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After more than half an hour of flying over Son Tra Peninsula and landing on Man Thai Beach, Mr. Vo Van Thuong, a member of the Da Nang Paragliding Club, said that paragliding is a relatively new sport in Da Nang. Many people feel a little scared when they see the altitude from Son Tra Peninsula down to Tho Quang Beach, but once they fly and admire the beauty of the city from above, all those feelings disappear, leaving only the beauty of the coastal city within their view. According to Mr. Thuong, Da Nang is considered one of the most beautiful paragliding spots in the country, with convenient routes, and from above, one can see the entire city, bridges, and the cool blue beaches...
Currently, the demand for paragliding in Da Nang is quite high. Besides paragliding clubs that attract enthusiasts, since the end of May 2023, four businesses in the city have been granted licenses to operate paragliding services. These businesses have licensed instructors who provide direct support to tourists who want to experience paragliding.
From above, paragliders can enjoy panoramic views of the city.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nhat, a paragliding instructor at Da Nang Bay Co., Ltd., shared that this is a very new product of Da Nang tourism, attracting tourists to participate and experience paragliding from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Each flight has a pilot (meeting all flight standards) accompanying the flight from takeoff to landing to ensure safety. Although the demand from customers is quite high, this sport depends heavily on weather conditions, wind direction, etc.
Unlike businesses providing paragliding services, members of the Da Nang Paragliding Club mainly fly solo and perform demonstration flights. Every year, club members regularly participate in competitions such as the "Flying over the Silver Sea" paragliding competition, part of the "Opening of the Da Nang Beach Tourism Season 2023" program, and the upcoming "Flying over Tien Sa" paragliding competition within the framework of the "Da Nang Summer Festival 2023" (scheduled to take place on July 29th and 30th).
The "Flying over Tien Sa" paragliding competition is one of the highlight events in the "Da Nang Summer Festival 2023" series of events. This competition is expected to attract nearly 100 pilots from paragliding clubs nationwide, including Hanoi, Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Tay Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City, participating in both motorized and non-motorized paragliding categories; promising to bring spectacular performances to the people and tourists of Da Nang.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Hai, Chairman of the Da Nang Paragliding Club, preparations for the competition are now complete. Besides the personnel and individual paragliders, club members also dedicate time each week to practicing takeoff, flying, and landing. In addition to participating in the "Flying over Tien Sa" paragliding competition, the Da Nang Paragliding Club will also perform motorized paragliding demonstrations during the opening night of the "Da Nang Summer Festival 2023". Approximately 10 motorized paragliders will fly along the beach near the stage to support the festival activities and entertain locals and tourists.
"Hopefully, through events like this, paragliding will develop strongly and become a tourism product that attracts visitors to Da Nang," Hai shared.
According to Mr. Hai, Da Nang has many favorable conditions for developing paragliding, not only at Son Tra Peninsula, but other attractive flying spots such as Nam O and Hoa Bac are also very appealing. Besides non-motorized paragliding, if the city allows motorized paragliding experiences along both banks of the Han River on weekend evenings, it would be beneficial. With motorized paragliding, participants could combine it with fireworks displays or fly before the Dragon Bridge's fire and water show to extend the experience for tourists.
According to Nguyen Duc Vu, Head of the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang's tourist beaches, this is a new product classified as an adventurous sport. Therefore, to effectively exploit it and create a positive impression for Da Nang tourism, it is necessary to ensure the correct procedures and safety for both instructors and pilots. To develop the non-motorized paragliding product, the management board continues to coordinate with the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center to advise the Department of Tourism on promoting and developing paragliding as a unique product of Da Nang to serve residents and tourists in the summer of 2023.
Pilot program for non-motorized paragliding services will run until the end of 2024.
The pilot program for non-motorized paragliding at the Son Tra Peninsula paragliding site was approved by the Da Nang City People's Committee from the end of May 2023 to the end of 2024. Businesses that completed the necessary procedures were granted licenses by the Da Nang Department of Culture and Sports to operate non-motorized paragliding activities on the Son Tra Peninsula. Currently, the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourist Beaches has instructed businesses to implement safety measures such as: warning signs; rescue plans; ensuring communication; and assigning and utilizing qualified instructors, technicians, and guides.
