most rivers in Da Nang City depends largely on the annual flow from the upstream of the Vu Gia River (Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Da Nang City, 2016).

* Seasonal river flows (flood flows and low flows)

The difference in flow (volume and total volume) between the flood season and the dry season on rivers in Da Nang City is very large. The flood season is short, lasting only 3 to 4 months, usually from September to December, but the total flow is 3 to 4 times larger than the total flow in the dry season, while the dry season usually lasts 8 to 9 months. Specifically:

- Cam Le River: The average flood season flow of 3 months from October to December is 412.03 m 3 /s while the average dry season flow of 9 months from January to September is only 112.53 m 3 /s, equal to 1/4 of the average flood season flow. The largest average monthly flow is 511.51 m 3 /s (in November), the smallest average monthly flow is 64.7 m 3 /s (in April). The average total flood season flow is 3.75 billion m 3 , nearly 2 times higher than the average total dry season flow (2.17 billion m 3 ).

- Tuy Loan River: The average flood season flow of 3 months from October to December is 47.37 m 3 /s, the average dry season flow of 9 months from January to September is only 9.23 m 3 /s, equal to 1/6 compared to the flood season flow. The largest average monthly flow is 58.21 m 3 /s (November), the smallest average monthly flow is 5.01 m 3 /s (May). The total average flood season flow is 0.41 billion m 3 , more than 2 times larger than the total dry season flow of 0.18 billion m 3 .

- Cu De River: The average flood season flow of 3 months from October to December is 97.74 m 3 /s, the average dry season flow of 9 months from January to September is only 19.01 m 3 /s, equal to nearly 1/6 of the flood season flow. The largest average monthly flow is 123.86 m 3 /s (November), the smallest average monthly flow is 9.62 m 3 /s (April). The total average flood season flow is 0.88 billion m 3 , 2.5 times larger than the total dry season flow of 0.36 billion m 3 .

- The seasonal flow distribution on other rivers is similar to the above rivers. The main reason for this difference is that the distribution of rainfall between seasons in the year is very large. Rainfall is mainly concentrated in the flood season months, leading to the flow on large rivers and vice versa. In the dry season, due to little rain, the flow on rivers is exhausted (Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Da Nang City, 2016 and People's Committee of Da Nang City, 2020).

Although total annual flow varies across river systems and seasonal river flow differs between flood and low flows,

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