No tourism ambassador for Vietnam this year: officials

Fou candidates for the position of Vietnam tourism ambassador (from L to R): actress Lan Phuong, Miss ASEAN 2012 Dieu Han, Miss Asia US 2006 Jennifer Pham, Miss Asia US 2012 first runner-up Chau Mong Nhu

Vietnam will have no tourism ambassador for the 2013-2014 term, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on April 1.

According to the ministry, a surplus of applicants has made the process too "complicated" and it will therefore be extended until the end of October this year in order to select an ambassador for a 2014-2016 term, instead of 2014-2015.

The dirge in candidates came after former tourism ambassador and this year's favorite Ly Nha Ky withdrew last month.

Apart from Miss Tourism Vietnam 2012 Huynh Thi Ngoc Han and teacher Do Thi Hong Thuan, the two candidates who had applied for the position before Ky’s withdrawal, the Ministry has received candidate profiles from actress Lan Phuong, Miss ASEAN 2012 Dieu Han, Miss Asia USA 2006 Jennifer Pham, Miss Asia USA 2012 first runner-up Chau Mong Nhu and several other candidates.

Last month, actress and businesswoman Ly Nha Ky told a press release that she had to quit running for the position due to health problems and that during the time she served as tourism ambassador she suffered from libelous remarks, which had seriously damaged her reputation, as well as that of her family.

Tran Nhat Hoang, a Ministry official, said the Ministry was working on a plan to have more than one tourism ambassador.

For the term of 2014-2016, officials are considering an idea in which there would not only be a tourism ambassador for the whole country, but other tourism representatives for each region.