Vietnam headhunting for new tourism ambassador Ly Nha Ky and one of her 500 photos put on exhibition in a Nha Trang charity event. Photo: Tuoitre The heated race for the 2013-2014 Vietnam Tourism Ambassador between the former holder of this position and some fresh candidates is attracting much attention. The candidates include actress/businesswoman Ly Nha Ky, the first and current Vietnam Tourism Ambassador, Huynh Thi Ngoc Han, a lesser-known beauty with two master’s degrees and some local beauties and famed singers such as My Tam and Hong Nhung. Though there are mixed public opinions on Ky’s performance as last year’s tourism ambassador, according to Nguyen Van Tinh, head of International Cooperation Office under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at a convention on Jan 4, Ky made remarkable contributions to the promotion of Vietnam’s tourism during her term. She was one of those credited with successfully promoting Ha Long Bay in the race to gain worldwide recognition as one of the new natural world wonders. She was also active in calling for support for Vietnam’s bid to host the Asian Games (ASIAD) in 2019. Armed with good looks, foreign language command and good relations, Ky is standing a high chance of being reelected. She is set to promote the Trang An relic of northern Ninh Binh province in its bid to win world cultural heritage recognition. However, this celebrity’s reputation has been tainted by some scandals like showing too much skin in a certain movie. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Huynh Thi Ngoc Han, from Can Tho province has also applied for the post. The beauty, who won the Miss Tourism subtitle of the 2011 Miss Ethnic Vietnam, holds 2 master’s degrees in international trade and public relations in Australia. Han is currently working as a PR executive at Brisbane City Hall as well as providing international trade counseling in Australia. An ambassador for international students at Queensland state’s Brisbane city last year, she was honored by the city mayor for her remarkable efforts to help the students bridge the gap between the cultures of their home country and Australia. However, according to expert opinions, Han’s popularity is quite limited compared to Ky’s. Thu Huong, the second runner up of 2011 Mrs World, is also among the candidates. Other promising nominees are My Tam, a famed pop singer with free-from-scandal lifestyle and diva Hong Nhung, with a long, successful musical career. According to Tinh, the new ambassador must be famous, professionally successful, knowledgeable about Vietnamese culture, history and tourism, active in social work, and capable of mobilizing financial support for the country’s tourism promotion activities. “The ambassador must also sacrifice a lot in terms of money and time, which is one of Ky’s dominant strengths,” he added. The competition is ongoing. “The fact that there are several contenders for the post means the increasing recognition of its importance,” said Ky. Applications can be submitted to the culture ministry’s International Cooperation Office until the end of February.   TUOITRENEWS