Saigontourist Group 2024 Culinary and Delicious Culture Festival will take place from March 28 to 31 in Ho Chi Minh City, introducing more than 3 delicious dishes from 400 regions to city residents and tourists.
Diversify Ho Chi Minh City tourism products
Ms. Ngoc Minh (living in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) said that coming and learning about and enjoying delicious dishes at culinary festivals is a hobby of her and her family. Last year, she took the whole family to the Saigontourist Group 2023 Culinary Culture Festival to enjoy dishes ranging from stuffed snails, Phu Yen tuna to grilled meat, bamboo-tube rice...
In 2023, this festival welcomes more than 80.000 visitors to visit and enjoy cuisine. This year, the scale of the festival has been expanded, being able to serve 12.000 visitors at the same time. More than 40 member units of the Saigontourist Group system will introduce to visitors more than 400 typical regional dishes and drinks at culinary booths arranged into 3 areas: North, Central, and South.
Food festivals are a good opportunity to promote tourism
Mr. Pham Huy Binh - Chairman of Saigontourist Group's Board of Directors, Head of the Festival Steering Committee - said the festival aims to stimulate tourism, diversify Ho Chi Minh City tourism products and promote Vietnamese culinary culture. "The festival has many interactive activities between tourists and artisans, and will be a culinary cultural meeting point for tourists, including overseas Vietnamese from all over the world" - Mr. Pham Huy Binh expected.
Next, it is expected that in May 5, the second Bread Festival will also take place in Ho Chi Minh City. The Bread Festival will be held annually to become an attractive culinary cultural event and tourism product. attract tourists. Last year, the festival welcomed more than 2024 visitors for the first time.
“Bread is a very popular dish that international visitors want to enjoy when coming to Vietnam. Therefore, the Bread Festival in particular and food festival events that are organized systematically, professionally, and periodically will become signature products, attracting the attention of tourists, especially international visitors. . This year, we want to welcome at least 100.000 visitors to this festival" - Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, emphasized.
Creating Vietnamese cuisine according to international tastes
For many years, culinary tourism has been identified as one of the important products, contributing to enhancing the advantages of Vietnamese tourism.
Vietnam is famous for its rich and diverse dishes. Recently, culinary website TasteAtlas published an article listing the 100 most delicious sandwiches in the world, in which Vietnamese bread ranked first. At the end of 2023, through voting by reputable organizations and culinary information sites, Hanoi was honored to win the award "Best emerging culinary city destination in Asia in 2023". TasteAtlas also announced the list of 100 Best Cuisines in the World, in which Vietnam ranked 22nd in the 100 best cuisines in the world in 2023. According to the list of 100 Best Food Cities in the World, Hue City ranked 28 of the 100 cities with the best food in the world…
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, commented that with its unique location next to the forest and the sea, stretching from North to South, Vietnam is considered by the world as the gateway from East to West. Thanks to its diverse and rich advantages, Vietnamese cuisine clearly reflects the profound cultural interference with the world through tourism. Hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese cuisine restaurants are present around the world. On the contrary, in Vietnam, most provinces and cities have restaurants serving traditional dishes from many countries.
According to the Chairman of the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association, tourism development is indispensable without agricultural tourism. In particular, cuisine and culinary culture are the core elements that contribute to creating a national brand to attract visitors.
For Vietnamese cuisine to truly become an attractive destination in the world, we need to have synchronous and comprehensive solutions. First, constantly improve the quality and creativity of Vietnamese cuisine. Vietnamese cuisine needs to have a strong cultural identity but also needs to be modern, suitable for the tastes of international tourists. Second, create unique and attractive culinary experiences. Tourists not only want to enjoy delicious food but also want to experience Vietnam's culinary culture. Third, effectively use digital technology to promote Vietnamese cuisine. Fourth, strengthen cooperation with international culinary organizations and associations to promote Vietnamese cuisine to the world.
Motivation to promote the night economy
To conquer international tourists in the most competitive way, Vietnam needs to take advantage of its culinary and delicious dishes. Recently, Ho Chi Minh City's reorganization of Phan Xich Long food street (Phu Nhuan district), launch of Xuan Thuy food street (Thao Dien ward, Thu Duc city)... attracted the attention of people and tourists. These initial successes demonstrate the right direction in developing culinary tourism, thereby contributing to the development of the night-time economy in accordance with the Government's goals.
