Hue Festival is always attractive to many visitors

Highlights at night                             

Mr. Tran Dinh Minh Duc, Head of Travel Management, Department of Tourism said that it was similar to the previous Hue Festivals, tour operators in the area always grasped opportunities to deploy many new tours and products.

Many tour operators are launching tours to enjoy the Festival’s programs combined with visiting Hue, spiritual tours and eco tours. Some other tour operators highlight the culinary delights at Hue Festival. The businesses deploy the majority of tours within 3 days and 2 nights, or 2 days and 1 night associated with the two main tours of Hue Festival.

From Hue Festival programs, Vietravel-Hue Branch has built 3 main tours to serve visitors. The first tour is to visit Hue and enjoy the opening art program; the second tour is enjoy the main Festival’s program and the third tour is to visit Hue combined with enjoying the closing program.

The representative of Vietravel-Hue Branch said that the highlights the company wanted to promote were to visit and enjoy Hue at night. During the tour, visitors will have many choices, not only enjoy the art programs, but also watch the Holy Cannons firing and Flagpole-Hue Imperial City art lighting work at night, etc.

Meanwhile, Hue Smile Travel chooses shorter tours within 2 days and 1 night. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Quynh, Director of Hue Smile Travel, although the tours are designed to be only one night in Hue, currently the company is not able to provide enough tours for visitors, as 3-to-5-stars hotels have announced their full occupancy.

This year, Huetourist company chooses tours to enjoy the Festival and discover new places in Hue. The representative of Huetourist stated that taking advantage of the attractions of the Festival, especially the opening of the Citadel for visitors at night, the tours’ schedule always had a night in the Citadel. During the day, the company will take visitors to explore Tam Giang Lagoon, as well as enhancing interactive services, with visitors experiencing fishing, cooking and enjoying the seafood of Tam Giang Lagoon.

Hue Festival 2018 takes place at the same time with the Fireworks Festival in Da Nang, many people worry about the competition for tourists between the two localities, and Hue is somewhat more disadvantaged.

Mr. Huynh Tien Dat, Deputy Director of Hue Festival Center, Standing Vice Chairman of Hue Festival 2018 Organizing Committee said that each festival attracts their own different visitors. The Organizing Committee is always in concern and effort to keep the brand and create attractions. Through the previous festival seasons, the Organizing Committee has found that the public and visitors often enlist the opportunity, to opt for one festival or the other, but if possible, they will choose both.

Ready

According to Mr. Le Huu Minh, Acting Director of Tourism Department, Hue Festival will be held on the public holidays of April 30 and May 1; accordingly, along with the number of international visitors, especially Korean visitors to Hue; visitors to Hue during the Festival are expected to increase dramatically. Without careful preparation, it is possible to "be overwhelmed," especially the bus stations at tourist sites.

The opening day of Hue Festival 2018 is coming soon; the tourism industry will conduct several inspections of “hot” tourist attractions, such as Nguyen Hoang bus station, the Citadel, some royal tombs, Thien Mu Pagoda, etc. Next, there will be inspections on accommodation establishments.

Mr. Dinh Manh Thang, Chairman of the Provincial Tourism Association said that as of early April, 3-5 star hotels reported the number of reservations during the Festival was at 100% and could not receive more guests. Despite this, for the guests and partners of Hue Festival, the association always prioritizes accommodation supply for them. In addition, the association has asked its members to improve the quality of services and enhance staffs on the Festival days so as to better serve visitors.

During Hue Festival 2018, visitors who have any questions about the programs and activities of Hue Festival, please contact Hue Festival Center for answers on phone numbers: 0234. 3822591 or 0234. 3883332; any reflections on the tourist environment, swindling, and ripping visitors off should be reported via the hotline of the Inspectorate of Tourism Department, staying in operation 24/24, on 0234. 3501111.

Story and photo: Duc Quang