16:33' 06/05/2008 (GMT+7)
From now till the end of September is the "low season" for Vietnam's hospitality industry. Consequently a variety of special promotions have been launched for this season to attract tourists, especially in the Central and the South, where most of Vietnam's deluxe hotels and resorts are located.
A corner of Melia Sunrise Nha Trang in Nha Trang City.
The promotions are also an opportunity, according to some hoteliers, to express appreciation to their customers, which is possibly why some promotions last until December, the "peak" time of Vietnam's hospitality.
From the Central
Hoi An Beach Resort (0510.927015) in the coastal central province of Quang Nam is launching the 'Cham Island Discovery' summer package from May 3 till the end of September. The special rate of only US$218 for two people includes a three-day and two-night stay, a half-day tour to Cham Island by speed boat including snorkeling and a seafood set lunch, one candle-lit Asian set dinner at Cua Dai Riverside Restaurant with lanterns floating on the river and piano and guitar music.
Melia Sunrise Nha Trang (058.820999) in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province is offering a special promotion available only when booking through the Internet. There are three options, the One Nighter for one-night stay, the Quickie for minimum two-night stay, and the Five Nighter for five-night stay. For the last one, guests only pay for four nights. All of the offers are applicable until June 30 and include complementary pick-up from the airport and welcome drinks in the room.
Novotel Ocean Dunes Golf Resort (062.822393) in Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan Province is offering a Summer Weekend Meeting promotion which will run until December 31, 2008.
Priced at US$25 to US$57 per person, the package consists of welcome banner at the entrance of the hotel, one-day use of the meeting room and its equipment, wireless ADSL Internet connectivity, writing materials, flower arrangement, tea and coffee with fresh fruits and pastries and special golf rates at the course. A premium option, highlighted by a barbecue seafood dinner featuring the region's freshest daily catch is also available.
To the South
The Omni Saigon Hotel (08.8449222) is launching a "100% Business Express" promotion for summer 2008, lasting until the end of August. Designed for the business traveler the promotion, priced at US$125++ per room per night, includes welcome fruit basket and complimentary use of facilities at Saigon Gym and swimming pool.
From May 1 till Sept 30, La Veranda Grand Mercure Resort & Spa in Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province (077.3982988) is offering a special package with two-or three-night-stay option, from US$97++ to US$108++ per person per night (bases on twin-share).
Enjoying a dinner featuring Phu Quoc specialties and relaxing at Le Spa with 60-minute body massage are just two of the highlights of the package.
Tuesday 6 May 2008
Pacific Airlines delays opening of two domestic routes
17:49' 06/05/2008 (GMT+7)
Vietnam’s second carrier Pacific Airlines will postpone the operation of the HCM City – Danang and HCM City – Buon Me Thuot routes schedule for August 2008 because petroleum and oil price rises, announced the airline.
According to Pacific Airlines, the operation of the routes will be scheduled later. All passengers buying tickets on the routes will receive refunds.
The airline affirmed that it will maintain its flight schedule for other domestic routes, including three new routes from Hanoi to Danang, Hue, and Nha Trang on June 1, 2008.
Pacific Airlines will change into Jetstar Pacific Airlines with business name of Jetstar Pacific and trademark of Jetstar. Jetstar Pacific will represent the global Jetstar system in all advertisement activities in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s second carrier Pacific Airlines will postpone the operation of the HCM City – Danang and HCM City – Buon Me Thuot routes schedule for August 2008 because petroleum and oil price rises, announced the airline.
According to Pacific Airlines, the operation of the routes will be scheduled later. All passengers buying tickets on the routes will receive refunds.
The airline affirmed that it will maintain its flight schedule for other domestic routes, including three new routes from Hanoi to Danang, Hue, and Nha Trang on June 1, 2008.
Pacific Airlines will change into Jetstar Pacific Airlines with business name of Jetstar Pacific and trademark of Jetstar. Jetstar Pacific will represent the global Jetstar system in all advertisement activities in Vietnam.
Sunday 4 May 2008
Betting on tourism
16:35' 04/05/2008 (GMT+7)
Accessible only by boat and surrounded by majestic mountains and cobalt seas, Hoa Van village used to be a refuge for the unfortunates who had contracted leprosy.
The area was their only escape from the social prejudice inflicted on them in the cities and towns of the country.
That was then, and this is now. And now dictates that the thatched huts will likely be torn down to make way for luxury hotels and the whirr of the roulette table.
A number of developers are eyeing the long stretch of powdery beaches and rolling hills as the next tourism hot spot, complete with luxury hotels, brand name stores, golf courses and casinos.
Realising the economic windfall on the horizon, Danang’s authorities are planning to evict the lepers to pave the way for the building of the resorts, some 10 kilometers from the city’s CBD.
Oaktree Capital Management is the latest company to come up with a plan to pour $4-$5 billion into Hoa Van with a resort boasting 5,000 rooms, a golf course and casinos. A few kilometres away toward Thua Thien Hue province, Banyan Tree last year received an investment certificate for a $276 million integrated resort. Those plans have since changed as the Singapore-based company said it would raise enough capital to roll out a larger and more expensive $1 billion complex.
While Oaktree talks with Danang’s decision-makers for Hoa Van, other American investors are scouting a beach front site a few kilometres away in Quang Nam province. Global C&D and Tano Capital are hoping the government will give the thumbs-up for a $10 billion resort on 460 hectares on one of the world’s most luxurious beaches. The blueprint foresees nine 2,000 room casino hotels being built.
“We are asking the government for permission to establish the project before seeking an official investment licence,” said Tong Ich Pham, general director of Global C&D. Developers are also looking beyond central Vietnam, planning multi-billion dollar resorts in Ba Ria Vung Tau province and Phu Quoc island.
With its location next to Ho Chi Minh City - a large tourist feeder market - and a future international airport in Dong Nai province, Ba Ria Vung Tau has also been on the hunt for tourism developers as local authorities dished out certificates to three resort complexes worth nearly $6 billion.
The list goes on and on. Asian Coast Development LLC has received permission for a $4.2 billion, 9,000 room property and Greg Norman designed golf course on the Ho Tram strip in Xuyen Moc district.
California-based Good Choice has plans for a $1.3 billion theme park on 155 hectares, featuring a “Wonders of the World” site, 6,500 four and five-star hotel rooms and shopping malls and restaurants.
Winvest Investment LLC is clearing a 300-hectare site for its $4 billion project in Chi Linh-Cua Lap.
On the sleepy fishing village of Phu Quoc island, hundreds of investors are queuing up for permission to build giant resorts, including Trustee Swiss Group with a $2 billion plan and Rockingham Asset Management with a $1 billion proposal.
However, Starbay Holdings became the first to obtain a licence a fortnight ago to build a larger complex on the island, which has beautiful pristine beaches but is currently home to just a few small resorts.
As Starbay Holdings CEO Martin Kaye is confident Phu Quoc will be turned “into Asia’s number one resort destination”, it has laid out an ambitious blueprint for 2,400 rooms, 650 villas and 1,300 condominium units.
These developers are looking to cash in on Vietnam’s rising hospitality industry which has recently seen a serious lack of hotel rooms and room rates increasing 30-50 per cent year-on-year.
The country last year attracted 4.2 million foreign visitors and it expects to draw in five million this year. The figure is expected to go up to six million in 2010. Tourism revenue is estimated to reach $6-$7 billion in 2010.
“Tourists have long been familiar with Thailand and Malaysia and they want to look for new destination like Vietnam,” said Michael Bischof, vice president of Swiss-belhotel International.
Growing tourism has enticed great investment in hotels, particularly mega resorts. Ho Chi Minh City has recently proposed 23 sites for luxury hotels while Hanoi is in need of around 13,000 additional rooms in the next few years.
A new generation of hotels has begun to take shape. New World is currently the biggest hotel in Ho Chi Minh City with 550 rooms, Vin Pearl in Nha Trang with 500 rooms and Daewoo in Hanoi with 410 rooms.
However, many others under construction have more than 500 rooms such as the 770-room Lotus Hotel, 560-room Keangnam Landmark Tower in Hanoi and 500-room Crowne Plaza in Danang.
Room numbers at the proposed integrated resorts of Ho Tram Strip and Vung Tau Wonderful World Theme Park are from 2,000 to 9,000. Yet, mega resort developers like Oaktree, Global C&D, and Asian Coast Development will not only look to cash in on room sales revenue but want a share of the gaming industry. All of them want to add casinos to their hotel projects.
Asian Coast Development said on its website that in the first phase it will build two luxurious five-star hotels with a combined 2,300 rooms and Vietnam’s first Las Vegas-style casinos - featuring approximately 180 tables and 2,000 electronic games.
Casino construction is on a roll in Asia with Macau being the gambling hub that recently launched the 3,000-suite Venetian while Singapore has given the green light for two mega casino resorts.
Vietnam is still exploring the lucrative gambling industry and so far the government has been cautious about licensing casino projects. Gambling is illegal, Do Son is the only casino while a number of hotels are allowed to provide “electronic gaming services with bonuses” to foreign and Viet Kieu passport holders.
Royal International Corporation, which is operating a “club” in Halong Bay with 17 gaming tables and 70 slot machines, said 66 per cent, or $6.57 million, of its revenue last year come from gaming services.
Royal is more than doubling its gambling space to 7,200 square metres and expects to reach $20 million in revenues this year.
However, as the government is still considering legal framework for casino operation in Vietnam, it remains unclear whether proposals for casino hotels in Danang, Quang Nam and else where will be approved.
