HCM City to host international food festival Ba Ria-Vung Tau to offer best The People's Committee of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has launched the first phase of a programme called Trusted Tourism Adresses in Ba Ria – Vung Tau for 2014-15. The programme aims to develop tourism and offer best services to travellers by honouring prestige companies. Organised since 2007, the programme targets the creation of a strong business environment among tourism companies in the province. The criteria for the programme include good facilities, safe environment, hygienic food, good prices and quality and knowledge of staff. A team will be sent to these companies and the best will be selected and announced. In 2008-09, 41 companies and tourism service suppliers were chosen. It increased to 66 in 2010-12. For the 2012-14 period, 84 have been chosen. HCM City to host food festival   A four-day festival displaying foods and specialities from 20 countries and territories worldwide will be held beginning on December 5 at the September 23 Park in HCM City. Performances and events will demonstrate cooking methods and traditional art and music from other countries. A contest to judge high-quality vine and bartender art will also be held. A programme on teaching about food will also be scheduled. The festival, which has been held eight times, is organised by the city's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and HCM City's Tourism Association. It is expected to have 120 booths from 60 restaurants and hotels in HCM City. Ha Giang promotes ethnic people The Ha Giang Tourism and Cultural Heritage Week will be take place from November 19- 23 with many activities to honour the unique cultures of the province's ethnic groups, according to the provincial People's Committee. The week is organised to introduce to domestic and foreign people special features in life and art of ethnic minorities in the province. It is also chance for province to advertise their potential tourism products to visitors. During the week, visitors can enjoy traditional performances as well as traditional games and the indigenous cuisine of Ha Giang's ethnic minority groups, or take part in linen-weaving competitions and a ploughing contest. Tours to the province's beautiful sites such as Quan Ba Mountain, Dong Van Ancient Street and Dong Van Karst Plateau will also take place. Tourism programme highlights northern mountainous region Tourism potential of six northern mountainous provinces in the Viet Bac region is in the spotlight of a programme which opened in Lang Son province on November 4. The Viet Bac region, comprising Lang Son, Cao Bang, Bac Kan , Thai Nguyen, Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang, used to be the base of the revolutionary forces in the fight against French colonialists. Besides numerous revolutionary relics related to the national liberation war, the region is also home to magnificent natural scenery and various ethnic minority communities with unique cultures. The annual Viet Bac tourism programme is hosted in turns by regional localities not only to promote tourism but also to establish economic linkages with other provinces and cities, contributing to boosting the region’s socio-economic development. A wide range of activities, including folk art performances and traditional costume shows, food festival and folk games, are scheduled to take place during the three-day event, the fifth of its kind held in the region. Speaking at the opening ceremony, which saw the presence of leaders of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Steering Committee for the Northwest region as well as representatives from China ’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Vice Chairman of Lang Son provincial People’s Committee To Hung Khoa invited investors to the province. He affirmed the province will create the best possible conditions for businesses who want to study and invest in the province, especially in the Dong Dang border gate economic zone and the Mau Son national tourism area. On this occasion, eight communes in Lang Son’s Bac Son district were recognised as part of the Revolutionary Safe Zone relic site.- VietJetAir debuts Quy Nhon – HCM City route   Budget airline VietJetAir launched a flight from Quy Nhon to HCM City, with ticket prices ranging from VND620,000 to VND1.2 million (US$30-57). Flights from HCM City will take off at 2.45pm and from Quy Nhon at 4.30pm every day. The airlines currently offers flights from Hue, Da Nang and Buon Me Thuot in the central region to Ha Noi and HCM City. Source: SGT/SGGP/VNA/VNS/VOV/ND