“Northwest colours” selected as theme for National Tourism Year 2017

“Northwest Colours” was selected as the theme of the National Tourism Year 2017 at the organising board’s meeting in Hanoi on July 11.

Vietnam's terrace fields

The northwestern province of Lao Cai will host the year, with the participation of other provinces in the region, while other provinces and cities nationwide such as Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Hue, Danang, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh city are to hold supporting activities for the national event.

Ha Van Thang, Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lao Cai province said the inaugural ceremony of the National Tourism Year 2017 Lao Cai- Northwest is planned for February 2017.

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Eight typical tourist products of the northwest region are expected to be introduced during the National Tourism Year 2017, including community-based tourism, terraced rice fields, mountain markets, flower seasons and mountain trekking, and a tour tracking the routes of Vietnam People’s Army units during the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign, Thang said.

The organising committee has also chosen the logo of the National Tourism Year 2017 Lao Cai- Northwest, featuring a stilt house – the most typical architecture in the region- on background of blue sky and mountain.

The northwest region is home to more than 30 ethnic groups, a slew of tangible and intangible cultural heritages and famous historical sites and imposing landscapes.

In 2015, the region received 8.9 million tourists, including 1.6 million foreigners, while the country received 7.94 million international arrivals.

The northwest region comprises eight provinces, namely Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Son La and Phu Tho.

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Tourism village to showcase life in northwestern region

Vietnam family holiday - A series of activities based on life in the northwestern region will be showcased in the Viet Nam Culture and Tourism Village on the western outskirts of the capital.

Entitled “A Month of Northwestern Echo”, the programme includes an exhibition of tools for fishing of various ethnic groups from the northwestern provinces, a photo exhibition and a one-day homestay for tourists who want to experience the daily life of the Thai, Muong and E De people.

The exhibition of tools for fishing will take place from July 15 to 31, while the local people will showcase their fishing skills from July 29 to 31.

The photo exhibition will feature more than 100 photos of people and landscapes of the northwestern region such as the Muong Hoa Valley, Ta Van and Cat Cat Villages, the season when rice matures in terraced fields in Hoang Su Phi and Ha Giang Province, besides Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai Province.

The homestay event will take place every weekend till the end of the month.

The village is located in Son Tay District, 45km west of the centre of Ha Noi.

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Cai Rang Floating Market named cultural site

Vietnam travel packages - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has awarded a certificate recognising Cai Rang Floating Market in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho as a national intangible cultural heritage site.

The Cai Rang Floating Market is on the 185-kilometre Hau River which is a part of Mekong Delta river basin.

The market is a top tourism destination in Can Tho City, where local and foreign tourists go to learn about the colourful life on the river.

The UK’s Rough Guide has just elected the Cai Rang Floating Market as one of ten most impressive markets in the world.

The market, which has thrived for over a century, has been a centre for commerce in the city and its neighbouring provinces, such as An Giang, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang.

They traditionally sell all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and recently added coffee, breakfast dishes and even lottery tickets.

On boats, products are hung on bamboo poles so tourists and locals can easily know which products each boat is selling.

At 5am to 6am, the market is filled with 350 to 400 boats carrying tourists, local people and vendors in a rush.

Preservation

Can Tho City’s authorities in April approved to preserve and develop the market.

Under the preservation project with total capital of VND63 billion (US$2.8 million), marking buoys will be installed to limit boats for anchoring.

Wharfs, public toilets and 5,000-metre warehouses for storing products to serve tourists will also be built for the market.

Garbage discharged by residents living on boats near the markets or sellers will be paid more attention to in order to ensure hygiene.

The project will be carried out by the city Economics and Society Institute.

According to the Can Tho City’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, more than 931,000 local and foreign tourists came to the city in the first half of this year, an increase of 22 per cent compared to the same period of last year.

This increasing number of tourists raised the total tourism revenue in Can Tho City to nearly VND1 trillion ($44 million).

Most tourists to Can Tho City chose tours that include the Cai Rang Floating Market.

Cai Rang Floating Market Tourism Day on Saturday was also launched to advertise tourism.

On that day, 20 models of boats with fruits and other farm produce were displayed. A photo exhibition highlighted the market’s beauty. A boat race and the southern cultural heritage traditional music Don Ca Tai Tu was also performed.

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