The festival marks the eight edition of the ‘Day of Pho’ held annually by daily newspaper Tuoi Tre. It aims to popularize Vietnamese cuisine, with a specific focus on Phở, a popular Vietnamese dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat – usually beef or chicken.
According to the organsing board, the main activities are scheduled to take place at Yeouido Park on October 5 - 6 and will feature a total of 40 Phở booths from various brands in both Vietnam and the RoK.
As part of the fest, a series of promotional activities will be organised, such as a B2B matching session, a phở discovery event for Korean YouTubers and phở lovers, an exhibition on the history of Phở, and traditional Vietnamese and Korean folk games.
Pham Huy Binh, chairman of the Board of Members of Saigontourist Group, said that by accompanying the fest, the firm is keen to realise its commitments to promoting Vietnamese culture and cuisine to the wider world whilst creating a highlight to attract more Korean tourists to Vietnam.
Saigontourist will also launch a special tourism product which offers tourists a ticket to attend the Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 with free coupons to enjoy Phở and delicious other Vietnamese dishes at the event, revealed the executive.
Vietnamese Ambassador to RoK Vu Ho stressed that the fest is part of practical activities seeking to strengthen cultural exchanges and economic connections between the two countries.
He went on to express his hope that one day Vietnamese Phở restaurants would be present at locations every three kilometres in RoK.
The Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 is held by Tuoi Tre newspaper and Saigontourist Group, under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, with support provided by the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul, the Trade Promotion Agency, and Business Association of Vietnamese in Korea (BAViK).
Last year, the festival was held in Japan, attracting 85,000 visitors.
