Khanh Hoa central province – home to Nha Trang resort city – is set to organize its third biennial sea festival from June 9 to 15, as part of a program to lure more tourists. 
Under the theme “Civilization- Friendliness-Hospitality”, the 2007 Nha Trang Sea Festival will cover diverse activities including festivals, exhibitions and fairs imprinted with national cultural identity, featuring 52 art, culture, music and water sports activities.

Huynh Quang Chau, deputy director of the provin­cial Department of Tourism and Trade, told a meeting in HCMC last week that half of the VND10 billion (US$625,000) to organize the event had been pledged by sponsors, with the prov­ince seeking more sponsors for the festival.

The organizing committee said it would use three strategic kilome­ters along Tran Phu Street, the most scenic motorway that runs through the provincial capital of Nha Trang right along the coast, as a pedestrian-only venue area for night street festivities.

This year’s event will in­troduce a street parade in­cluding flower-filled pedicabs, tandems, carriages deco­rated with flowers and a beer festival that will draw participation from many Vietnamese breweries.

A kite flying contest will also take place at the April 2 Square along Tran Phu street with the participa­tion of traditional kite clubs from southern Ho Chi Minh city, the current kite and former imperial capital of Hue, and Binh Dinh Province in the central region.

The event will also include exhibitions on pottery and calligraphy works, the Cau Ngu ceremony, which marks the opening of the summer fishing season, an exhibition on hand-embroidered pictures as well as artistic performances and fashion shows.

Chau said he expected the festival to boost the number of tourist arrivals in Khanh Hoa in June to the level recorded last February. The province welcomed more than 110, 000 visitors in the second month of the year as the country celebrated the lunar New Year holiday, or Tet.

The province holds great potential to develop tourism as it is endowed with beauti­ful beaches and Nha Trang Bay, proclaimed as one of the world's most beau­tiful bays in 2003, along with Van Phong Bay.

                                                                                  Compiled by Thu Thuy