If your office has ever been bused to a beach resort for a "team-building retreat," you've been part of what the tourism trade calls MICE: meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. Da Nang wants a bigger share of it, and it's changing how it sells.

In the first nine months of 2026, the city advised and hosted about 199 MICE groups with 60,044 visitors, Dien dan Doanh nghiep reported. That included about 35,424 international visitors in 121 groups and about 24,620 domestic visitors in 78 groups. VietnamPlus reported the same breakdown as of mid-September. The city's 2026 target is nearly 93,000 MICE visitors, up about 12% from last year.

The new pitch: try before you book

Rather than just pitching products, the city now flies in the people who actually choose destinations for corporate trips. In September, the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Center and Vietravel hosted representatives of major companies nationwide on an experience program covering hotels, meeting space, resorts, heritage, food and entertainment. The stops included the Da Nang Museum, Hoi An's old town and the Bay Mau coconut forest, on an itinerary designed to be unhurried rather than packed.

Tran Huy Cuong, an HR manager at Minh Dat Precision Mold Co. (MIDA-MOLD), said experiencing the destination firsthand helps companies judge whether it can handle programs for hundreds or thousands of staff.

The incentives

The 2026 MICE program was broadened, VietnamPlus reported. Domestic groups of 70 or more and international groups of 30 or more qualify for support, groups returning for a second visit get extra incentives, and for the first time the city will honor top MICE businesses. Tourism Promotion Center director Nguyen Thi Hong Tham said the aim is high-value tourism that combines meetings with leisure, food and shopping to lengthen stays and raise spending.

People's Committee Vice Chairman Ho Quang Buu pitched the bigger ambition: conferences on finance, technology, investment and innovation, so Da Nang becomes a place for knowledge and investment, not just events.

Why residents should care

MICE groups are good business. They book in bulk, can be scheduled outside peak season, and spend on restaurants, transport and venues. They also land all at once: a big corporate group means buses, blocked hotels and full restaurants for a few days.

The city's broader 2026 target is 19.1 million visitors. Corporate groups are the easiest kind of tourism to schedule. The smart move would be to steer them into the quieter months, when they'd fill rooms without crowding out everyone else.

Sources

This story was compiled by the Da Nang Voice news desk from the published sources listed above. Facts, figures and quotes are attributed to those sources; Da Nang Voice did not conduct interviews for it unless the text says so. Corrections are dated and noted at the top of the story. Read our corrections policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.