Vietnam to host ‘Youth Ambassador' event
Vietnam will host the Mekong Sub-Region Tourism Youth Ambassador 2013 programme for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City from October 17-21.
Sixty students from HCM City, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Yangon and Bangkok will introduce tourism destinations as well as joint cultural and sports exchanges through traditional games and cuisine contests during the five-day event.
The programme, part of an activity agreed upon by the Lower Mekong Tourism Cities Mayor Summit, aims to promote tourism industries in the region, with a focus on the youth travel market segment in five cities, according to La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"The youth travel market segment contributes significantly to the tourism industry," Khanh said at a media meeting held in HCM City on October 10.
"The programme to be held annually in participating cities, will be an effective channel for tourism promotion through cultural exchanges between young people in the region," he said.
Each participating city will select two City Ambassadors, one male and one female, to compete with others to become the Youth Tourism Ambassador of Mekong Sub-Region 2013.
The City Ambassador winners will conduct video clips expressing themselves and write essays about their own cities and HCM City.
Ambassadors will also join a trip to Tien Giang Province to take snapshots for photo albums as well as performing in the final round held at the HCM City University of Economics on October 20.
Xa Tan Chuong from the HCM City University of Banking and Vo Hoang Oanh from HCM City University of Economics were winners of the City Ambassadors contest in HCM City.
The event is co-organised by the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union-HCM City Chapter, and the University of Economics.