(VNF) - The annual “Xuan Que Huong” (Homeland Spring) programme will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 20^th to welcome overseas Vietnamese (OVs) returning home for the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

Co-chaired by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the Foreign Ministry and the municipal authorities, the programme will include incense offering ceremony, carp releasing and a get-together.

A variety of cultural activities will take place during the upcoming “Xuan Que Huong” programme. Highlight of the event will be an art performance live broadcast on the Vietnam Television and HCM City Television channels, during which, President Tran Dai Quang and many senior Party and State leaders will extend New Year wishes to OVs.

Illustrative image. (Source: Internet)

OVs interested in the programme could contact the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs in both Hanoi and HCM City, or Vietnamese representative missions abroad, for registration.

The Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese expected that about 130,000 OVs to fly home for the upcoming Tet festival, the country’s most important holiday.

The number of returning OVs is forecast to strongly grow from mid-December to mid-February, with an estimated 3,000-4,000 arrival daily.

Tan Son Nhat, the country’s largest international airport, will be under more pressure during the upcoming holiday.

The Tan Son Nhat International Airport is expected to handle up to 31 million passengers by the end of this year, far beyond its maximum capacity of 25 million, according to the Civil Aviation Administration.

Tet begins on the first day of the first lunar month, which falls on January 28^th, but festive celebrations can stretch over days both before and after that.

There are approximately 4.5 million Vietnamese living and working in 103 countries and territories. They form an indispensable part of the nation and play an important role in intensifying friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the rest of the world.

Remittances from OVs remain a key source of funds for the country’s economy, equivalent to about 8-10 per cent of gross domestic product. Vietnam saw around USD13 billion in overseas remittances last year, slightly up from USD12 billion in 2014, according to the World Bank./.

( Compiled by VNF )