Ministry rejects ‘Vietnam - A Different Orient’ slogan

[Vietnam Tourism] - The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has rejected ‘Vietnam - A Different Orient’ as the official slogan of the country’s tourism for the 2011-2015 period, an official said.<br><br>

Hoang Thi Diep, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said relevant departments and experts didn’t agree with the Cowan Design Company’s proposal.

Earlier this year, Cowan won the VNAT slogan and logo contest but the arrangement hasn’t worked out as planned.

“We have decided not only to collect ideas from the contest winner but also from those who finished second and third. The ministry has agreed to seek another work,” she told the Daily.

The ministry has entrusted VNAT to cooperate with European experts of the EU-funded project for Vietnam’s tourism named the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Program (ESRT) in Vietnam from 2011 to 2015 to seek a new slogan and logo.

“We expect the final work to be completed later this year,” she said.

In late 2005, Vietnam’s tourism authorities chose ‘Vietnam - the Hidden Charm’ as the new slogan for the tourism industry’s 2006-10 push and due to the delay the industry is still using the old slogan for marketing activities of Vietnam travel at home and abroad.

“We need to also make effective programs as well as having a new slogan and logo to find customers worldwide,” she said.

She said VNAT in the second half of this year would submit a plan to establish the National Tourism Promotion Department to carry out activities to promote Vietnam travel.