La Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the airlines including Air France, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and EVA Air had agreed to cooperate. However, the carriers have asked the city to send them an official document requesting the assistance to obtain an official decision from their head offices.

“We will send the document early next month. We expect the three-and-a-half-minute video clip to be played as part of in-flight entertainment until the end of this year,” Khanh said.

The tourism sector announced the Exciting HCMC program in February – a selection of the city’s 100 best tourism brands for international visitors and 100 most popular brands for local travelers – as determined by experts’ selection and tourist votes.

The categories cover all aspects, including the best Vietnamese boutique services hotels, Vietnamese restaurants, shopping areas for tourists, Vietnamese souvenirs and gifts, exciting entertainment venues and stylish coffee shops. Other categories are must-taste and must-see in Vietnam, favorite city tour programs and prominent cultural, sport and tourism events. The list will change each year depending on tourist votes.

Khanh said Vietnam Airlines would also show the video clip on its flights. “As Vietnam Airlines is the program’s partner it will help to promote it,” he said.

Khanh said that since the announcement of the 100 excitements, the department had planned activities to promote them via events in foreign countries like ITB Berlin, which will take place in the middle of this month.