Global C&D’s Tong acknowledged that it would take time for the government to consider gaming and it would also take more time to bring American casino operators to Vietnam that does not have legal frameworks in place - a prerequisite for US authorities to allow operators to go overseas.
Mega resort developers will also face chronic problems of the tourism industry, such as poor aviation infrastructure, poor transportation systems and a lack of qualified staff. New terminal airports are planned for Danang and Phu Quoc but construction has been slow at best and a lack of flights is a bottleneck to tourism development in these areas.
Huynh Tan Vinh, deputy general director of Furama Resort, said a lack of qualified staff was one of the biggest weaknesses facing the tourism industry in central Vietnam. “There will be a serious shortage of hospitality staff in the central region as thousands of rooms will be opened in the areas in the next three to five years,” said Vinh.
With roadblocks foreseen on the way to mega resorts, Hoa Van’s colony of lepers have a respite from the affects of the all might dollar. For the time being at least.
Accessible only by boat and surrounded by majestic mountains and cobalt seas, Hoa Van village used to be a refuge for the unfortunates who had contracted leprosy.
The area was their only escape from the social prejudice inflicted on them in the cities and towns of the country.
That was then, and this is now. And now dictates that the thatched huts will likely be torn down to make way for luxury hotels and the whirr of the roulette table.
A number of developers are eyeing the long stretch of powdery beaches and rolling hills as the next tourism hot spot, complete with luxury hotels, brand name stores, golf courses and casinos.
Realising the economic windfall on the horizon, Danang’s authorities are planning to evict the lepers to pave the way for the building of the resorts, some 10 kilometers from the city’s CBD.
Oaktree Capital Management is the latest company to come up with a plan to pour $4-$5 billion into Hoa Van with a resort boasting 5,000 rooms, a golf course and casinos. A few kilometres away toward Thua Thien Hue province, Banyan Tree last year received an investment certificate for a $276 million integrated resort. Those plans have since changed as the Singapore-based company said it would raise enough capital to roll out a larger and more expensive $1 billion complex.
While Oaktree talks with Danang’s decision-makers for Hoa Van, other American investors are scouting a beach front site a few kilometres away in Quang Nam province. Global C&D and Tano Capital are hoping the government will give the thumbs-up for a $10 billion resort on 460 hectares on one of the world’s most luxurious beaches. The blueprint foresees nine 2,000 room casino hotels being built.
“We are asking the government for permission to establish the project before seeking an official investment licence,” said Tong Ich Pham, general director of Global C&D. Developers are also looking beyond central Vietnam, planning multi-billion dollar resorts in Ba Ria Vung Tau province and Phu Quoc island.
With its location next to Ho Chi Minh City - a large tourist feeder market - and a future international airport in Dong Nai province, Ba Ria Vung Tau has also been on the hunt for tourism developers as local authorities dished out certificates to three resort complexes worth nearly $6 billion.
The list goes on and on. Asian Coast Development LLC has received permission for a $4.2 billion, 9,000 room property and Greg Norman designed golf course on the Ho Tram strip in Xuyen Moc district.
California-based Good Choice has plans for a $1.3 billion theme park on 155 hectares, featuring a “Wonders of the World” site, 6,500 four and five-star hotel rooms and shopping malls and restaurants.
Winvest Investment LLC is clearing a 300-hectare site for its $4 billion project in Chi Linh-Cua Lap.
On the sleepy fishing village of Phu Quoc island, hundreds of investors are queuing up for permission to build giant resorts, including Trustee Swiss Group with a $2 billion plan and Rockingham Asset Management with a $1 billion proposal.
However, Starbay Holdings became the first to obtain a licence a fortnight ago to build a larger complex on the island, which has beautiful pristine beaches but is currently home to just a few small resorts.
As Starbay Holdings CEO Martin Kaye is confident Phu Quoc will be turned “into Asia’s number one resort destination”, it has laid out an ambitious blueprint for 2,400 rooms, 650 villas and 1,300 condominium units.
These developers are looking to cash in on Vietnam’s rising hospitality industry which has recently seen a serious lack of hotel rooms and room rates increasing 30-50 per cent year-on-year.
The country last year attracted 4.2 million foreign visitors and it expects to draw in five million this year. The figure is expected to go up to six million in 2010. Tourism revenue is estimated to reach $6-$7 billion in 2010.
“Tourists have long been familiar with Thailand and Malaysia and they want to look for new destination like Vietnam,” said Michael Bischof, vice president of Swiss-belhotel International.
Growing tourism has enticed great investment in hotels, particularly mega resorts. Ho Chi Minh City has recently proposed 23 sites for luxury hotels while Hanoi is in need of around 13,000 additional rooms in the next few years.
A new generation of hotels has begun to take shape. New World is currently the biggest hotel in Ho Chi Minh City with 550 rooms, Vin Pearl in Nha Trang with 500 rooms and Daewoo in Hanoi with 410 rooms.
However, many others under construction have more than 500 rooms such as the 770-room Lotus Hotel, 560-room Keangnam Landmark Tower in Hanoi and 500-room Crowne Plaza in Danang.
Room numbers at the proposed integrated resorts of Ho Tram Strip and Vung Tau Wonderful World Theme Park are from 2,000 to 9,000. Yet, mega resort developers like Oaktree, Global C&D, and Asian Coast Development will not only look to cash in on room sales revenue but want a share of the gaming industry. All of them want to add casinos to their hotel projects.
Asian Coast Development said on its website that in the first phase it will build two luxurious five-star hotels with a combined 2,300 rooms and Vietnam’s first Las Vegas-style casinos - featuring approximately 180 tables and 2,000 electronic games.
Casino construction is on a roll in Asia with Macau being the gambling hub that recently launched the 3,000-suite Venetian while Singapore has given the green light for two mega casino resorts.
Vietnam is still exploring the lucrative gambling industry and so far the government has been cautious about licensing casino projects. Gambling is illegal, Do Son is the only casino while a number of hotels are allowed to provide “electronic gaming services with bonuses” to foreign and Viet Kieu passport holders.
Royal International Corporation, which is operating a “club” in Halong Bay with 17 gaming tables and 70 slot machines, said 66 per cent, or $6.57 million, of its revenue last year come from gaming services.
Royal is more than doubling its gambling space to 7,200 square metres and expects to reach $20 million in revenues this year.
However, as the government is still considering legal framework for casino operation in Vietnam, it remains unclear whether proposals for casino hotels in Danang, Quang Nam and else where will be approved.
Global C&D’s Tong acknowledged that it would take time for the government to consider gaming and it would also take more time to bring American casino operators to Vietnam that does not have legal frameworks in place - a prerequisite for US authorities to allow operators to go overseas.
Mega resort developers will also face chronic problems of the tourism industry, such as poor aviation infrastructure, poor transportation systems and a lack of qualified staff. New terminal airports are planned for Danang and Phu Quoc but construction has been slow at best and a lack of flights is a bottleneck to tourism development in these areas.
Huynh Tan Vinh, deputy general director of Furama Resort, said a lack of qualified staff was one of the biggest weaknesses facing the tourism industry in central Vietnam. “There will be a serious shortage of hospitality staff in the central region as thousands of rooms will be opened in the areas in the next three to five years,” said Vinh.
With roadblocks foreseen on the way to mega resorts, Hoa Van’s colony of lepers have a respite from the affects of the all might dollar. For the time being at least.
Friday 2 May 2008
Kayakers find oasis in Bay
22:38' 02/05/2008 (GMT+7)
As summer approaches, those interested in adventure activities are heading to Ha Long Bay, taking to the seas in slender kayaks to traverse the glassy waters.
Sea star: Sea kayaking in Ha Long Bay offers tourists a new way to explore the scenic karst formations of the UNESCO recognised world heritage site.
Recognised twice by UNESCO, the world heritage site offers opportunities to weave through islets, visit hidden caves, explore lagoons, trod across unspoiled beaches and meet with local fishing villagers.
Though considerably more popular among foreigners than Vietnamese, sea kayaking can range from an hour-long sport to a multi-week adventure. The kayak itself is small and streamlined with an ample cargo hold. It cuts easily through waves while protecting the paddler from the majority of the water. Boats hold between one and two people.
Ha Long Bay is particularly ideal for the sport, given its placid waters, unintimidating current and minimal winds. Moreover, the innumerable islands offer plenty of opportunities for on-land relaxation and exploration.
Though most book a tour before departure for the bay, there are two main ways to get to the area. One can depart Hanoi on a two-hour journey through the Hong (Red) River to Hai Phong Port City for a boat to Cat Ba Island. Or, also starting from Hanoi, travellers can head to Quang Ninh Province’s Ha Long City, around 100km from the capital, where ferry tickets to Cat Ba Island are easily accessible.
Upon arrival, visitors are introduced to the sport by a guide, who discusses gear, safety, routes and basic technique.
Then they are set free to wander around the limestone formations, which frequently harbour small beaches, lagoons and caves only accessible by kayak. Pearl farms and floating villages are scattered throughout the islands and the independence of a kayak enables visitors to browse these areas at leisure instead of speeding through on the packaged tours offered by most junks.
"The scenery in Ha Long Bay is spectacular, probably the best for sea kayaking in the world. This location is very special. The guide was great and helped make the trip memorable and enjoyable," one visiting couple, Canadians Alaneir and Greogory Smith, stated.
Some travel agencies even offer self-designed inflatable kayaks which allow for deeper exploration into the small, narrow caves, allowing paddlers to glide past sleeping bats.
Even if one does not adventure into the bowels of the limestone rocks, an abundance of wildlife inhabits the surrounding sea and land, including birds, reptiles, fish and coral. Many of the species are rare or endangered, and though sightings are not assured, they are most common at dawn and at dusk.
