Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Do Dinh Hong spoke to DTiNews about the forthcoming Ao Dai Festival which will be held on October 14-16 at Thang Long Citadel in Hanoi.

Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Do Dinh Hong

As a director of the tourism department, why do you think the ao dai has any relevance to promoting the sector?

Traditional outfits have cultural values that can make tourists want to explore and understand more about that country. South Korea has the hanbok, Japan has the kimono, Scotland is known for its kilt and Vietnam is famous for the ao dai. The ao dai represents Vietnamese women. I think the images of Vietnamese women wearing ao dais and walking along the road, in flower fields and at attractions play an important role in making a great first impression about Hanoi and Vietnam.

How will you use the ao dai in your tourism promotional work?

The ao dai always appears in promotional videos and other materials. This is like a friendly welcome of Hanoians to tourists. From what I've seen, the ao dai is not only loved by the locals but also tourists from all over the world because it is the pinnacle of Vietnamese culture and it honours women's beauty. Female tourists often buy ao dai as a souvenir.

How are you going to incorporate the ao dai into wider tourism development?

The ao dai is one of our strength. We can make Vietnam into a fashion destination. Hanoi has long cultural history, stable tourism growth and has suitable conditions to develop this idea. An Ao Dai Festival is a strategic step to move closer to this goal.

In the past eight months, we have worked with various designers such as Spanish designer Diego Cortizas del Valle, traditional artist Lan Huong and Do Trinh Hoai Nam about the new tourism services so that tourists in Hanoi can submerge themselves in the environment of art and design.

The ao dai honours women's beauty

How is this year festival different from the previous one?

Firstly, it helps preserve and promote the traditional values and secondly, the festival is intended to introduce the best ao dai and popularise them to international visitors. Thirdly, this is also a chance for tourism and fashion firms to co-operate. The festival is a step to make Hanoi into a fashion city.

This year, Hanoi People's Committee and Vietnam Women's Union will directly manage the festival with help from other agencies including the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre and DanTri Newspaper. This shows the efforts by local authorities to promote new tourism services and products to bring benefits to both local people and visitors.The festival is held at Thang Long Citadel because it represents hundreds of years of history.

What is the meaning of the festival?

Like I said it is one of the activities to preserve and promote traditional values. You can say that it is a present from Hanoi tourism sector to the citizens and visitors on the occasion of 62nd anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day, October 10, and 86th anniversary of Vietnam's Women Union's establishment on October 20.

By participating, artists and Hanoi lovers can contribute to help promote the capital's culture to the world.

What is your expectation from the festival?

I hope the festival will succeed, attract lots of attention and support from everyone. This is a precious opportunity to remind people of traditional values during the global integration process and moving closer to the goal to make Hanoi into a fashion city.