FUN FOR EVERYONE: The cultural & tourism festival Hương Rừng Cà Mau (The Forest Flavour of Cà Mau) features dozens of economic, cultural and sports activities to promote local culture, tourism, and the economy. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

CÀ MAU — The cultural and tourism festival Hương Rừng Cà Mau (The Forest Flavour of Cà Mau), opened in the southernmost province of Cà Mau’s U Minh District on Wednesday.

The event is part of the province’s Cà Mau-Destination 2023 Programme with a range of tourism, trade and entertainment activities throughout the year to lure domestic and foreign visitors.

The five-day festival celebrates the country’s Reunification Day on April 30.

It features dozens of economic, cultural and sports activities to promote local culture, tourism, and the economy.

It includes a trade fair with 80 stalls displaying specialties from Cà Mau and neighbouring provinces such as Bạc Liêu, Trà Vinh and Sóc Trăng.

Food courts introducing traditional dishes and fruits from local farms are also included.

The festival also includes traditional music and song, and dance shows featuring hundreds of performers from leading art troupes of Cà Mau and other provinces in the region.

Folk games, cooking and sports competitions are also featured.

“We hope our event will help to promote tourism in Cà Mau,” said Nguyễn Thanh Liêm, deputy chairman of the U Minh District People’s Committee, who is also a member of the festival’s organising board.

The Cà Mau-Destination 2023 Programme is aimed at boosting cooperation in trade and tourism with other cities and provinces and developing tourism as well as trade and services.

Since its inception in 2021, the programme has promoted Cà Mau as a unique and alluring destination, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Last year, the programme attracted 160,000 visitors and generated revenue of VNĐ108 billion (US$4.57 million).

Aside from the cultural and tourism event Hương Rừng Cà Mau, a shrimp festival and a hot-air balloon festival are scheduled for June.

The shrimp festival is expected to be the largest event under the Cà Mau-Destination 2023 Programme. It will include several forums, seminars, exhibitions, food fairs and cooking contests featuring dishes from different products of shrimp.

Cà Mau leads the nation in shrimp farming area, at roughly 276,000 hectares with an annual output of over 220,000 metric tonnes. — VNS