First Int’l Seaport Festival: Opportunity to Link Vietnamese Seaports to the World

The international event also aims to highlight the leading role of the maritime sector in Vietnam’s national economy, security and national defence.

 

The festival includes a variety of activities such as a welcome carnival programme; a sea, ship and island photographic exhibition; a friendship charity golf tournament called “For beloved Truong Sa”; opening ceremony; lighting technology display called “Garden of light”; a seminar on seaport development and investment; and a musical performance called “Hello Vietnamese sea”; and a closing ceremony.

 

Ms Mai Thi Kim Chung, Managing Director of LOMA Company, the organiser of the festival, said this is the first time Vietnam hosts the international port festival, hence the Organising Board has decided to create impressive highlights for the festival. One of the main contents is the carnival parade program on road, on air and on sea. Particularly, the lighting technology show will be conducted by international entertainment companies with modern music background with simulated ships, sailboats, lighthouses, mermaids, and port cities. Together with the lighting show are music performances by DJs, pop & rock bands, dance sport artists, hip-hop singers and dancers from Vietnam and around the world. The opening ceremony of the festival will be staged by the seaside, using images of ships and marine facilities as the backdrop. LED technology will be used to create special modern effects in international style.

 

In-depth activities of the festival include international conferences and forums on seaport and port city development. Mr Ho Van Nien, Vice Chairman of People’s Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, said: Conferences and forums will be divided into six sessions, including two plenary sessions and four majors. Their contents explore development investment, construction, operation and administration of seaports and port cities. The forums consist of direct dialogues among domestic and international investors about port system development planning until 2020, with an orientation towards 2030, as well as modernisation of port customs procedures, international maritime regulations with the participation of government leaders, central ministries and Vietnamese and international customs experts, domestic and international logistics companies.

 

According to the organizers, this festival has economic, political and social significance. It highlights the objectives of Vietnamese seaport development planning from now to 2020, with a vision to 2030, popularises the important role and forefront position of the marine economy in the new period, thus helping strengthen the maritime economy, national security and defence, and raising public awareness of the country’s sea and island sovereignty. Specially, the festival opens up opportunities for the province to expand cooperation, attract investment and finance to further facilitate seaport and port city development in the province, uplift its position and importance of Ba Ria - Vung Tau transhipment port to compete with ports in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and other regional nations and territories. By attending the festival, investors will have the opportunity to learn about Vietnam’s seaport and marine tourism mechanisms, policies and potential. At the same time, it will create a chance for the province and concerned parties to exchange experience in operating commercial ports, connecting shipping companies and logistics systems, building seaport and port city development strategies in Vietnam.

Mr Nien affirmed that the diverse contents, plans, and programmes of the festival are actually a bridge to form connections, investment and business cooperation for domestic and international investors to introduce the image and potential of local and national marine economies, as well as Vietnamese products and services to the world.