HA NOI — Tourists are being asked to send holiday videos and their feelings about their trip to the country to the Green Viet Nam Video Contest, which aims to promote tourism and raise people's awareness of sustainable tourism.

The contest, which was launched on Tuesday, focuses on supporting and encouraging Vietnamese students to join in community tourism activities and to take advantages of communication technologies and social networks to promote Viet Nam tourism's image.

The contest, which carries the theme "Green Trip – Green Clip", is being organised by the Green Apple Centre, a non-profit organisation focusing on sustainable development, which is sponsored by the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). Videos should be sent to the organising board before December 31 via the website xanhxanh.vn.

Entrants are also asked to submit suggestions on ways to develop green tours and sustainable tourism.

The Green Viet Nam contest would a chance to advertise Viet Nam's beauty and to raise people's awareness of sustainable and community tourism, said Le Tuan Anh, head of the Tourism Marketing Department under the VNAT.

"The contest will create a trend among young people to preserve and promote the country's cultural and natural values," he said. "The contest will also help popularise Viet Nam's image to our international friends."

The competition is open to both Vietnamese and foreign tourists.

Early submissions include a video sent by Duong Ngoc Huong of the country's biggest cactus garden in Ha Noi's Ba Vi National Park.

"I'm interested in cactuses because they are a symbol of vehement vitality," she said. "I expect and hope more and more gardens like this will be set up in Viet Nam." — VNS