In the context of the Halal tourism market increasingly attracting the attention of international destinations, Da Nang faces the opportunity to expand its Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism segment for Muslim delegations. The international conference “International Experience and Potential for Halal Tourism Development in Da Nang” on October 27, 2026, set new requirements for service supply capacity, cultural understanding, and connectivity among businesses. With large-scale convention infrastructure, a synchronized accommodation-culinary ecosystem, and a Halal service foundation being developed within the Furama – Ariyana International Tourism Complex, Ariyana Convention Centre Danang aims to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the international MICE market.

Halal Tourism – A new development direction for Da Nang’s MICE market

On October 27, 2026, the international conference “International Experience and Potential for Halal Tourism Development in Da Nang” took place with the participation of more than 100 delegates, experts, managers, and representatives of domestic and international businesses. The event was organized by the Institute of South Asian, West Asian and African Studies under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences in collaboration with relevant agencies, organizations, and partners, aiming to evaluate the potential and propose solutions for Halal tourism development in the city.

The conference was attended by Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi – Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang City People’s Committee; H.E. Kohdayar Marri – Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Vietnam; Mr. Fazal Bahardeen – Founder and CEO of CrescentRating, CEO of HalalTrip; along with representatives of management agencies, associations, and businesses in the tourism, hospitality, and culinary sectors.

In the context of markets with a large number of Muslim tourists receiving growing attention, Da Nang has the opportunity to diversify its international tourist sources thanks to its advantages in coastal landscapes, accommodation systems, tourism infrastructure, and connectivity to cultural and heritage destinations in Central Vietnam.

For the MICE sector, this potential opens up a notable approach. Besides leisure tourists, corporate delegations, professional associations, international organizations, and event organizers from markets like Malaysia, Indonesia, or Middle Eastern countries can become target groups in the destination development strategy.

However, attracting the Halal MICE segment requires more than just a large-scale convention venue. It also involves the ability to meet culinary needs, provide spaces to support religious practices, arrange suitable schedules, and maintain service standards that respect the cultural identity of the attendees.

Halal MICE – When cultural understanding becomes a destination’s competitive advantage

In the field of international conferences and events, the quality of a delegate’s experience is formed by many factors, from the venue space and coordination capacity to accommodation services, cuisine, and side activities. For Muslim delegations, these factors need to be considered alongside specific cultural and religious requirements, creating a specialized development direction for the Halal MICE market.

Cuisine is one of the most critical requirements. From welcome receptions, conference menus, and tea breaks to gala dinners, organizers must pay attention to ingredient sourcing, preparation processes, storage, and serving in accordance with appropriate Halal standards. In addition, allocating prayer times, providing clear information, and adjusting the program according to the needs of each delegation also contribute to creating a convenient and respectful conference experience.

Especially for multi-day international conference programs, incentive travel, and corporate events, synchronization between the venue, accommodation facilities, and culinary services plays a vital role. A MICE program can be implemented more effectively when the delegates’ needs are understood and prepared right from the planning stage, rather than just adjusting at the time the event takes place.

Therefore, developing Halal MICE is not simply about expanding to a new customer segment, but also an opportunity for destinations and businesses to enhance their international event organization capacity, perfect service quality, and build a meeting environment that is increasingly diverse and welcoming to many cultures.

Ariyana Convention Centre Danang – A large-scale convention platform for the international MICE market

Located on the Da Nang coast, Ariyana Convention Centre Danang features convention and event infrastructure designed to accommodate various types of international programs, from high-level conferences, economic forums, and trade exhibitions to corporate events, gala dinners, and incentive travel.

The center’s prominent highlight is the Grand Ballroom with a pillarless, high-ceiling design, covering an area of 2,079 m² with a capacity of up to 3,000 guests. The vast, unobstructed space provides clear visibility while facilitating the arrangement of stages, projection systems, sound, lighting, and large-scale event staging structures. Its ability to be flexibly divided into four separate areas also allows organizers to build programs with multiple sessions, seminars, and parallel activities.

Besides the Grand Ballroom, the ocean-view meeting room system offers a spacious meeting environment, combining professionalism with Da Nang’s signature natural landscape. These spaces are suitable for in-depth discussion sessions, partner meetings, leadership conferences, and corporate networking activities, contributing to elevating the delegates’ experience throughout the program.