"It is very enjoyable kayaking trip on Ha Long Bay. It truly is a very very beautiful place and we are leaving with lovely memories and lots of photos," said Australians Paul and Maryline Gasten.
Some islets and grottoes have names given the distinctiveness of their features, like Mat Quy (Monster’s Face), But Moc (Bald Cypress Tree) and Trinh Nu (Virgin). On the kayak, you can not only admire them but also discovery many others that are unnamed and untouched before.
You also can paddle to some of the pearl farms and floating villages to experience a unique way of life and buy some pearl cultivated there as gifts for families and friends when returning home.
If the day grows short, many tours offer night paddling, and some allow overnight camping on the white beaches that border the islands, which offers a cool breeze from the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf in sandy isolation. Otherwise tourists can enjoy the night under the sky on their boat.
Most travel agencies in the capital assist travellers with Ha Long bookings. Prices are around US$159++ per person depending on tour duration, accommodations and the season. Websites www.handspan.com, www. inserimextravel.com.vn and www.kayakingvietnam.com. offer information on kayaking not only in Ha Long Bay but also along the Mekong River and in Ba Be Lake in the northern province of Bac Can.
As summer approaches, those interested in adventure activities are heading to Ha Long Bay, taking to the seas in slender kayaks to traverse the glassy waters.
Sea star: Sea kayaking in Ha Long Bay offers tourists a new way to explore the scenic karst formations of the UNESCO recognised world heritage site.
Recognised twice by UNESCO, the world heritage site offers opportunities to weave through islets, visit hidden caves, explore lagoons, trod across unspoiled beaches and meet with local fishing villagers.
Though considerably more popular among foreigners than Vietnamese, sea kayaking can range from an hour-long sport to a multi-week adventure. The kayak itself is small and streamlined with an ample cargo hold. It cuts easily through waves while protecting the paddler from the majority of the water. Boats hold between one and two people.
Ha Long Bay is particularly ideal for the sport, given its placid waters, unintimidating current and minimal winds. Moreover, the innumerable islands offer plenty of opportunities for on-land relaxation and exploration.
Though most book a tour before departure for the bay, there are two main ways to get to the area. One can depart Hanoi on a two-hour journey through the Hong (Red) River to Hai Phong Port City for a boat to Cat Ba Island. Or, also starting from Hanoi, travellers can head to Quang Ninh Province’s Ha Long City, around 100km from the capital, where ferry tickets to Cat Ba Island are easily accessible.
Upon arrival, visitors are introduced to the sport by a guide, who discusses gear, safety, routes and basic technique.
Then they are set free to wander around the limestone formations, which frequently harbour small beaches, lagoons and caves only accessible by kayak. Pearl farms and floating villages are scattered throughout the islands and the independence of a kayak enables visitors to browse these areas at leisure instead of speeding through on the packaged tours offered by most junks.
"The scenery in Ha Long Bay is spectacular, probably the best for sea kayaking in the world. This location is very special. The guide was great and helped make the trip memorable and enjoyable," one visiting couple, Canadians Alaneir and Greogory Smith, stated.
Some travel agencies even offer self-designed inflatable kayaks which allow for deeper exploration into the small, narrow caves, allowing paddlers to glide past sleeping bats.
Even if one does not adventure into the bowels of the limestone rocks, an abundance of wildlife inhabits the surrounding sea and land, including birds, reptiles, fish and coral. Many of the species are rare or endangered, and though sightings are not assured, they are most common at dawn and at dusk.
"It is very enjoyable kayaking trip on Ha Long Bay. It truly is a very very beautiful place and we are leaving with lovely memories and lots of photos," said Australians Paul and Maryline Gasten.
Some islets and grottoes have names given the distinctiveness of their features, like Mat Quy (Monster’s Face), But Moc (Bald Cypress Tree) and Trinh Nu (Virgin). On the kayak, you can not only admire them but also discovery many others that are unnamed and untouched before.
You also can paddle to some of the pearl farms and floating villages to experience a unique way of life and buy some pearl cultivated there as gifts for families and friends when returning home.
If the day grows short, many tours offer night paddling, and some allow overnight camping on the white beaches that border the islands, which offers a cool breeze from the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf in sandy isolation. Otherwise tourists can enjoy the night under the sky on their boat.
Most travel agencies in the capital assist travellers with Ha Long bookings. Prices are around US$159++ per person depending on tour duration, accommodations and the season. Websites www.handspan.com, www. inserimextravel.com.vn and www.kayakingvietnam.com. offer information on kayaking not only in Ha Long Bay but also along the Mekong River and in Ba Be Lake in the northern province of Bac Can.
TRAVEL IN BRIEF 2/5
21:56' 02/05/2008 (GMT+7)
Ben Thanh Tourist arrange tours for Hue
Thien Mu Pagoda.
HCM City-based Ben Thanh Tourist has launched three new tours to the ancient city of Hue during the Hue Festival 2008, running June 3 through 11. The tour spans three days and two nights.
Day 1 will include a morning visit to famous tourist spots such as the Thien Mu Pagoda, the Nguyen dynasty’s royal palace and Dong Ba Market. In the afternoon tourists will return to the royal palace for the festival’s programmes including jazz and rock and roll performances, Russian art, traditional South Korean dances, a Canadian circus troupe and the American band Kimotion.
Tourists will spend their second morning enjoying street performances, such as a re-enactment of the coronation of emperor Quang Trung, and various compeitions. After lunch, the tour will visit the tombs of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Evening shows at An Dinh Palace will include the South Korean mask dance and installation art.
The tour costs between VND3.9mil and VND4.05mil per guest.
Thap Ba festival opens in Nha Trang
The Central provinces’ large ethnic Cham population was seen at the Thap Ba (Goddess Ponagar Tower) Festival in Khanh Hoa Province’s Nha Trang City last Saturday.
Ponagar Tower often receives devotees worshipping the goddess Thien Y A Na, the mother of the Cham people who taught them to grow crops and protected them from natural disasters.
This year’s event drew in more than 40 groups of pilgrims from across the country and some 25,000 visitors.
Journos head to City via Lion Air flight
One week after Lion Air resumed Jakarta-Singapore-HCM City service, the Indonesian ‘hybrid’ carrier organised a familiarisation (FAM) trip to HCM City for 12 journalists from Jakarta and eight from Singapore to introduce HCM City’s attractions to Indonesian and Singaporean tourists.
The journalists are from mainstream and popular magazines, according to Chandran Rama Muthy, Lion Air’s senior manager of Sales and Marketing.
During their four-day visit to Vietnam, the group got a taste of the region by shopping at night markets, navigating the city’s frenetic streets, indulging in Vietnamese coffee, and visiting the Cu Chi guerrilla warfare tunnels.
Vietnam tourism advertised in Thailand
The Viet Nam Consulate General in Khonkaen (Thailand) and the tourism departments of Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang and Quang Nam organised a programme around the theme "Central Viet Nam – An Attractive Destination".
The programme is aimed at promoting tourism between Northeast Thailand and Central Vietnam. It attracted around 40 travel agents, hotels, restaurants and health clinics in the northeastern Thailand and more than 20 businesses from Central Vietnam.
Vietnamese travel agent representatives pitched the tourism potential of places, events and cultural festivals, in particular the June 3-11 Hue Festival.
Ha Long tourism festival draws 10,000
More than 10,000 people attended last Saturday’s 2008 Ha Long Tourism Festival at Bai Chay Ferry in Quang Ninh Province, according to the Quang Ninh Tourism Department.
About 3,000 professional and amateur performers strutted their stuff in a street parade. Other highlights included an exhibition of 10 model cars decorated with flowers, six large moving stages, 100 tourist boats, dragon boats and dragon ferries.
A fireworks show on Bai Chay Bridge in the Luc estuary closed the festival with a bang.
Vietnamese firms to join seven more international tourism fairs in 2008
Vietnamese tourism companies and travel agencies will make a showing in seven more international travel fairs this year in order to advertise potential tourism products and bring in more foreign tourists, according to the Viet Nam National Administration for Tourism.
The seven international fairs include the JATA tourism fair in Japan, the PATA Travel Mart in Thailand, the Top Resa in France and the Trade Show Fair in the US in September, the Shanghai CITM fair in China and the AITEX fair in Cambodia in October, and the WTM fair in the UK in November 2008.
This year Vietnamese firms have already participated in the ATF international tourism 2008 in Thailand, the world’s largest tourism fair, ITB in Berlin and the Intour Market in Russia.
Ben Thanh Tourist arrange tours for Hue
Thien Mu Pagoda.
HCM City-based Ben Thanh Tourist has launched three new tours to the ancient city of Hue during the Hue Festival 2008, running June 3 through 11. The tour spans three days and two nights.
Day 1 will include a morning visit to famous tourist spots such as the Thien Mu Pagoda, the Nguyen dynasty’s royal palace and Dong Ba Market. In the afternoon tourists will return to the royal palace for the festival’s programmes including jazz and rock and roll performances, Russian art, traditional South Korean dances, a Canadian circus troupe and the American band Kimotion.
Tourists will spend their second morning enjoying street performances, such as a re-enactment of the coronation of emperor Quang Trung, and various compeitions. After lunch, the tour will visit the tombs of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh. Evening shows at An Dinh Palace will include the South Korean mask dance and installation art.
The tour costs between VND3.9mil and VND4.05mil per guest.
Thap Ba festival opens in Nha Trang
The Central provinces’ large ethnic Cham population was seen at the Thap Ba (Goddess Ponagar Tower) Festival in Khanh Hoa Province’s Nha Trang City last Saturday.
