‘Flavors Vietnam 2022’ is the 3rd annual program hosted by Vietcetera and Mastercard that offers a variety of gastronomic activities from January to April in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The program aims to boost the local food and beverage industry as well as empower both industry professionals and consumers to explore the seamless payment experience offered by Mastercard. Vietnam Food and Beverage Conferences and Vietnam Restaurant and Bar Awards Ceremony, Restaurant and Bar Week, and Rising Chefs Challenge will be held throughout the first quarter of 2022. During the course of Restaurant Week and Bar Week, Mastercard cardholders can enjoy a privilege exclusive of 15% discount at all participating restaurants.

Flavors Vietnam 2022 will be the biggest iteration of the festival yet, featuring highlights such as Restaurant Week, Bar Week, Rising Chefs Challenge, Vietnam F&B Conference, Vietnam Restaurant and Bar Awards and two original multimedia series dedicated to food (“Khong Cay Khong Ve”) and beverages (“9PM”). The 2022 program is part of the bigger campaign ‘Make a Priceless Moment with Mastercard’, which gives consumers priority access to Mastercard’s award-winning “Priceless” platform—offering unforgettable experiences and unbeatable everyday offers to fuel attendees’ passions.

As society adjusts to a new normal, human connection is more important than ever. Mastercard wants to help Vietnamese make meaningful moments while connecting over a shared passion for food. Over the course of the festival, Mastercard will offer consumers unique experiences such as opportunities to enjoy bespoke cocktails from leading mixologists, exclusive access to peek into the kitchen and dine at Asia's 50 Best Restaurant Anan Saigon to gourmet five-course meals on board a railway adventure through Central Vietnam.

More than 500 businesses and over 5,000 food lovers are expected to take part in this year’s festival. To ensure the program can reach as many people as possible during a trying time for Vietnam’s hospitality industry, Flavors Vietnam will incorporate an interactive online component where participants will be able to engage with specially designed digital content. This digital aspect of the program is expected to bring in an additional 15 million participants.

"Anchored by our new partnership with Mastercard, we hope to build a foundation for the industry and consumers that lasts for many years to come,” said Hao Tran, Vietcetera CEO. “Our vision for this program is to supercharge excitement around regional and global food and beverage trends while making Vietnam our home base. Similar to other platforms that Mastercard has supported, such as the UEFA Champions League and Cannes Film Festival, we aim to continue developing Flavors into a globally recognized program."

Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, Vietnam’s F&B segment has innovated quickly to meet consumer needs. Flavors Vietnam 2022 is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of Vietnam’s gastronomic leaders so that the industry can look to enjoy a stronger recovery when domestic and international travel return.

“Mastercard has long been an organisation that brings people closer to each other and their passions. Partnering with Vietcetera on Flavors Vietnam represents an incredible opportunity to foster a sense of connection over something that unites us all—food,” said Winnie Wong, Country Manager, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, Mastercard. “Some of the most important experiences we have revolve around sharing meals, whether it’s enjoying a home-cooked meal with family or celebrating milestones at our favorite eateries. Through Flavors Vietnam, Mastercard hopes to bring people together for a celebration of tastes that will remind us of the meaningful moments that are important in life, and in doing so, create something Priceless.”

Mastercard has long indulged the palates of passionate foodies by creating hundreds of one-of-a-kind dining experiences around the globe. Over the past five years, Mastercard has partnered with some of the most pre-eminent global chefs to create the most extraordinary culinary events in landmark locations worldwide including on top of a billboard in Times Square and inside the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, at Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, and atop Palazzo Beltrami overlooking the Duomo in Milan.

Thu Thuy