HCMC residents are seen watching a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve last year in this file photo. The Secretariat of the Party Central Committee has banned all provinces and cities in the country from displaying fireworks during the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet) – Photo: Thanh Hoa

The prohibition is stated in Directive 11-CT/TU on activities during the biggest holiday in Vietnam.   

The directive says leaders of Party and State organizations at central and local levels should practice thrift by not going places on the occasion of Tet to avoid wastefulness. Provincial leaders must not visit leaders of centrally-governed agencies to offer Tet gifts.

Speaking to the local news site Dan Tri, HCMC vice chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thu said the fireworks ban would upset many but the city would have other entertainment activities such as cultural programs and art performances during Tet.

Earlier, the HCMC government planned to display fireworks near the Saigon River Tunnel and at Dam Sen Cultural Park on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks shows were expected to be organized at seven sites in the city on Lunar New Year’s Eve.   

HCMC used to mobilize capital from private sources to hold fireworks displays on holidays such as Tet, Reunification Day (April 30) and National Day (September 2) in previous years.

The ban, however, has put many businesses under tenterhooks.

Dozens of hotels in HCMC had been promoting their year-end parties combined with fireworks display watching.  

A representative of a five-star hotel in the center of the city told the Daily that clients’ bookings accounted for two-thirds of the estimate. The hotel is afraid that its customers would cancel their bookings as a result of the fireworks prohibition.

More than 500 people spent VND3.6 million each to join such parties at the luxury hotel on New Year’s Eve last year. The hotel expects the number of customers would rise this year.

Many other hotels are in the same situation. They are planning to offer complimentary tickets, drinks or dishes as a way to offset the cancellation of fireworks displays.  

Tao Van Nghe, chairman of Odyssea, told the Daily that the firm is waiting for an official announcement about the ban from the HCMC government. It expects the tourism hub could still be allowed to hold fireworks displays to lure travelers.

“Enjoying fireworks shows is a special experience and many cities in the world still organize fireworks displays. I hope HCMC will have such shows to bring joy to tourists,” Nghe said.

SGT