The 2009 Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival, the 5th such annual event, opened on April 3 at Dam Sen Cultural Park by the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Tourism Association.

The festival showcased prestigious tourism trade names to the public and new tourism services along with special promotions to stimulate demand among the city’s people and in the southern economic zone.

At the event, 44 travel agencies, hotels and entertainment areas, coming from main tourism regions in 14 cities and provinces nationwide, had the chance to advertise their services.

Under the framework of the event, a food festival took place, attracting 50 stalls from restaurants from 7 cities and provinces in the country, high lighting the unique food culture of the southern region.

Also on the occasion of the Hung Kings’ Temple Festival, visitors witnessed the creation of 5,000 square sticky rice cake, in addition to performances and exhibitions from April 3-5.

Tourism is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s major industries. In 2008, the city received 2.8 million foreign visitors and the city’s tourism industry recorded a turnover of VND31,000 billion. In the first quarter of this year, HCM City welcomed 780,000 arrivals of foreign tourists, with a total tourism industry turnover of VND7,700 billion.