Danang bracing for some 60,000 spectators for int’l fireworks contest
]By Dao Loan - The Saigon Times Daily
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| A staff of Danang’s Ba Na Hills promotes its services to a partner in HCMC’s four-star Kim Do Hotel on Thursday - Photo: Dao Loan |
HCMC – The central city of Danang is expecting around 60,000 spectators for the International Fireworks Competition which takes place on March 27 and 28 in the city, an official said.
Tran Quang Thanh, deputy director of the Danang City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said around 20,000 viewers would come from outside the city. The organizing committee plans to issue around 30,000 tickets for the event priced at VND200,000 each.
“We are printing the tickets. Up to now, buyers have registered to buy half of the total,” Thanh told the Daily on the sidelines of a meeting on Thursdayto promote Danang’s tourism services in HCMC.
Teams from the U.S., Japan, Portugal, France and Danang will compete. During the two nights, each team will perform for 20 minutes with music. The city’s tourism will also organize other music, exhibition and sports events these two days.
Answering the Daily’s question about complaints from tour operators about the lack of hotel rooms in Danang during the competition, Thanh said that because of the big number of tourists coming to the city at the same time, Danang’s hotels could not provide enough rooms. The city has around 5,000 rooms so tour operators must arrange accommodation for their guests in nearby Hoi An, Chan May or Lang Co.
“Most of Danang’s hotel rooms were fully booked but we’ve opened some new hotels for guests,” Thanh said.
Regarding the lack of air tickets from HCMC to Danang during the competition, he said the city had met with Vietnam Airlines to discuss the situation. The airline has pledged to increase flights to and from the city when passenger numbers go up.
He said Danang had estimated to need over VND20 billion to organize the competition. So far, the organizing committee has mobilized more than VND17 billion from sponsors.
“We are calling for more sponsors for the event,” Thanh said.He also said that after this year’s competition, Danang would organize the event every two years.
At Thursday's meeting in HCMC, Danang’s tourism promoted 2010 tourism events as well as new tourism services to HCMC tour operators.