After the extensive discussion and lengthy selection process, Vietnam’s tourism authorities have finally picked the most suitable theme to promote the country’s tourism in 2011. Along with that, they have laid out the national tourism industry’s action plan to woo the most visitors on the coming year.

The chosen theme, “Exotic Beaches and Islands”, has just been announced by the body. Among the activities lined up by VNAT (Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism), the National Tourism Year is marked among the most important events in the calendar. To prepare for it, a plan for promotion from now to 2011 is being established in the Central and Southern coastal provinces and Phu Yen, including advertisements on Phu Yen’s tourist sites. In fact, the series of events to be organized will center mostly in Phu Yen Province in cooperation with other central provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Da Nang City, provinces in the Central Highlands and big cities in Vietnam.

The event will be organized by the province in cooperation with other central and Central Highlands provinces, and major cities in the country, of which, the highlights will include an international mountaineering tournament at Da Bia Mountain in March 2011, the Vietnam-South Korea Cultural Exchange in April, and the ASEAN Traditional Music Festival in June.

The national tourism year has been made an annual event and is alternatively organized in each potential province or city each year. The ministry has asked the central Government to allow certain provincial governments to organize the annual national tourism promotion program from 2012 to 2017. Thua Thien-Hue will be the host in 2012, Hai Phong City in 2013, Lam Dong in 2014, Thanh Hoa in 2015, Kien Giang in 2016, and Lao Cai in 2017. Since the event was first organized in the northern province of Quang Ninh in 2003, the year-long annual program has been organized in Dien Bien, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Thai Nguyen, Can Tho and in Hanoi this year.

In preparation for the National Tourism Year 2011, Phu Yen province has built some tourism facilities and called for investment at home and abroad to develop tourist infrastructure. Looks like the tourism body is picking up its efforts in bringing in more visitors next year and their projects are very promising to help the livelihood of locals in the beach and island communities.