The home of “Ha Long Bay on Land” and the ancient capital city of Hoa Lu will be celebrating a week-long tourism festival that kicks off on April 9.

The scenic province of Ninh Binh, located just over 100km south of Ha Noi, will soon be more active with trade fairs; handicraft, bonsai and antique exhibitions; workshops; and even some friendly competitions.

The festivities will begin with a grand opening ceremony at Ninh Binh Stadium, which will be broadcast live on Viet Nam Television’s Channel 1. Then the festival will commence with a series of cultural events held at Hoa Lu, Viet Nam’s capital during the Dinh and Ly dynasties, to celebrate its 1,040th birthday.

The cultural events will be followed by workshops on tourism and sports, a cooking competition and a beauty pageant.

The province will also organise a ground breaking ceremony on two eco-tourism projects, Trang An tourism site and Bai Dinh Pagoda, which will join Tam Coc-Bich Dong Cave and Thung Nang as the province’s main tourism investments.

Organisers aim to focus the festival on attracting attention to Trang An, which could become another “Ha Long Bay on Land” thanks to its limestone crusted mountains and valleys amid the rivers. With Trang An only 4km from Hoa Lu, the current investments could help turn it into the province’s premier tourism site.

Director of Ninh Binh’s Tourism Department Trinh Xuan Hong hopes the festival will act as catalyst to accelerate the development of the local tourism industry, which is yet to live up to its potential.

According to the department’s research, total tourism revenues remain low, despite the increasing number of visitors. The province’s poorly equipped hotels, lack of entertainment venues and low-quality services can make tourists leave sooner than schedule.

“This festival provides us with a chance to create more publicity for Ninh Binh tourism, in both domestic and international markets,” Hong says. (VNA)