Nguyen Viet Anh, Director of the Division of Travel under municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the selection committee p icked the 100 brands on January 12 from a list of 150 nominated items following a poll among tourists. The committee had earlier sent 14,000 ballots to voters.

Anh said the organizer would announce the list in a ceremony to honor such best tourism brands on February 1.

The “100 Saigon’s Excitement” program is organized by the city government and its tourism department with an aim to develop tourism products in the city and promote the city’s image to tourists.

Given the votes by tourists, the organizer will also select the best Vietnamese boutique services hotels, excellent Vietnamese restaurants, best shopping places for tourists, Vietnamese souvenirs and gifts, exciting entertainment venues, and stylish coffee shops.

Other categories are Vietnamese must-taste and must-see, the most favorite city tour programs, and prominent cultural, sport and tourism events.

Anh said that the department would print brochures, books as well as make DVDs and memory sticks as soon as possible to promote the selected brands to foreign partners at upcoming travel exhibitions and via Vietnamese embassies abroad.

The department is carrying out a similar program to select best brands for domestic travelers. The selection committee will have a meeting soon to choose the brands from votes by local tourists, and the final list will also be honored in the ceremony on February 1.