Tourism campaign launched with photo contest

Golden rice fields in Mu Cang Chai, a photo by Tran Tuan Viet featured on the Facebook of Vietnamtourismboard

Applicants should send their best pictures of Vietnamese tourism for the chance to win holidays in the country and branded gift sets to take home.

The prizes for the two winning photos are a holiday at the five-star InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort with domestic flights to Phu Quoc Island (Kien Giang province), and an overnight cruise and scenic seaplane tour of Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh province) from L’Azalée Ha Long Bay Cruises and Hai Au Aviation.

The contest is open for entries until October 30. Vietnamese and foreigners are eligible to enter the contest on Facebook page Vietnamtourismboard.

The contest is the first of a series of activities to be held under the banner #VietnamNOW.

Travellers can find inspiration and information about Vietnam. Followers of the campaign on Facebook and Instagram can look forward to monthly giveaways with prizes from top Vietnamese brands.

Launched by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), in collaboration with the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), the campaign aims to tell inspiring stories of Vietnamese tourism, and provide information about the country's renowned natural beauty and rich historical and cultural attractions, and experiences shared by international travellers from around the world.

“Through the campaign, we hope to expand Vietnam’s image overseas, by showing wonderful experiences of the tourists who have visited the country,” said Dinh Ngoc Duc, head of VNAT’s Tourism Marketing Department.

“Vietnam has many options and attractions for travellers to enjoy and explore. We want to introduce the best travel products, tours and services.”

“In addition to promoting the country's famous gastronomy, UNESCO heritage sites, cultural treasures and natural landscapes, the campaign will also highlight new options for travellers, such as golf getaways, wellness retreats, luxury resorts, adventure tourism and urban breaks," he said.

Events such as festivals, marathons and the Formula One race in Hanoi next year will be put in the spotlight to build awareness of Vietnam’s diverse tourism assets.

The campaign will debut at the World Travel Market in London in November to attract more tourists from the UK.

VNAT will also launch a series of five #VietnamNOW videos showcasing the best destinations, and an “I Wish I Was in #VietnamNOW” contest to win free flights to Vietnam, as well as downloadable guides for first-time travellers to the country.

Vietnam has recently been honoured with the Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination title at the 26th World Travel Awards held on Phu Quoc Island on October 13. This year, Vietnam also won the title of Asia’s Leading Destination for the second year in a row, together with the Asia’s Leading Cultural Destination award.

Hoi An, a tourist city in the central province of Quang Nam and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was named Asia's Leading Cultural City Destination.