Ponagar Tower often receives devotees worshipping the goddess Thien Y A Na, the mother of the Cham people who taught them to grow crops and protected them from natural disasters.
This year’s event drew in more than 40 groups of pilgrims from across the country and some 25,000 visitors.
Journos head to City via Lion Air flight
One week after Lion Air resumed Jakarta-Singapore-HCM City service, the Indonesian ‘hybrid’ carrier organised a familiarisation (FAM) trip to HCM City for 12 journalists from Jakarta and eight from Singapore to introduce HCM City’s attractions to Indonesian and Singaporean tourists.
The journalists are from mainstream and popular magazines, according to Chandran Rama Muthy, Lion Air’s senior manager of Sales and Marketing.
During their four-day visit to Vietnam, the group got a taste of the region by shopping at night markets, navigating the city’s frenetic streets, indulging in Vietnamese coffee, and visiting the Cu Chi guerrilla warfare tunnels.
Vietnam tourism advertised in Thailand
The Viet Nam Consulate General in Khonkaen (Thailand) and the tourism departments of Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang and Quang Nam organised a programme around the theme "Central Viet Nam – An Attractive Destination".
The programme is aimed at promoting tourism between Northeast Thailand and Central Vietnam. It attracted around 40 travel agents, hotels, restaurants and health clinics in the northeastern Thailand and more than 20 businesses from Central Vietnam.
Vietnamese travel agent representatives pitched the tourism potential of places, events and cultural festivals, in particular the June 3-11 Hue Festival.
Ha Long tourism festival draws 10,000
More than 10,000 people attended last Saturday’s 2008 Ha Long Tourism Festival at Bai Chay Ferry in Quang Ninh Province, according to the Quang Ninh Tourism Department.
About 3,000 professional and amateur performers strutted their stuff in a street parade. Other highlights included an exhibition of 10 model cars decorated with flowers, six large moving stages, 100 tourist boats, dragon boats and dragon ferries.
A fireworks show on Bai Chay Bridge in the Luc estuary closed the festival with a bang.
Vietnamese firms to join seven more international tourism fairs in 2008
Vietnamese tourism companies and travel agencies will make a showing in seven more international travel fairs this year in order to advertise potential tourism products and bring in more foreign tourists, according to the Viet Nam National Administration for Tourism.
The seven international fairs include the JATA tourism fair in Japan, the PATA Travel Mart in Thailand, the Top Resa in France and the Trade Show Fair in the US in September, the Shanghai CITM fair in China and the AITEX fair in Cambodia in October, and the WTM fair in the UK in November 2008.
This year Vietnamese firms have already participated in the ATF international tourism 2008 in Thailand, the world’s largest tourism fair, ITB in Berlin and the Intour Market in Russia.
Bach Ma Park launches tourism festival
16:02' 02/05/2008 (GMT+7)
Religion meets nature in a cultural and tourism festival to promote the Bach Ma National Park in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue that kicked off on Wednesday.
Bach Ma National Park.
Entitled An Tuong Bach Ma (Impressions of Bach Ma), the two-day festival features various cultural and religious activities, including Buddhist incense offerings at the Bach Van Pagoda, religious dancing, a sacred fire procession and bell tolling for peace.
The week will also feature some sporting events including a relay race entitled Conquer the Bach Ma Peak, a rock climbing competition and a martial arts performance.
A food fair will introduce the area's specialities, giving tourists a chance to enjoy local cuisine.
"The festival is an event to kick off this year's tourism season in the area," said the deputy director of the provincial Tourism Department, Nguyen Quoc Thanh. The week is hosted by the Bach Ma National Park's Management Board and the Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People's Committee.
The park is well known for the Tri Sao and Ngu Ho waterfalls, which attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Tri Sao Waterfall attracts a large number of tri sao (pheinardia ocellata) birds that are listed in the Red Book (a book listing endangered species), and the Ngu Ho Waterfall is an intersection of five green lakes.
The area includes a breathtaking view at the peak of the Hai Vong Dai (Sea Observation Post) at 1,450m above sea level - the highest point in the area.
Located 40km south of Hue City, Bach Ma has a temperate climate. The park is home to more than 2,100 plants and about 1,500 animal species, of which 27 plants and 66 animals are in Vietnam's Red Book.
Religion meets nature in a cultural and tourism festival to promote the Bach Ma National Park in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue that kicked off on Wednesday.
Bach Ma National Park.
Entitled An Tuong Bach Ma (Impressions of Bach Ma), the two-day festival features various cultural and religious activities, including Buddhist incense offerings at the Bach Van Pagoda, religious dancing, a sacred fire procession and bell tolling for peace.
The week will also feature some sporting events including a relay race entitled Conquer the Bach Ma Peak, a rock climbing competition and a martial arts performance.
A food fair will introduce the area's specialities, giving tourists a chance to enjoy local cuisine.
"The festival is an event to kick off this year's tourism season in the area," said the deputy director of the provincial Tourism Department, Nguyen Quoc Thanh. The week is hosted by the Bach Ma National Park's Management Board and the Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People's Committee.
The park is well known for the Tri Sao and Ngu Ho waterfalls, which attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Tri Sao Waterfall attracts a large number of tri sao (pheinardia ocellata) birds that are listed in the Red Book (a book listing endangered species), and the Ngu Ho Waterfall is an intersection of five green lakes.
The area includes a breathtaking view at the peak of the Hai Vong Dai (Sea Observation Post) at 1,450m above sea level - the highest point in the area.
Located 40km south of Hue City, Bach Ma has a temperate climate. The park is home to more than 2,100 plants and about 1,500 animal species, of which 27 plants and 66 animals are in Vietnam's Red Book.
Where air is as good as gold
15:56' 02/05/2008 (GMT+7)
The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has five islands in the middle of the Hau River, Con Au, Con Son, Con Cai Khe, Con Khuong and Tan Loc, which still maintain the pureness and wildness of nature.
A Japanese investor who visited Con Son uttered: “The air here can be sold for gold.”
The local government plans to develop an ecological tourism project on these islands, said Dinh Viet Khanh, Director of the Can Tho Department of Tourism.
Under this plan, Con Au will be a resort and entertainment centre; Cai Khe will be a modern general tourism centre; Con Khuong will host orchard-villas; Con Son will be a resort for the old, while Tan Loc will host craft village and orchard tourism.
These islands will be connected with other islands on the Hau River which belong to other Mekong Delta provinces like Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Dong Thap and An Giang to make a wide network of ecological tourism sites.
Once these islands are linked, related provinces can attract tourists from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia who travel along the Mekong River.
The Hau River (or Bassac River) is a tributary of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River. The river starts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and flows south to An Giang province, Vietnam. The Hau River is a popular entry and exit route for locals between Cambodia and Vietnam and is used for transporting goods between the two countries.
The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has five islands in the middle of the Hau River, Con Au, Con Son, Con Cai Khe, Con Khuong and Tan Loc, which still maintain the pureness and wildness of nature.
A Japanese investor who visited Con Son uttered: “The air here can be sold for gold.”
The local government plans to develop an ecological tourism project on these islands, said Dinh Viet Khanh, Director of the Can Tho Department of Tourism.
Under this plan, Con Au will be a resort and entertainment centre; Cai Khe will be a modern general tourism centre; Con Khuong will host orchard-villas; Con Son will be a resort for the old, while Tan Loc will host craft village and orchard tourism.
These islands will be connected with other islands on the Hau River which belong to other Mekong Delta provinces like Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Dong Thap and An Giang to make a wide network of ecological tourism sites.
Once these islands are linked, related provinces can attract tourists from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia who travel along the Mekong River.
The Hau River (or Bassac River) is a tributary of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River. The river starts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and flows south to An Giang province, Vietnam. The Hau River is a popular entry and exit route for locals between Cambodia and Vietnam and is used for transporting goods between the two countries.
