The tourism festival, titled the Mekong Delta’s Waterways and Countryside, will include a Mekong Delta food festival in February, a lantern festival to celebrate Southern Liberation Day on April 30, a traditional boat race in late April, and a fruit festival.

During a press conference in Ho Chi Minh City on August 7, Deputy Chairman of the Can Tho provincial People’s Committee and head of the organising board, Pham Phuoc Nhu, said the year-long festival will highlight the Mekong Delta’s unique characteristics and numerous cultural activities that take place in the city and across neighbouring cities and provinces.

So far, nine cities and provinces have registered to take part in the big tourism event, which will include the Southern Fruit Festival, an International Travel Expo, the festival of Ba Chua Xu (Country Lady), a Culture and Tourism Week, and other activities across HCM City, the provinces of An Giang and Kien Giang, and other locations.

New tours will be organised to offer tourists opportunities to explore the culture, history and rural scenery of the Mekong Delta.

On stage, there will be more than one thousand artists from art troupes nationwide partaking in parades and musical performances.

Along with cultural and tourism activities, in 2008, Can Tho city will launch major infrastructure projects, including Can Tho Airport in September and Can Tho Bridge in December.