Preparations are complete for a tourist festival to be held later this month in Vietnam’s central province of Binh Thuan.

The festival, thought to be the biggest in the province in the last three decades, will mark Binh Thuan Tourism Day, and the province has spent over 5 billion dong (US$) to upgrade and restore tourism sites and infrastructure. The Tourism Day celebrations, held annually on October 22-24 in Phan Thiet town, 190 kilometers north of HCMC, began to be held after thousands rushed to the coastal town to see a full solar eclipse on October 24, 1995. It turned an otherwise normal day into a watershed for the local tourism industry with the little-known area becoming one of the most favorite tourist destinations in the country. October 24 came to be adopted as Binh Thuan Tourism Day. Director of the province’s Department of Tourism said preparations were being made carefully for the event because of its significance to the local tourism industry. Called “Binh Thuan Green Convergence” this year, it will feature many cultural and entertainment activities like hot-air balloons, boat racing, climbing sandy hills, and a culture day featuring the Cham ethnic group

Thanh Nien