Amidst global volatility, why do international elites choose Da Nang as "a haven" to settle down?

The International Fireworks Festival DIFF lights up the sky of Da Nang, completing a world-class living experience for the international community. Photo: Anh Duong.

Safe haven and attraction for the global community

As the global tourism and trade industry is strongly affected by geopolitical conflicts, rising transportation costs, and aviation disruptions, the global tourism and migration map is being redrawn. Instead of traditional coordinates, the international community is shifting its focus to destinations that fully meet three criteria: safety, cost-effectiveness, and rich experiences.

Benefiting from a stable political environment, Vietnam is proving its appeal as a top reliable destination. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, Deputy Director General of the National Tourism Administration, as soon as the conflict in the Middle East broke out, the tourism industry immediately coordinated closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security to establish an absolute protection "belt" for tourists. This effort has helped Vietnam reap "sweet fruits" by rising to 38th out of 163 on the Global Peace Index 2025 ranking. At the same time, the S-shaped country has been continuously honored by international organizations and publications such as Best Diplomats, BBC, Travel Off Path, and Travel+Leisure as one of the safest destinations in the region.

With general benefits, Da Nang is proving its appeal to the international community by possessing superior living quality and synchronized infrastructure. Dubbed the "livable city", Da Nang has been named 6 consecutive times at the Vietnam Smart City Award, and has also achieved the national runner-up position for the Environmental Protection Index (EPI) in 2024. The coastal city also "rolls out the red carpet" for global citizens with 13 domestic flight routes, over 20 international flight routes from South Korea, Japan, India... along with bustling seaports.

Diverse international flight network is the "key" to bringing in tourists, experts, and remote working communities to the coastal city. Photo: Anh Duong.

Quality living environment and security are the "key" to attracting millions of international tourists, experts, and remote workers to Da Nang. In Q1/2026, the city recorded 4.2 million overnight stays (up 15.3%), with international visitors reaching 2.34 million (up 16.2%), significantly outnumbering domestic tourists. Specifically during the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day and April 30-May 1 holidays, Da Nang's international appeal led the nation with over 621,000 foreign visitors, far exceeding the number of foreign visitors to Hanoi (2.5 times more) and Ho Chi Minh City (3.3 times more).

Not only attracting pure tourists, Da Nang is also a favorite destination for the remote working community (digital nomads). Although Vietnam does not yet have a specific visa policy, many foreigners flexibly use a 3-month e-visa to experience "workcation" (working combined with vacation) in the coastal city. This has been quickly shared by international content creators, spreading strongly on social media platforms, helping Da Nang "catch the eye" of Business Insider and be rated by the magazine as the fastest-growing digital nomad destination in Southeast Asia for the 2025-2026 period.

Concurrently, the city's development orientation towards becoming an open economic center, coupled with the establishment of a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and an International Financial Center, is helping Da Nang strongly attract FDI capital into logistics, high technology, and services. In the first three months of 2026 alone, the city attracted over VND 57,000 billion in investment capital, more than 5 times the same period. This wave of investment has led to the influx of international senior experts, with demanding living standards and willing to spend large budgets to enjoy comfortable, modern living spaces.

International visitors to Da Nang show overwhelming growth, demonstrating the appeal of "the most livable city". Photo: Anh Duong.

Real estate along the Han River "reaps sweet rewards"

The convergence of millions of tourists, along with the migration wave of experts and the remote working community, has led to a huge demand for accommodation. Occupancy rates in central areas and along the Han River always remain at an ideal level, even reaching 90-100% during the summer tourist season or major events such as the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF).

Soaring demand has brought impressive exploitation yields to central riverside real estate projects on the Han River, especially as this prime land fund becomes increasingly scarce. Typically, for the Panoma subdivision of the Sun Cosmo Residence project, current rental prices reach 18 million VND/month for studio apartments and 25 million VND for 1-bedroom+ apartments. For 2-bedroom apartments, rental prices can go up to 35 million VND/month, even though the initial investment is less than 5 billion VND. This attractive profitability equation has caused investors to pour capital en masse into the Da Nang market.

Anticipating the booming demand for luxury accommodation, Symphony Tower 5 - the “final piece” of the complex Sun Symphony Residence - is expected to become a new highlight of Da Nang's real estate market. The tower's appeal first and foremost comes from its prime location “reflecting” the Han River on Le Van Duyet street, offering Symphony 5 residents a “five-scene prosperity” view encompassing the Han River, My Khe beach, Son Tra peninsula, Thuan Phuoc bridge, and the entire city center.

The "Han River reflection" position of Symphony 5 is the highlight that strongly attracts investment capital. Photo: Anh Duong.

Besides the "golden coordinates", the project also creates a perfect "workation" space for foreign guests with resort-standard utility systems including gym; yoga; spa; resort-style swimming pool; a green park complex of up to 19,000m2 including Sports Park 10,000m2, Riverside Park 4000m2, Central Park 5000m2; riverside walking path; yacht marina...

Bustling podium shophouse system combined with a chain of wellness amenities creates a perfect "workcation" space for foreign guests. Photo: Sun Property.

The excitement of Symphony 5 is further "fueled" as towers Symphony 1, 2, and 3 will be handed over one by one in May. The operation of the entire complex, soon forming a vibrant pace of life, is the strongest "guarantee" for the potential to generate cash flow of the new sub-zone.