Thursday 1 May 2008
Vietnam reiterates support for small arms elimination programme
| 22:43' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
Ambassador Le Luong Minh |
National reunification and May Day celebrated nationwide
| 12:28' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao delivered a speech, highlighted that many years had passed, however the victory of the struggle against the the US aggressors for national salvation continued to be the most brilliant landmark in Vietnam's history of national construction and defence. "It is the shining symbol and victory of the Vietnamese revolutionary heroism and intelligence," he stressed. He said people from all walks of life in Hanoi, under the leadership of the Party, have since the April 30 Victory been energetically taking part in national construction, and particularly the renovation over the past 20 years. He affirmed that the city was determined to fulfil socio-economic tasks set for 2008 by implementing measures to curb inflation, boost production and exports, reduce the trade deficit and stabilise market prices. On the same day, the entire Party organisation, authorities and people of Ho Chi Minh City pledged to join efforts to develop the city as part of the national goal “a rich people, a strong country, and an equitable, democratic and civilised society.” The message was delivered by Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan at a ceremony held on April 29 to mark the 33rd anniversary of the liberation of Vietnam's southern region and the world’s 122nd May Day. Highlighting the historical significance of the April 30 Victory and the international labour spirit’s great impacts on Vietnam’s revolutionary cause, Chairman Quan spoke of the achievements made by the city during the past 33 years of socialist construction, particularly after 22 years of renewal. He affirmed Ho Chi Minh City’s ability and resolve to cope with current difficulties, especially economic challenges. Representatives of war veterans and youth voiced their strong determination to stand by the sides of the municipal authorities and people to fulfill tasks set for prosperity of the city. Many activities were also held in Quang Tri, Ben Tre, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai and others to celebrate the Southern Vietnam Liberation and National Unification Day and May Day. |
Vietnam, Angola sign 3 cooperation agreements
| 12:51' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
Education is a key cooperation area between the two countries On behalf of the two governments, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, and Angolan Minister of Science and Technology Joao Baptista Ngandajina signed the minutes of the 4th session of the intergovernmental committee, a cooperation agreement on education and training, and a cooperation agreement on tertiary education and personnel training. The two sides agreed on the bright prospect of Viet Nam-Angola cooperation in the 2008-2010 period and hoped to continue expending the bilateral relations, ranging from diplomacy, economy, education, personnel training, health care, agriculture, fisheries, trade, industry, construction and oil and gas. Viet Nam committed to help Angola to carry out projects on motorbike and bicycle assembly, farm industry, rice production, garment and textile production and cotton planting. Viet Nam will also send agricultural experts to help Angola implement pilot projects to establish farms in the country. The Angolan side requested Viet Nam’s cooperation in ocean exploration and assessment of marine resources. The two countries will promote the exchange of delegations at different levels, including political consultative meetings between foreign ministries, to discuss regional and international matters of common concern. The fifth session of the Viet Nam-Angola intergovernmental committee will be held in Luanda, Angola, in 2010. |
Get-together for Vietnamese held in Japan
| 13:22' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
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Many different events held to celebrate Liberation Day and May Day
| 13:04' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
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Ha Long Bay: record tourists during holidays
| 22:54' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
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HCM City welcomes over 1 million tourists
| 22:51' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
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UK magazine: Vietnam’s tourism likely booming
| 22:53' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
Cu Chi tunnel |
Exploring craft villages in Hanoi
| 12:56' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
As the capital of Viet Nam for almost a thousand years, Ha Noi is considered to be the cultural center of Viet Nam, where every dynasty has left behind an imprint. Even though some relics did not survive through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Historians liken the life-giving Red River, with its banks crowded with gren rice paddies and farms, to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, a true cradle of civilization. The city boasts a millenium of history, including traditional craft villages which have preserved their culture against the passing of time. The tourism week is being held to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Viet Nam’s reunification (April 30) and to celebrate Labor Day (May 1). There will be a display of 1,000 candles symbolizing the 1,000 years of Thang Long, lit up to mark the opening ceremony on April 29. Week of Festivity Stalls featuring pottery villages like Bat Trang and Chu Dau, Van Phuc silk village, and Dong Ho paintings will showcase handicrafts. The “Thang Long Magnanimity Festival” will open with a parade of artisans, thousands of torches and a drumming festival through the streets and around the citadel, and the festival will feature tours of the Hong River and Bat Trang craft village by the Phu Le Gia Company, Dao Thuc water puppetry, hat xam (songs of a strolling, blind musician) and cheo (reformed opera), culinary and folk games, to support the craft villages. Finally, a contest for artisans to generate products with the theme “The Imprint of Thang Long – Ha Noi” will be held. Relive Ancient Ha Noi The old quarter, near Hoan Kiem Lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old Ha Noi. At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street was comprised of merchants and households specialized in particular trades, such as silk traders and jewelers. The street names nowadays reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively focused on their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisan and merchant operations, including a plenitude of silk shops. Local culinary specialties as well as several clubs and bars can also be found here. A night market (near Dong Xuan market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food. According to local officials, the event will be held by the Association of Vietnamese Craft Villages in cooperation with the Center for Preserving Co Loa and Ha Noi Citadels, from April 27 to May 4 at Ha Noi’s Ancient Citadel, 12 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Ba Dinh District. The event will honor the village and street craftspeople and artisans, and promote Vietnamese tourism. The Thang Long Ancient Citadel is recognized as a national heritage. A replica of a traditional village will be built for the occasion, with a village gate made of Bat Trang bricks, ancient Vietnamese houses and bamboo houses of the northern delta region, including an ancient alter and enactment of a ceremony of ancestor worship. The exhibition will be decorated with traditional crafts, such as kites, decorative multicolored lanterns, palm-leaf conical hats, Ha Dong silk and Bat Trang bricks. The cultural area of 36 original streets in Ha Noi will be host to a handicraft and fine arts display. |
‘Halong Bay on land’, a popular destination for tourists
| 23:04' 01/05/2008 (GMT+7) | ||
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Tuesday 29 April 2008
Hanoi citadel hosts tourist week
17:23' 29/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - A tourist week celebrating traditional trades and leading up to Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary kicks off at the Thang Long Royal Citadel this on April 27.
Located at 12 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Hanoi, organisers are working to bring back the cultural atmosphere of the old capital under traditional rooftops with traditional activities and an open-air fair.
To introduce traditional trades and talented craftsmen, the monument will be decorated with handicraft products such as artistic stones, pottery from Bat Trang village, paper lanterns and silk from the northern province of Ha Tay’s Van Phuc village.
Visitors will get a chance to learn about solemn rituals of worship, as well as ancient Vietnamese houses including bamboo houses from northern Vietnam and houses from Hoi An’s Old Square.
Visitors are welcome to join in on a festival procession for ancestors of trades to kick off the opening day. Ceremonies will be full of cultural features such as a spiritual festival with a thousand candles and torches, a march by craftsmen around the Citadel and a gong performance from north-western ethnic groups along with drums from Doi Tam village in the northern province of Ha Nam.
The week will also launch a fine arts and handicrafts competition, under the theme: Hallmark in 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi.
Coinciding with the festival will be the launch of a new cultural centre celebrating handicrafts. The Hoa Lu Handicrafts Company will open the centre on April 28, entitled Hanoi – Pho Xua Nghe Cu (Hanoi – Old Streets and Crafts) at 31 Hang Gai street.
The 500sq.m centre is traditionally designed to resemble the capital’s old streets. Here tourists can admire old photos of Hanoi, a city plan dating back to 1890 and discover the city’s typical cultural traits. The centre will sell a variety of souvenirs and handicrafts. The centre’s employees are all tour guides familiar with the old streets of Hanoi and handicrafts villages.
The week-long event will bring in tourism companies from the northern provinces of Thai Binh, Lao Cai, Bac Giang and Ha Tay advertising tours on the Hong (Red) River and trade villages on the outskirts of Hanoi.
The event is being organised by the Hanoi Citadel Conservation Centre along with the Vietnam Association of Craft Villages.
VietNamNet Bridge - A tourist week celebrating traditional trades and leading up to Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary kicks off at the Thang Long Royal Citadel this on April 27.
Located at 12 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Hanoi, organisers are working to bring back the cultural atmosphere of the old capital under traditional rooftops with traditional activities and an open-air fair.
To introduce traditional trades and talented craftsmen, the monument will be decorated with handicraft products such as artistic stones, pottery from Bat Trang village, paper lanterns and silk from the northern province of Ha Tay’s Van Phuc village.
Visitors will get a chance to learn about solemn rituals of worship, as well as ancient Vietnamese houses including bamboo houses from northern Vietnam and houses from Hoi An’s Old Square.
Visitors are welcome to join in on a festival procession for ancestors of trades to kick off the opening day. Ceremonies will be full of cultural features such as a spiritual festival with a thousand candles and torches, a march by craftsmen around the Citadel and a gong performance from north-western ethnic groups along with drums from Doi Tam village in the northern province of Ha Nam.
The week will also launch a fine arts and handicrafts competition, under the theme: Hallmark in 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi.
Coinciding with the festival will be the launch of a new cultural centre celebrating handicrafts. The Hoa Lu Handicrafts Company will open the centre on April 28, entitled Hanoi – Pho Xua Nghe Cu (Hanoi – Old Streets and Crafts) at 31 Hang Gai street.
The 500sq.m centre is traditionally designed to resemble the capital’s old streets. Here tourists can admire old photos of Hanoi, a city plan dating back to 1890 and discover the city’s typical cultural traits. The centre will sell a variety of souvenirs and handicrafts. The centre’s employees are all tour guides familiar with the old streets of Hanoi and handicrafts villages.
The week-long event will bring in tourism companies from the northern provinces of Thai Binh, Lao Cai, Bac Giang and Ha Tay advertising tours on the Hong (Red) River and trade villages on the outskirts of Hanoi.
The event is being organised by the Hanoi Citadel Conservation Centre along with the Vietnam Association of Craft Villages.
Halong Tourism Festival ends successfully
19:41' 29/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The yearly Halong Tourism Festival in Quang Ninh Province ended yesterday, having effectively attracted tourists to the city during the festival and for the Liberation Day and May Day Holidays this week.
Young people in Halong City join the carnival of the Halong Tourism Festival Week.
According to Quang Ninh Province department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, most hotel rooms in Halong City were fully booked last weekend during the festival. The total number of tourists will continue to increase over the next few days as a result of the holidays.
The department estimated that, excluding tourists who live in the province, around 15,000 tourists would come to Halong during the festival and subsequent holidays, bringing the total number of tourists in the province during April to 600,000.
The Halong Tourism Festival 2008 official opened in Halong City last Saturday afternoon. The main events included a Carnival and art and cultural performances by thousands of local artists, sports activities and a trade and tourism fair. Some foreign artists from Guangxi Province of China and Luang Prabang of Laos performed in the opening ceremony.
Photo: VNN
In the afternoon, around 56 decorated boats and barges paraded on Halong Bay to promote the beauty of the world heritage site. The fireworks display took place on Bai Chay Bridge and Cua Luc Bay. The final round of the Halong beauty contest will take place tonight in Tuan Chau resort.
During the festival, the area from the foot of Bai Chay Bridge to the beginning of Bach Dang Street, the central street of the city, were closed to traffic, according to VnExpress.
