The competition aims to discover, select and introduce quality gift and souvenir products that carry Ninh Binh’s distinctive identity and suit the shopping needs of domestic and international tourists. Through the competition, the Organizing Committee hopes to encourage new design ideas and to connect artisans, designers, businesses, production establishments and craft villages, so that creative ideas can be put into production, distribution and sales.

It is also an occasion for the heritage, cultural, historical and natural values and the beauty of the people of Ninh Binh to be vividly expressed through the form, materials, crafting techniques, packaging and story of each product. In doing so, the competition contributes to preserving and promoting traditional crafts and expanding the market for local production establishments and product owners. It also gradually builds a catalog of signature gifts to serve tourism promotion, external relations, events, and sales systems at tourist areas and attractions, accommodation establishments, display spaces and online platforms.

Competition categories

The competition has two categories: completed gift products, and design ideas for producing gift products.

Completed gift products: Authors may register souvenirs, handicrafts, household items, accessories, decorative products, gift sets, specialty foods and OCOP products with packaging suitable for gifting. Products may already be on the market or newly completed, and must ensure quality, functionality and aesthetics and convey a story connected to Ninh Binh. Products are not required to be OCOP-certified.

Design ideas for producing gift products: The Organizing Committee encourages ideas for souvenir designs, handicrafts, household items, accessories, gift sets, packaging and product identity systems, as well as designs that tell stories about Ninh Binh’s heritage, craft villages, daily life and people. Ideas should clearly show creativity, functionality, materials, dimensions, production plan, estimated cost and sales direction. Authors are not required to have a finished product when registering.

Entries must clearly express Ninh Binh’s identity and appropriately draw on local cultural and historical values, landscapes, architecture, relics, festivals, folk arts, craft villages and cuisine. The Organizing Committee encourages products with their own story, made with local materials, and with compact designs that are convenient to use, store and transport. It also values eco-friendly packaging, bilingual information and QR codes that present the product’s story.

Eligibility

Participants include organizations, businesses, cooperatives, household businesses, craft village establishments, artisans, designers, lecturers, pupils, students, individuals and groups of authors, both inside and outside the province, who have suitable products or ideas. Each organization or individual may register multiple products or ideas; each product or idea must have its own dossier and be registered in only one category. Submitted products and designs must ensure the right to register and the lawful right to use them, and must not be copied without permission.

Prizes

For completed gift products, the Organizing Committee plans to award: 1 First Prize worth 10 million VND; 2 Second Prizes of 5 million VND each; 3 Third Prizes of 3 million VND each; and 10 Consolation Prizes of 2 million VND each. For design ideas for producing gift products, the structure is: 1 First Prize worth 10 million VND; 2 Second Prizes of 5 million VND each; 3 Third Prizes of 3 million VND each; and 5 Consolation Prizes of 2 million VND each. All prizes come with a Certificate. In addition, the Organizing Committee will consider awarding special prizes for creativity, aesthetics, applicability and the ability to convey a product’s value, in the form of resort and travel vouchers within Ninh Binh province.

Promotion and market connection

Beyond honoring outstanding products and ideas, the competition opens up opportunities for promotion and market development. Winning products and ideas will be showcased through suitable information channels, exhibitions and tourism promotion activities. Completed products will have opportunities to connect with travel companies, accommodation establishments, tourist areas and attractions, and points of sale. Promising ideas will be connected with artisans and production establishments for advice on prototyping, testing and refining the product, subject to available resources.

Schedule

According to the plan, entries and registered products will be accepted from 15/10/2026 through the end of 05/12/2026. From 06/12 through the end of 20/12/2026, the Organizing Committee plans to hold product exhibitions, evaluation and selection through two rounds (preliminary and final), followed by a wrap-up and awards ceremony. There is no entry fee.

Where to submit entries

Entries are received at the Ninh Binh Tourism Information and Promotion Center, 77 Luong The Vinh Street, Hoa Lu Ward, Ninh Binh Province. Email: xuctiendulichninhbinh@gmail.com (Mr. Bui Tuan Van, Head of the Tourism Promotion Division, Tourism Information and Promotion Center; tel. 0978 973 166).

Closing

The 2026 Competition for Creating Tourism Products, Gifts and Souvenirs Associated with Ninh Binh’s Heritage, Cultural and Historical Values is an opportunity for organizations, businesses, artisans, designers and the community to unleash their creativity and help produce gifts that carry local identity. In this way, each product becomes not only a present for visitors but also a cultural story and a mark of the Ancient Capital region, helping to spread the image of Ninh Binh to domestic and international tourists.