Opening ceremony of national tourism year 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19

The decision was made as proposed by the Ninh Binh provincial department of Culture, Sports and Tourism due to concerns over the complicated developments of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The event will be replaced with a launch ceremony of the national tourism programme, which will be held soon after Vietnam declares itself free of COVID-19. Featuring the assorted stimulation activities of aviation and tourism sectors, the programme mainly targets the domestic market and a part of the international tourism market.

Previously, the northern province of Ninh Binh, host of the 2020 National Tourism Year, was fully prepared for the grand opening, originally slated for February 22.

The ceremony, scheduled to take place at the Dinh Tien Hoang De Square in Ninh Binh city, was designed as one of the activities ushering in a series of events during National Tourism Year 2020.

The tourism year was planned to take place throughout this year with 27 activities, including festivals, cultural and arts programmes, sporting events, and an international symposium on the preservation of world cultural and natural heritage values.