Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference and ceremony for the signing of the financing contract for the upcoming Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC 2013), the municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman, Mr Vo Duy Khuong, unveiled new features for this year’s event.In particular, the city authorities have revealed plans for market price stabilisation during the festival period. As a result, local accommodation providers have already displayed their normal room rates and those for the DIFC period. Some local hotels, including the Vinpearl Luxury Da Nang, the Fusion Maia, and the Minh Toan, have pledged to keep the prices of their rooms unchanged during the festival. Meanwhile, many 5-star hotels have also undertaken to increase their prices by only between 15% and 20%. In addition, local hotel rates and service prices have also been displayed on the city’s websites and online newspapers. Local inter-disciplinary inspectors are increasing their checks of displayed prices. Any complaints about the prices, which can be made on hot lines, will be handled immediately.Furthermore, the city’s tourism attractions, such as the Rong (Dragon) and Tran Thi Ly bridges, and the 3rd cable car system at the Ba Na Hills Resort, have recently announced plans to attract more visitors. During the DIFC period, tourists will also have the opportunity to take part in watersports, a book reading festival day, and tours, as well as to enjoy traditional Vietnamese musical performances at the Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theatre. An exhibition showcasing documents relating to Viet Nam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos will also take place in the city.With regard to the city’s fireworks funding, nearly 40 businesses have so far this year donated close to 14.5 billion VND to DIFC 2013. Many other businesses, such as the Trung Nam Group, Vietnam Airlines, the city’s branch of Mobifone, and the VietArt Company, have committed to support the city during the event.The Da Nang authorities hope that this year’s DIFC will mark an important milestone for local tourism activities. This would make a remarkable contribution to helping Da Nang become an international event-hosting city, including a number of other events such as the Stone Carving Camp in the 3rd quarter of this year, the Da Nang Marathon in September, and the Da Nang International Paramotor Race in May.