Vietnam will host the first seaports festival, an event which acknowledges the growing interest of the country for maritime and cruise tourism.
On July 28th in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism in cooperation with the local People’s Committee of the Province of Vung Tau as well as Long Mai Global Commercial JS Company hold a press conference and a launching ceremony to announce the hosting of Vietnam’s first International Seaports Festival 2012.
The festival will take place in Vung Tau City from November 10 to 12, 2012 under the theme “Vietnam – Peaceful and developed commercial port” with many activities due to attract a strong interest of both domestic and foreign travellers.
The program will include among others a welcoming International Seaport Festival Carnival under the thematic “To the peace on the Oriental Sea”; a Friendship golf tournament for delegates and guesses to collect funds destinated to the infamous Spratly Islands. The Spratly Islands territorial dispute involves questions of ownership of the Islands located in the midst of the South China Sea. States staking claims are: Brunei, China PRC, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and of course, Vietnam.
Other program highlights include a fair related to seaports’ activities, shipping companies, international and Vietnamese logistic companies; a light show named “Light garden”; an international convention and forum on the orientation of developing Vietnamese seaport and seaport city; an international musical show named “Hello Vietnam Sea” and a closing ceremony under the theme “Colours of the Vietnam Sea”.
This is the first time that Vietnam held the festival as a host, showing the growing significance that seaports play for the economy and tourism. The government has plans to expand and open more seaport facilities until 2020. They are also an increasing number of cruise ships making a port of call in Vietnam with Ho Chi Minh City and ports around the Halong Bay as well as Danang and Nha Trang being among the busiest for international cruise ships. Alone between January and March 2012, Saigon Port Authority indicates that the Passenger Cruise Terminal had received 20 domestic vessels, 26 foreign vessels with over 17,000 passengers passing the port.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
