Ninh Thuan (VNA) – The south central province of NinhThuan welcomed about 120,000 visitors from April 26 to May 1, three timeshigher than the same time last year, according to the provincial Department ofCulture, Sports and Tourism.
Nguyen Tran Vuong, head of the department’s TourismManagement Office, attributed the surge in the number of tourists to the Grapeand Wine Festival that took place from April 26 to May 2, coinciding with thefive-day holidays from April 27-May 1.
This year, the festival included various activities, including field-trips to vineyards; anindustry-trade fair; a contest for ethnic minority groups in the province; aperformance of Raglai’s “Bo ma” (farewell to the dead) ceremony; a streetfestival; and a beach sport festival.
The festival washeld during the grape harvest season, leaving strong impression on visitors.
Nguyen Thi Lan,from Thai Binh province, said that she was impressed with local products, suchas grapes, sheep-breeding farms, untouched beaches and fresh seafood.
Ninh Thuanprovince has ideal soil and weather conditions for grape cultivation. Theprovince is now home to more than 1,200 hectares grown with vines, and 57 wine-makingfacilities.
The province plans to expand the vineyard areato 2,500 hectares, and zone off some 100 hectares for high-quality grape cultivation.-VNA
