Prize-winning entries at a contest which aimed to select the most beautiful designs for souvenirs to be gifted to the participants of Da Nang-hosted APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2017 are not attractive to locals and visitors from both home and abroad.

Souvenir producers are now in an urgent need of even more support from the local authorities to bring their products closer to customers.

Ms Phan Quynh Huong, the Director of Da Nang Sculpture Fund, said her unit-created lacquer painting, entitled ‘The family of red-shanked douc langurs’, won a consolation prize at the contest.

Shortly after this event, a large number of paintings in smaller size (30cmx40cm) for display on tables and cabinets were also offered for sale to tourists. Consumers, however, showed their little interest in this product, and as a result, the production had to halt due to fewer-than-expected consumptions.

Huong underscored a need for the city authorities to help businesses build brand names for their special tourism products which boast high aesthetic value and feature the city’s symbols and icons.

In his remarks, Mr Tran Thu, Director of Au Lac Fine Arts Co Ltd, pointed out to the fact that prize-winning products, actually, have yet to satisfy the widely diversified tastes of visitors.

Thu said, in fact, the contest gave the chance for souvenir producers to showcase their special products.

Under the contest’s criteria, the endangered red-shanked douc langur, which was chosen as Da Nang’s official mascot for the APEC 2017 event, was in the spotlight of most entries. 

Like ‘The family of red-shanked douc langurs’, the Au Lac company-created product ‘Giai Dieu Luong Tri” (The Melody of Conscience), which won a second prize at the contest, also gradually fell into oblivion due to a little attention from visitors.

Ms Do Le Kim Hue, the Director of Green Belt Technology and Environment Co Ltd (Arya Tara), noted that souvenir producers are now in an urgent need of even more support from the local authorities to bring their products closer to customers. Arya Tara’s products are special, compact and convenient, but the company still finds it very hard to seek their consumer markets.

Hue emphasised that it is high time for the city authorities to take effective measures to support these producers. For instance, it is a good idea to launch tours during which tourists are taken to places selling locally-made souvenirs.