This
year’s HCM City Tourism Day 2011 will highlight special aspects of five popular
destinations – HCM City, Da Lat, Binh Thuan, Phu Quoc and Hai Phong, organisers
of the annual event said yesterday, Mach 22.

Popular place: Flowers bloom in Da Lat, one among five highlighted destinations on HCM City Tourism Day. (Photo: VNS)

La Quoc Khanh, deputy
director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said at a
press briefing that a photographic exhibition will present markets in Sai Gon
market, flowers in Da Lat, beaches in Mui Ne, Phu Quoc island, and the red
flamboyance of poinciana flowers in Hai Phong.

The central province
of Quang Binh had become the first destination to be promoted under the
department’s plan begun last year to highlight a different destination or
destinations every year.

“The HCM City Tourism
Day is an important festival that can stimulate tourism demand at a difficult
time,” Khanh said.

“It can be seen as a
supermarket where travel companies promote and sell their products, and
customers can freely choose what they like.”

Other countries have
achieved significant results by organising similar events, notably Singapore (29
years) and Malaysia (22 years), he said, adding that this was the seventh year
in Viet Nam.

However, this
“supermarket” remains a relatively new concept in Viet Nam and both travel
companies as well as customers were yet to use such events as a major resource,
he said.

Hence, most travel
companies who participate in the event focus on promoting their brand name
instead of selling their product directly.

However, 92 per cent
of travel firms that joined the event last year have registered to so again,
proving its success, Khanh said.

“Using the insights
gained by the department from Tourism Day festivals in other countries, it has
given practical suggestions to travel firms on ways to participate in the event
and gain maximum benefits,” he added.

Khanh said major firms
like Saigontourist, TST and Viet Media Travel are expected to leave significant
impressions on this year’s event.

In the context of
inflation and an increase in prices of most goods and services, the festival
will enjoin participants to stand by the Government’s efforts to keep prices
stable as much as possible, Khanh said.

The city Tourism
Association has petitioned the Ministry of Finance to cut value-added tax by 50
per cent, corporate income tax by 50 per cent and allow travel companies to pay
taxes two months late, an association representative said at the briefing.

The four-day event is
being organised at the city’s September 23 Park in downtown HCM City from April
7.

The event will feature
a travel fair, a Southern cooking festival, Golden Voice of HCM City Tourism
contest, tai tu traditional music performances as well as the photo exhibition.

Though the organisers
were expecting to attract 80 companies to fill 150 booths, an additional four
booths have been booked this year.

“The event aims to
help travel companies publicise their brands and promote their services for the
coming summer season,” Khanh said.

A dominant theme of
HCM City Tourism Day 2011 is “Tourism Brand” and those brands that have made a
mark in domestic and overseas markets will be honoured at the festival.

It will name the top
ten names in many categories including: destinations, inbound travel companies,
outbound travel companies, domestic travel companies, tourism websites, luxury
hotels, shopping stores, hotels for businesspeople, hotels for MICE
(Meeting-Incentive-Conference-Event), tour companies and restaurants.

A grand closing
ceremony honoring top Vietnamese tourism brands will be broadcast live on the
HTV9 channel.

Organisers said they
expect to attract 200,000 people to the HCM City Tourism Day 2011 festival who
will book tours and take advantage of other tourism services.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News