ĐÀ NẴNG — Cuisine is one of the key elements that make Đà Nẵng City an attractive tourist destination in Việt Nam, as its traditional dishes are not only delicious, with distinctive flavours, but also tell stories about the culture, people and land, leaving a lasting impression on visitors.

Đà Nẵng is currently developing a digital culinary ecosystem through e-commerce platforms and online services to boost tourism and drive local economic growth.

The city's Food Map has been integrated into mobile applications. With just a few taps, visitors can easily access Đà Nẵng's culinary ecosystem, which includes more than 200 selected food stalls featured in Đà Nẵng Food Tour 2026 and a network of reputable food and beverage businesses across the city.

On her first visit to Đà Nẵng, Nguyễn Thị Minh Huyền from Hà Nội was excited to try popular local dishes such as pork rice paper rolls, grilled pork skewers and Quảng-style noodles, whose distinctive flavours impressed her from the first bite to the last.

Huyền said making these mouthwatering dishes available on GrabFood would help visitors discover and enjoy Đà Nẵng's specialties while also sharing recommendations with family and friends. She described it as a creative initiative to integrate local cuisine into travel itineraries, offering a memorable culinary experience for tourists.

Markets go digital

Recently, a programme titled Digital Transformation of Cồn Market was launched. Grab, in cooperation with the market's management board, has helped traders establish an online presence on GrabFood and GrabMart, manage orders, adopt cashless payments and participate in online promotional programmes.

In addition to supporting trading activities, the programme has provided stall owners with digital skills training, covering product descriptions, pricing and appropriate packaging.

 

Huỳnh Thị Xuân Mai, a long-time vendor at Cồn Market, said since joining online platforms, her stall and Đà Nẵng’s local specialties have attracted greater interest from customers. Promotional discounts and targeted advertising on these platforms have helped bring local dishes to a wider audience.

Mã Tuấn Trọng, executive director of Grab Việt Nam, said the programme helped traders adopt digital technology and expand their sales channels. As a result, Đà Nẵng’s signature products and local dishes could reach both residents and tourists, helping promote the destination and boost the local economy.

To stimulate consumer demand, many promotional programmes for One Commune One Product (OCOP) products and local specialties will be launched on Grab platforms. Following the initial phase, Đà Nẵng authorities and Grab representatives will evaluate business performance, sales volume and consumer feedback to refine the programme, with a view to expanding it to other areas of the city with large numbers of local businesses.

Smarter food tourism

According to the Đà Nẵng Tourism Promotion Centre, the city has also developed a multiplatform digital tourism ecosystem to provide information, offer guidance and support to visitors.

The Đà Nẵng digital culinary map, developed by the local tourism sector in collaboration with ShopeeFood, enables visitors to search for, explore and access local dining options through a digital platform.

The initiative aims to connect food businesses with tourism promotion and local cultural experiences, support digital transformation, improve business competitiveness and develop Đà Nẵng as a smart tourism destination with a distinctive cultural identity.

Nguyễn Thị Anh Thi, vice chairwoman of the Đà Nẵng People's Committee, said promoting cuisine on digital platforms should go hand in hand with destination branding and the preservation of local culture.

Regarding the digital culinary map, the Đà Nẵng Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been asked to develop clear criteria for selecting representative culinary establishments and implement a thorough review process to verify information, brand stories and promotional materials related to local culture and heritage before they are published on the map and its accompanying application.

The map must be integrated into the city’s smart tourism platforms, tourism promotion programmes and events and festivals. Efforts should also be made to develop the Đà Nẵng Food Tour Festival to meet international standards.

One of the key features of the map is expected to be greater transparency. Detailed information about the origin of agricultural products and regional specialities will be accessible through a QR code system. This provides peace of mind to visitors when using services, while simultaneously helping enhance the reputation of the businesses involved.

According to Đỗ Thị Quỳnh Trâm, deputy director of the city's Department of Industry and Trade, a Đà Nẵng Culinary Market model will be developed. It will cover 10 major traditional markets. The model will introduce digital technology at all stalls, cashless payment systems and food safety controls.

At the same time, the department will put make local OCOP products and specialities available on the ShopeeFood app. A Đà Nẵng Culinary Passport is also planned to help visitors discover popular restaurants and enjoy local food while collecting stamps to redeem for gifts. — VNS