The opening ceremony of the Nha Trang Beach Tourism Festival being held from June 13 to 16. VNA/VNS Photo Đặng Tuấn

KHÁNH HÒA — The Nha Trang Beach Tourism Festival has opened in the south-central coastal province of Khánh Hòa with music and dance performances by popular artists.

The biennial event, which opened on June 13 with the theme “Nha Trang Bay- sparkling pearl” this time, features tourism, culture, sporting, and culinary activities to amuse visitors and boost tourism and investment.

There is a trade fair with 200 booths showcasing tourism products, regional specialty products, bikini pageants, cyclo and motor parades, and fruit, coffee, beer, and salangane nest festivals at the four-day event.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Đinh Văn Thiệu, deputy chairman of the province People’s Committee, said the festival is part of a tourism promotion strategy to boost tourism and attract investment.

The event seeks to project the province as a safe, friendly, vibrant, and modern destination and captivate domestic and foreign visitors with its traditional cultural heritage, he said.

Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, director general of the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism, said the festival has become an established event showing off the strengths of the city to boost tourism and socio-economic development.

With its ever-expanding transportation links, Nha Trang has become a favoured coastal tourist city and a gateway to the south-central region and Central Highlands, he said.

The event is expected to attract 350,000-400,000 local and foreign visitors. —VNS