The carnival which opened the festival featured a fashion show showcasing models in swimsuits, a mini-helicopter demonstration in the sky, body painting, street circus and dancing and kung fu performances.
There was a special performance depicting the Halong legend of the Jade Emperor who sent a troupe of dragons to Halong to help Vietnamese fight against intruders. Tourists at the carnival also enjoyed the typical images of the area with the brown sails and the boats in the waves, a parade of flower decorated boats in the sea and a firework performance lasting for two hours at both Bai Chay Bridge and on a barge on the sea.
The Quang Ninh Province department of Culture, Sport and Tourism reported that the province welcomed around 2.2mil local and international tourists during the first four months of this year, increasing the revenue from tourism by 36% over last year to VND1tril.
VietNamNet Bridge – The yearly Halong Tourism Festival in Quang Ninh Province ended yesterday, having effectively attracted tourists to the city during the festival and for the Liberation Day and May Day Holidays this week.
Young people in Halong City join the carnival of the Halong Tourism Festival Week.
According to Quang Ninh Province department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, most hotel rooms in Halong City were fully booked last weekend during the festival. The total number of tourists will continue to increase over the next few days as a result of the holidays.
The department estimated that, excluding tourists who live in the province, around 15,000 tourists would come to Halong during the festival and subsequent holidays, bringing the total number of tourists in the province during April to 600,000.
The Halong Tourism Festival 2008 official opened in Halong City last Saturday afternoon. The main events included a Carnival and art and cultural performances by thousands of local artists, sports activities and a trade and tourism fair. Some foreign artists from Guangxi Province of China and Luang Prabang of Laos performed in the opening ceremony.
Photo: VNN
In the afternoon, around 56 decorated boats and barges paraded on Halong Bay to promote the beauty of the world heritage site. The fireworks display took place on Bai Chay Bridge and Cua Luc Bay. The final round of the Halong beauty contest will take place tonight in Tuan Chau resort.
During the festival, the area from the foot of Bai Chay Bridge to the beginning of Bach Dang Street, the central street of the city, were closed to traffic, according to VnExpress.
The carnival which opened the festival featured a fashion show showcasing models in swimsuits, a mini-helicopter demonstration in the sky, body painting, street circus and dancing and kung fu performances.
There was a special performance depicting the Halong legend of the Jade Emperor who sent a troupe of dragons to Halong to help Vietnamese fight against intruders. Tourists at the carnival also enjoyed the typical images of the area with the brown sails and the boats in the waves, a parade of flower decorated boats in the sea and a firework performance lasting for two hours at both Bai Chay Bridge and on a barge on the sea.
The Quang Ninh Province department of Culture, Sport and Tourism reported that the province welcomed around 2.2mil local and international tourists during the first four months of this year, increasing the revenue from tourism by 36% over last year to VND1tril.
Conde Nast names InterContinental Hanoi Westlake on its 2008 Hot List
17:21' 29/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Conde Nast Traveler, one of the world’s most prestigious travel magazines, recognized the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake on its 2008 Hot List, the 12th annual compendium of the most compelling new hotels in the world.
The exclusive 2008 list names 136 hotels in 53 countries and includes just one hotel in Vietnam – InterContinental Hanoi Westlake.
The magazine lauded the new hotel for its “sublime setting,” its “stylish guest rooms,” and its five on-site restaurants and bars that “will more than satisfy anyone too rushed to explore Hanoi’s rich and diverse dining scene.”
According to Mr. Christian Pirodon, general manager of InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, this accolade, from one of the most respected travel magazines in the world, is a testament to the hotel’s success.
The Hot List is an especially notable tribute because Conde Nast’s surveyors judged thousands of hotels and spas around the globe, checking in undercover at each to experience the hotel’s accommodation, services and ambiance.
The 359-unit InterContinental Hanoi Westlake opened in Dec 2007 and immediately established itself as a singular Hanoi option. Located 10 minutes from the heart of Hanoi, the waterfront hotel evokes a resort-like ambiance with its torch-lit Venetian promenades and hard-to-find spaciousness in Vietnam’s bustling capital.
VietNamNet Bridge - Conde Nast Traveler, one of the world’s most prestigious travel magazines, recognized the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake on its 2008 Hot List, the 12th annual compendium of the most compelling new hotels in the world.
The exclusive 2008 list names 136 hotels in 53 countries and includes just one hotel in Vietnam – InterContinental Hanoi Westlake.
The magazine lauded the new hotel for its “sublime setting,” its “stylish guest rooms,” and its five on-site restaurants and bars that “will more than satisfy anyone too rushed to explore Hanoi’s rich and diverse dining scene.”
According to Mr. Christian Pirodon, general manager of InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, this accolade, from one of the most respected travel magazines in the world, is a testament to the hotel’s success.
The Hot List is an especially notable tribute because Conde Nast’s surveyors judged thousands of hotels and spas around the globe, checking in undercover at each to experience the hotel’s accommodation, services and ambiance.
The 359-unit InterContinental Hanoi Westlake opened in Dec 2007 and immediately established itself as a singular Hanoi option. Located 10 minutes from the heart of Hanoi, the waterfront hotel evokes a resort-like ambiance with its torch-lit Venetian promenades and hard-to-find spaciousness in Vietnam’s bustling capital.
Monday 28 April 2008
Cham community celebrates Thap Ba festival in Nha Trang
17:48' 28/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - The Thap Ba (Goddess Ponagar Tower) festival opened on April 26 in Khanh Hoa province’s Nha Trang city, drawing the participation of thousands of people from surrounding areas and other localoties in Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen and Dak Lak provinces.
Khanh Hoa province’s largest traditional festival aims to strengthen and unite the Cham people as the Ponagar tower is a place to worship Goddess Thien Y A Na - mother of the Cham community - who taught the Cham people to grow crops and protected them from natural disasters.
This year’s event has lured more than 40 groups of pilgrims from across the country and is expected to attract an additional 25,000 visitors.
The provincial Department of Sports and Tourism in co-operation with the Ponagar tower preservation association also used the occasion to grant three compassionate houses and ten saving books to local heroic Vietnamese mothers and other policy beneficiaries.
The annual event will last until April 28.
VietNamNet Bridge - The Thap Ba (Goddess Ponagar Tower) festival opened on April 26 in Khanh Hoa province’s Nha Trang city, drawing the participation of thousands of people from surrounding areas and other localoties in Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen and Dak Lak provinces.
Khanh Hoa province’s largest traditional festival aims to strengthen and unite the Cham people as the Ponagar tower is a place to worship Goddess Thien Y A Na - mother of the Cham community - who taught the Cham people to grow crops and protected them from natural disasters.
This year’s event has lured more than 40 groups of pilgrims from across the country and is expected to attract an additional 25,000 visitors.
The provincial Department of Sports and Tourism in co-operation with the Ponagar tower preservation association also used the occasion to grant three compassionate houses and ten saving books to local heroic Vietnamese mothers and other policy beneficiaries.
The annual event will last until April 28.
Sunday 27 April 2008
Central region becoming investor drawcard
10:21' 26/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Central Vietnam is emerging as an attractive investment destination with a series of million-USD projects currently underway or slated for construction.
Construction of an ecological resort worth 1 billion USD will begin on April 30 at the Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone (IZ) in Thua Thien-Hue province.
Phong Nha Cave
Funded by Singapore ’s Banyan Tree Group, the resort will feature 10 five-star hotels, an international conference hall and a modern entertainment centre when it opens in 2014. It is the largest of its kind in the province.
VinaCapital recently broke ground for the central region’s biggest trade complex in neighbouring Danang city. The 325-million-USD complex is the group’s fourth project in the city. The first three projects, currently under construction, are worth 800 million USD in total.
Moves to invest in the central region are seen as clear evidence of the strong appeal of the area, which also features pristine beaches and world cultural and natural heritage sites including Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park , the former imperial city of Hue , ancient Hoi An town and My Son sanctuary .
VinaCapital Managing Director Brook Taylor said the central region has great potential for development and has experienced rapid change that has created vast opportunities for foreign investors, particularly in information technology, health care and tourism infrastructure.
Local firms are also jostling for their place in the race to invest in the region, with Hanoi-based Finance and Business Development Joint Stock Company (FBS) emerging as a strong competitor. FBS has prioritised the region in its investment strategy with a special focus on real estate in project areas.
In addition to Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone, other regional industrial zones have also enticed investors at home and abroad. The Dung Quat Industrial Zone in Quang Ngai province topped the list with 90 projects capitalised at 4.4 billion USD.
The industrial zone is followed by Vung Ang in Ha Tinh province, Quang Nam province’s Chu Lai, as well as Nghi Son and Nhon Hoi in Binh Dinh province.
Statistics released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment show that since the introduction of the Foreign Investment Law in 1988, the region has licensed 631 foreign-invested projects with a combined registered capital of more than 10 billion USD, accounting for around 10 percent of the country’s total amount.
In 2007 alone, foreign investment injected 4.2 billion USD into regional provinces and cities, comprising 20.6 percent of Vietnam ’s total volume.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Bich Dat says that to make full use of the region’s potential, it should focus on developing infrastructure and human resources, expanding inter-provincial tourism and trade cooperation, and building a strong legal framework to create more opportunities for foreign investors.
VietNamNet Bridge - Central Vietnam is emerging as an attractive investment destination with a series of million-USD projects currently underway or slated for construction.
Construction of an ecological resort worth 1 billion USD will begin on April 30 at the Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone (IZ) in Thua Thien-Hue province.
