Da Lat Flower Festival to take place from December 20-22, 2019 (Photo: dalatcity.org)

 

Themed ‘Da Lat and Flowers’, the biennial festival will take place from December 20-24 in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong. It will include various cultural, art and tourism shows to promote the city’s image as the land of flowers.

 

The board announced at a press conference last week in Hanoi that this year’s event would include 12 unique programmes, nine of which would be held in Da Lat City including the opening ceremony.

 

They will be accompanied by performances on large, 3D stages featuring local landscapes such as Xuan Huong Lake and Cu Hill. They promise to have a special impression on visitors.

 

Flowers displays will be set up in central areas and five flower villages in Da Lat, aiming to convey messages about a "gentle, elegant and hospitable" city that is "safe, civilised and friendly.

 

A report from the organisers said Da Lat was a famous tourist destination, attracting visitors all year round, especially during cultural and tourism events, so regulations in this area must receive attention.

 

Details of services and prices should be mandatory, according to the report.

 

“If violations are discovered, authorities respond immediately,” the report said.

 

Da Lat currently has about 24,000 hotel and guest rooms, catering for about 70,000 visitors per day.  

 

The board has also implemented promotions focusing on improving local awareness of environmental protection and social security during the festival, stressing the need to prevent littering during and after the event.

 

It appealed to tourism agencies and companies to ensure visitors enjoy their time in the city by preventing overcharging and protecting the environment.

 

The highlight of the festival will be a Lam Dong Tea and Silk Culture Week to be organised in in Bao Loc district.

 

Ton Thien San, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Da Lat city and head of the festival’s organising board, said: “This will be the eighth festival Da Lat has hosted, and it's becoming known as the first festival city in Vietnam. It's helped to create great economic value and boosted the city’s tourism development, honouring local horticulturists and encouraging the flower industry to grow.”

 

“Over the years, the city’s economy has grown by more than 10 percent annually. The festival has attracted an increasing number of visitors. Last year alone, the city welcomed 6 million tourists while its population is between just 25,000 and 30,000 people,” said San.

 

Lam Dong province has a total area of 3,450ha of flower plantations for domestic use and global exports, with an output of 1 billion items per year.

 

In Da Lat city alone, about 5,000 households and more than 30 enterprises are engaged in supplying different species of flowers including roses, mimosa and orchids.

 

The Da Lat Flower Festival has been held every two years since 2005. It is regarded as an exclusive event that attracts large numbers of Vietnamese and foreign tourists./.