Over 8,000 festivals of all sizes, but most are 'staged' events.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam currently has more than 8,000 festivals of all sizes, averaging one festival every hour. However, these festivals are mostly performances and theatrical displays.

International tourists enjoy bread at a festival in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUANG DINH

Festivals, from villages and communes to provinces, cities, and even the central government, are all claimed to be events serving tourism . However, these tourism-related festivals seem to be oversaturated and abused.

"Ceremony" must include rituals and offerings. Events without a "ceremony" are called festivals or "celebrations...".

Currently, some localities are gradually rectifying the names of festivals such as "Da Lat Flower Festival" ( Lam Dong ); "Hue Festival " (Thua Thien Hue ); "Salt Festival " (Bac Lieu); "Ninh Binh Festival"; "Tourism Festivals", "Southern Vietnam Traditional Food and Cake Week" (Ho Chi Minh City), "Ao Dai Week" (Vietnam Women's Union)...

From a tourism perspective, these are economic events, distinctive products for promotion and brand building. Therefore, we must change our mindset to find suitable approaches, focusing on tourists as the main actors and inviting them to actively participate. Many current festivals are primarily elaborate, theatrical performances, broadcast live on television, and performed only once, with tourists as spectators; this is very wasteful.

Festivals and events themselves are not "guilty"; the issue is whether or not visitors are allowed to participate.

Traditional festivals need to be screened and categorized according to their nature and level. Festivals need to be stable so that tourists can plan their attendance. There should be space and content to encourage visitors to actively participate.

For example, during the "Ao Dai Week" event, guests are invited to participate in the fashion show and parade. Tourists wearing Ao Dai receive discounts on services.

Other events should be similar. Food festivals should include more cooking classes, instructing on how to bake and prepare dishes. Competitions, Guinness World Records-winning culinary events, and opportunities for guests to sample and purchase food as souvenirs are also recommended. Instructions on how to make and release biodegradable lanterns (sky lanterns, floating lanterns) are also needed to protect the environment...

We also need to think more about socializing festivals. The state should only create favorable conditions, provide policy support, and streamline bidding procedures. Businesses should understand the needs of tourists and know how to effectively utilize investment costs to create PR effects and build brands. We should use convention centers, exhibition halls, and stadiums to host events instead of streets and parks as is currently the case.

Except for mass events primarily serving the public, festivals with reasonable fees, such as fireworks festivals and marathon races, should develop additional content and value for visitors to enjoy.

In 2024, Vietnam's tourism sector welcomed 17.6 million visitors (population nearly 102 million); ranking third in ASEAN after Thailand with 35 million visitors (population 66 million), Malaysia with 25 million visitors (population nearly 35 million), Singapore with 16.5 million visitors (population nearly 6 million); Laos with 8 million visitors, exceeding 2019 by nearly 3 million visitors (population nearly 9 million)...

Vietnam's tourism potential is enormous if we organize things correctly and implement appropriate communication and promotional campaigns. Society is changing, and so is the tourism industry; only then can we create a positive difference. Hesitation will lead to falling behind and becoming outdated.

This applies to every industry, not just tourism.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hon-8-000-le-hoi-lon-nho-nhung-da-phan-san-khau-hoa-20250221132458853.htm