Phong Nha Cave
Funded by Singapore ’s Banyan Tree Group, the resort will feature 10 five-star hotels, an international conference hall and a modern entertainment centre when it opens in 2014. It is the largest of its kind in the province.
VinaCapital recently broke ground for the central region’s biggest trade complex in neighbouring Danang city. The 325-million-USD complex is the group’s fourth project in the city. The first three projects, currently under construction, are worth 800 million USD in total.
Moves to invest in the central region are seen as clear evidence of the strong appeal of the area, which also features pristine beaches and world cultural and natural heritage sites including Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park , the former imperial city of Hue , ancient Hoi An town and My Son sanctuary .
VinaCapital Managing Director Brook Taylor said the central region has great potential for development and has experienced rapid change that has created vast opportunities for foreign investors, particularly in information technology, health care and tourism infrastructure.
Local firms are also jostling for their place in the race to invest in the region, with Hanoi-based Finance and Business Development Joint Stock Company (FBS) emerging as a strong competitor. FBS has prioritised the region in its investment strategy with a special focus on real estate in project areas.
In addition to Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone, other regional industrial zones have also enticed investors at home and abroad. The Dung Quat Industrial Zone in Quang Ngai province topped the list with 90 projects capitalised at 4.4 billion USD.
The industrial zone is followed by Vung Ang in Ha Tinh province, Quang Nam province’s Chu Lai, as well as Nghi Son and Nhon Hoi in Binh Dinh province.
Statistics released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment show that since the introduction of the Foreign Investment Law in 1988, the region has licensed 631 foreign-invested projects with a combined registered capital of more than 10 billion USD, accounting for around 10 percent of the country’s total amount.
In 2007 alone, foreign investment injected 4.2 billion USD into regional provinces and cities, comprising 20.6 percent of Vietnam ’s total volume.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Bich Dat says that to make full use of the region’s potential, it should focus on developing infrastructure and human resources, expanding inter-provincial tourism and trade cooperation, and building a strong legal framework to create more opportunities for foreign investors.
More tours offered on holidays
05:41' 27/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - According to travel agents, during this year’s Southern Liberation Day and May Day, the price of tours has increased by 20-25 percent due to the rise in transport costs and food even though the number of tourists has risen by 30 percent compared to last year.
Domestic tours
During the holiday, a number of travel agents offer many new tours. Saigontourist is now running a tour to the Ha Long Bay festival which will be held from April 26 to May 1 and other special tours such as “returning to the roots of the Dong Son Culture”, the “Spectacular Huong Son”, and the “Impressive Sapa-Ha Long” apart from its traditional tours to Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Con Dao.
Viettravel runs 50 domestic and foreign tours. Viet Huong, a Viettravel representative, says that there has been a vast increase in the number of tourists taking advantage of the holidays to go sightseeing. Many tours have been fully booked but customers still want to visit places such as Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Hue, Phong Nha - Ke Bang lying on the Central Heritage Road. The company will have to run more tours on May 2 and 3, says Ms Huong.
Ben Thanh tourist and Lua Viet Company also provide visitors with special tours to see famous historical places.
Overseas tours
According to Viettravel, in addition to regional destinations such as Thailand, China, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, tours of Australia, the US, Egypt, the Republic of Korea and Japan are attracting a large number of visitors. Tours of Australia and the US have been fully booked.
VietNamNet Bridge - According to travel agents, during this year’s Southern Liberation Day and May Day, the price of tours has increased by 20-25 percent due to the rise in transport costs and food even though the number of tourists has risen by 30 percent compared to last year.
Domestic tours
During the holiday, a number of travel agents offer many new tours. Saigontourist is now running a tour to the Ha Long Bay festival which will be held from April 26 to May 1 and other special tours such as “returning to the roots of the Dong Son Culture”, the “Spectacular Huong Son”, and the “Impressive Sapa-Ha Long” apart from its traditional tours to Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, and Con Dao.
Viettravel runs 50 domestic and foreign tours. Viet Huong, a Viettravel representative, says that there has been a vast increase in the number of tourists taking advantage of the holidays to go sightseeing. Many tours have been fully booked but customers still want to visit places such as Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Hue, Phong Nha - Ke Bang lying on the Central Heritage Road. The company will have to run more tours on May 2 and 3, says Ms Huong.
Ben Thanh tourist and Lua Viet Company also provide visitors with special tours to see famous historical places.
Overseas tours
According to Viettravel, in addition to regional destinations such as Thailand, China, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, tours of Australia, the US, Egypt, the Republic of Korea and Japan are attracting a large number of visitors. Tours of Australia and the US have been fully booked.
Friday 25 April 2008
Can Vietnam protect its marine environment?
09:38' 24/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – For centuries the sea has proven to be a rich source of both food and income, particularly for coastal inhabitants.
Whether it’s fisheries, or more recently, tourism, coastal provinces believe that marine-related industries deserve top priority. Indeed, marine-related industries such as oil and gas, fisheries, shipbuilding and tourism, account for nearly 50% of the nation’s GDP.
Yet conservation is a relatively new concept in Vietnam, which poses many challenges to a Government led initiative to establish a network of marine-protected areas (MPAs).
While the benefits of MPAs are not immediate, the creation of such areas threatens the livelihood of coastal communities.
"MPA waters will be closed to fishing, which would lower the income of local fishermen," said Nguyen Giang Thu, director of MARD’s (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Sustainable Livelihoods in and around MPAs (LMPA project).
"The first three to five years would be difficult. Only when fish stocks in and around the MPAs recover then increase, would fishermen benefit."
Meanwhile, other sources of income in and around MPAs like resorts and eco-tourism, cannot provide jobs for local people that lack the necessary skills.
"We need a strategy for sustainable tourism development as well as a mechanism for locals to benefit from tourism," said Nguyen Giang Thu.
Some consultants maintain that it will take "a lot of political will" to develop successful MPAs.
"It’s very ‘attractive’ for provincial authorities to let investors build hotels to generate income," said Richard Rastall of consulting firm FRR East Asia Ltd.
"If not restricted, however, such activities threaten the environment and biodiversity in the MPAs."
MARD recently submitted a plan to the Prime Minister for approval. The plan proposes the establishment of 15 MPAs by 2015, with a view to protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring sustainable use of marine resources.
Since 2001, three nationally-managed MPAs have been set up: Nha Trang Bay, Cu Lao Cham and Phu Quoc – plus a few locally-managed marine-protected areas.
As the name suggests, the idea behind LPMA is to ensure a steady income for local communities, which has become a thorny issue in terms of getting local approval.
Alternative living
According to Bernard O’Callaghan, programme co-ordinator of IUCN Vietnam, Nha Trang Bay MPA, established in 2001, is an example of an MPA that can generate substantial income.
In 2001, 240,000 tourists visited Nha Trang Bay taking part in a range of activities from sightseeing to diving. That figure grew to 400,000 in 2006.
By charging VND5,000 for sight-seeing, VND30,000 for diving within the MPA and VND10,000 for visiting the biodiversity core zone of the bay, a total of US$150,000 was collected in 2006. Of that total, 77% was allocated to the Nha Trang Bay MPA Authority for the management and upkeep of the area.
This year, the province designated 8-10% of the fund to community development within the MPA.
The challenge remains, O’Callaghan said, in identifying a clear mechanism for dispersing the funds to local villages.
However, not all MPAs are able to generate the same level of revenue from tourism. Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands) in central Vietnam found that training fishermen in other skills is a practical solution.
According to Chu Manh Trinh, project officer at Cham Islands MPA, Cham Islands has a population of 3,000, 80% of which say fishing is their only source of income. This places intense strain on fish stocks.
Established in December 2005 and covering 6,710ha, Cham Islands MPA offers vocational training courses for those most affected by MPA regulations.
Some have turned to producing, marketing, and selling fish sauce. Last year 14 individuals successfully produced 1,543 litres of fish sauce.
The WWF, in a critical review of livelihood support in MPAs, suggested that alternative job schemes be introduced with thorough consideration of the feasibility of projects, credit mechanism, community awareness and organisation.
"I think the key issues here will be to take lessons from the prior experiences [of existing MPAs], and come up with a new process that works better," said Keith Symmington, WWF marine programme co-ordinator.
The foremost lesson is to obtain active community involvement in all stages. Participation needs to be encouraged, particularly in MPA zoning process, and more support should come from individual provinces now that the MPAs are decentralised to provincial level, he said.
"Although each MPA is different, mistakes needn’t be repeated. We ought to find a balance between urgency and strategic, comprehensive consideration," he said.
VietNamNet Bridge – For centuries the sea has proven to be a rich source of both food and income, particularly for coastal inhabitants.
Whether it’s fisheries, or more recently, tourism, coastal provinces believe that marine-related industries deserve top priority. Indeed, marine-related industries such as oil and gas, fisheries, shipbuilding and tourism, account for nearly 50% of the nation’s GDP.
Yet conservation is a relatively new concept in Vietnam, which poses many challenges to a Government led initiative to establish a network of marine-protected areas (MPAs).
While the benefits of MPAs are not immediate, the creation of such areas threatens the livelihood of coastal communities.
"MPA waters will be closed to fishing, which would lower the income of local fishermen," said Nguyen Giang Thu, director of MARD’s (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Sustainable Livelihoods in and around MPAs (LMPA project).
"The first three to five years would be difficult. Only when fish stocks in and around the MPAs recover then increase, would fishermen benefit."
Meanwhile, other sources of income in and around MPAs like resorts and eco-tourism, cannot provide jobs for local people that lack the necessary skills.