For the Halal MICE segment, the diversity of venue spaces is an advantage for researching layout plans that suit the characteristics of each delegation. Depending on program requirements, organizers can coordinate to build conference schedules, banquets, networking activities, and necessary support amenities based on surveying actual conditions and agreeing on service plans in advance.

In addition to indoor spaces, the approximately 20,000 m² Ariyana Beach Garden offers options for gala dinner programs, team activities, and outdoor corporate events. The combination of the large-scale Grand Ballroom, ocean-view meeting rooms, and coastal event space creates a flexible foundation for MICE programs that are diverse in scale, format, and cultural identity.

With experience in hosting important international events, notably activities within the framework of the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, Ariyana Convention Centre Danang possesses the operational foundation to continue researching and developing organizational solutions tailored to the needs of new international tourist markets.

From Halal certification to the capacity for specialized MICE service development

One of the notable foundations in the Halal market approach of Ariyana Convention Centre Danang is its connection with the culinary and resort ecosystem of the Furama – Ariyana International Tourism Complex.

Within the framework of the HorecFex Vietnam 2025 event, the Furama – Ariyana Danang International Tourism Complex was awarded Halal certification by Vietnam National Halal (VNH) for its restaurants. This is a significant milestone in developing the capacity to serve Muslim tourists, while creating a basis for the business to continue researching culinary solutions suited to the needs of the international market.

For MICE activities, Halal cuisine holds special significance because service needs are often associated with large group sizes, tight schedules, and various banquet formats. From conference menus, buffets, and receptions to gala dinners, developing service solutions needs to be linked to ingredient supply capacity, kitchen processes, personnel, and the scope of certification applied to each service.

Based on the certified restaurants, Furama – Ariyana is well-positioned to continue researching and developing culinary products serving Halal MICE guests, while coordinating with organizers to identify the specific needs of each program. This is a necessary direction to transform existing service capacities into solutions more suitable for international delegations.

Notably, at the international conference on October 27, 2026, Chef Doan Van Tuan – Executive Chef of the Furama – Ariyana International Tourism Complex participated in a panel discussion on the prospects of Halal tourism development in Da Nang, alongside H.E. Kohdayar Marri – Ambassador of Pakistan to Vietnam; Mr. Cao Tri Dung – Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association; and Mr. Nguyen Bao An – CEO of Pho Hub Cuisine.

The participation of the executive kitchen team representative at the forum demonstrates a proactive spirit in approaching professional knowledge, connecting practical operational experience with market development orientations. This is also part of the process of enhancing the serving capacity of Furama – Ariyana, aiming to better meet the diverse requirements of international leisure and MICE guests.

Joining Da Nang in expanding opportunities on the international Halal MICE map

The international conference “International Experience and Potential for Halal Tourism Development in Da Nang” on October 27, 2026, contributed to clarifying the opportunities and requirements set for the development of the city’s Halal tourism market. Exchanges between management agencies, experts, and the business community show that market expansion needs to be built on a foundation of service quality, operational capacity, and cultural understanding.

For the MICE sector, this is an opportunity for Da Nang to gradually expand its reach to conference delegations, exhibitions, corporate events, and incentive travel programs from markets with Halal service needs. However, the destination’s long-term competitiveness will depend on the ability to build substantial, consistent service solutions that meet the standards of each guest group.

With a pillarless, high-ceiling Grand Ballroom, ocean-view meeting rooms, diverse event spaces, and the advantage of connecting with the Furama – Ariyana ecosystem, Ariyana Convention Centre Danang possesses the foundation to continue researching and developing specialized MICE products. The Halal certification awarded to the complex’s restaurants and the participation of Executive Chef Doan Van Tuan at the international forum are steps demonstrating a proactive orientation to adapt to market needs.

In the journey to make Da Nang a destination increasingly welcoming to Muslim tourists, Ariyana Convention Centre Danang aims for the role of an international convention venue capable of connecting event organization infrastructure, culinary services, and destination experiences, contributing to expanding opportunities for cooperation and exchange between cultures.

Conference and event information: https://ariyanacentre.com/

Information source: Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) – International conference “International Experience and Potential for Halal Tourism Development in Da Nang”, October 27, 2026; Halal certification information of Furama – Ariyana at HorecFex Vietnam 2025.