"We need a strategy for sustainable tourism development as well as a mechanism for locals to benefit from tourism," said Nguyen Giang Thu.
Some consultants maintain that it will take "a lot of political will" to develop successful MPAs.
"It’s very ‘attractive’ for provincial authorities to let investors build hotels to generate income," said Richard Rastall of consulting firm FRR East Asia Ltd.
"If not restricted, however, such activities threaten the environment and biodiversity in the MPAs."
MARD recently submitted a plan to the Prime Minister for approval. The plan proposes the establishment of 15 MPAs by 2015, with a view to protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring sustainable use of marine resources.
Since 2001, three nationally-managed MPAs have been set up: Nha Trang Bay, Cu Lao Cham and Phu Quoc – plus a few locally-managed marine-protected areas.
As the name suggests, the idea behind LPMA is to ensure a steady income for local communities, which has become a thorny issue in terms of getting local approval.
Alternative living
According to Bernard O’Callaghan, programme co-ordinator of IUCN Vietnam, Nha Trang Bay MPA, established in 2001, is an example of an MPA that can generate substantial income.
In 2001, 240,000 tourists visited Nha Trang Bay taking part in a range of activities from sightseeing to diving. That figure grew to 400,000 in 2006.
By charging VND5,000 for sight-seeing, VND30,000 for diving within the MPA and VND10,000 for visiting the biodiversity core zone of the bay, a total of US$150,000 was collected in 2006. Of that total, 77% was allocated to the Nha Trang Bay MPA Authority for the management and upkeep of the area.
This year, the province designated 8-10% of the fund to community development within the MPA.
The challenge remains, O’Callaghan said, in identifying a clear mechanism for dispersing the funds to local villages.
However, not all MPAs are able to generate the same level of revenue from tourism. Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands) in central Vietnam found that training fishermen in other skills is a practical solution.
According to Chu Manh Trinh, project officer at Cham Islands MPA, Cham Islands has a population of 3,000, 80% of which say fishing is their only source of income. This places intense strain on fish stocks.
Established in December 2005 and covering 6,710ha, Cham Islands MPA offers vocational training courses for those most affected by MPA regulations.
Some have turned to producing, marketing, and selling fish sauce. Last year 14 individuals successfully produced 1,543 litres of fish sauce.
The WWF, in a critical review of livelihood support in MPAs, suggested that alternative job schemes be introduced with thorough consideration of the feasibility of projects, credit mechanism, community awareness and organisation.
"I think the key issues here will be to take lessons from the prior experiences [of existing MPAs], and come up with a new process that works better," said Keith Symmington, WWF marine programme co-ordinator.
The foremost lesson is to obtain active community involvement in all stages. Participation needs to be encouraged, particularly in MPA zoning process, and more support should come from individual provinces now that the MPAs are decentralised to provincial level, he said.
"Although each MPA is different, mistakes needn’t be repeated. We ought to find a balance between urgency and strategic, comprehensive consideration," he said.
Climbing the ‘roof of Indochina’
22:33' 25/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Increasing numbers of travellers, foreign and domestic, are seeking to conquer Mt Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam, popularly known as the "Roof of Indochina".
At his peak: Le Hong Quang, a Fansipan fan and climber, stands next to the new plaque at the top of the peak. Quang was a chief co-ordinator of the programme to provide the new plaque.
"Climbing Fansipan is the most appealing and adventurous tourist attraction in Vietnam because you can really enjoy nature there," said Le Hong Quang from Hanoi, who has climbed the mountain several times.
"You can admire the beautiful mountains with forests and flowers all around and get a chance to challenge yourself physically by climbing the heights. It’s a really powerful experience," Quang said.
In the first half of April alone, the 3,143m-tall mountain in the northwest of the country near Sa Pa welcomed over 250 climbers, 70% of the total to have visited so far this year.
In 2007, about 2,200 visitors came to the mountain.
Quang, whose latest climb of Fansipan took place in February during the coldest weather in a decade, said it took about two months to prepare for the trip.
"To make the trip successful, apart from strong determination and a good backpack, climbers must also check their stamina. This means they should practise by climbing other, smaller mountains such as Ba Vi or Tam Dao," Quang said.
Vietnamese climbers often choose long holidays to take the trip to Fansipan, especially the period from Tet to the end of May, which includes the big national holidays of Liberation Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1).
Experienced climbers say it takes about two or three days to reach the peak following the shortest route. They pay attention the safest way and try to pick the time with the best weather and lowest rainfall, typically between February and April when flowers bloom and hikers have a chance to see the beauty of the Sa Pa region.
Those who start from Hanoi can take a train to Lao Cai Province then reach Sa Pa by motorbike.
There are three routes to the mountain. One is from Tram Ton, the others from the villages of Sin Chai and Cat Cat.
The first route is a more gradual climb because it has been selected for tourists. The trip can be made in a day.
The route from Sin Chai is shorter but more adventurous, requiring climbers to sometimes use ropes or other special facilities for climbing.
The route from Cat Cat is the longest, but mixes some challenging climbs with great scenery. After one day of climbing, there’s a break at 2,200m above sea level. Climbers can have a meal cooked by a Mong porter and camp, followed by a second camp at 2,700m before reaching the peak on the third day.
Most climbers chose a tour from Sa Pa at a cost of about VND1.5mil excluding train fare from Hanoi, and tours should be booked a month in advance.
Dao Manh Hung, manager of a tourist company which provide tours to Fansipan and other northern mountains, said that cancellations were possible and some tours could be booked on a far shorter lead time.
This year, those who make it to the top will see a new plaque at the peak, placed there in February 2007 by Vietnamese and foreign climbers from the First Fansipan International Climbing Tournament.
The old plaque was first set up by a group of Vietnamese and Russian climbers in 1984. It was first replaced in 2003 when Sa Pa township celebrated its 100th anniversary, but this plaque was heavily vandalised and damaged by severe weather, said Hoang Lien Son National Park director Nguyen Quoc Tri, necessitating its replacement last year.
VietNamNet Bridge – Increasing numbers of travellers, foreign and domestic, are seeking to conquer Mt Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam, popularly known as the "Roof of Indochina".
At his peak: Le Hong Quang, a Fansipan fan and climber, stands next to the new plaque at the top of the peak. Quang was a chief co-ordinator of the programme to provide the new plaque.
"Climbing Fansipan is the most appealing and adventurous tourist attraction in Vietnam because you can really enjoy nature there," said Le Hong Quang from Hanoi, who has climbed the mountain several times.
"You can admire the beautiful mountains with forests and flowers all around and get a chance to challenge yourself physically by climbing the heights. It’s a really powerful experience," Quang said.
In the first half of April alone, the 3,143m-tall mountain in the northwest of the country near Sa Pa welcomed over 250 climbers, 70% of the total to have visited so far this year.
In 2007, about 2,200 visitors came to the mountain.
Quang, whose latest climb of Fansipan took place in February during the coldest weather in a decade, said it took about two months to prepare for the trip.
"To make the trip successful, apart from strong determination and a good backpack, climbers must also check their stamina. This means they should practise by climbing other, smaller mountains such as Ba Vi or Tam Dao," Quang said.
Vietnamese climbers often choose long holidays to take the trip to Fansipan, especially the period from Tet to the end of May, which includes the big national holidays of Liberation Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1).
Experienced climbers say it takes about two or three days to reach the peak following the shortest route. They pay attention the safest way and try to pick the time with the best weather and lowest rainfall, typically between February and April when flowers bloom and hikers have a chance to see the beauty of the Sa Pa region.
Those who start from Hanoi can take a train to Lao Cai Province then reach Sa Pa by motorbike.
There are three routes to the mountain. One is from Tram Ton, the others from the villages of Sin Chai and Cat Cat.
The first route is a more gradual climb because it has been selected for tourists. The trip can be made in a day.
The route from Sin Chai is shorter but more adventurous, requiring climbers to sometimes use ropes or other special facilities for climbing.
The route from Cat Cat is the longest, but mixes some challenging climbs with great scenery. After one day of climbing, there’s a break at 2,200m above sea level. Climbers can have a meal cooked by a Mong porter and camp, followed by a second camp at 2,700m before reaching the peak on the third day.
Most climbers chose a tour from Sa Pa at a cost of about VND1.5mil excluding train fare from Hanoi, and tours should be booked a month in advance.
Dao Manh Hung, manager of a tourist company which provide tours to Fansipan and other northern mountains, said that cancellations were possible and some tours could be booked on a far shorter lead time.
This year, those who make it to the top will see a new plaque at the peak, placed there in February 2007 by Vietnamese and foreign climbers from the First Fansipan International Climbing Tournament.
The old plaque was first set up by a group of Vietnamese and Russian climbers in 1984. It was first replaced in 2003 when Sa Pa township celebrated its 100th anniversary, but this plaque was heavily vandalised and damaged by severe weather, said Hoang Lien Son National Park director Nguyen Quoc Tri, necessitating its replacement last year.
Resorts are full for holidays
14:05' 25/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Although the national holidays of April 30 and May 1 are still a few days away, resorts in the coastal region of Mui Ne are almost full booked, promising another good travel season for resorts in the region.
Vacationers leisurely walk on a beach in Mui Ne region.
The two-day holidays falls in middle of the week this year, which is rather inconvenient for a long vacation. However, that has not deterred travelers who want to take advantage of the holidays to relax and unwind with their families and friends. Because of its proximity to HCMC, Mui Ne is still a favored option among vacationers who want to escape the hot summer weather with a swim in the cool clear sea-water.
According to a resort general manager, resorts in Mui Ne are typically very full during holiday times and empty during the off-season, therefore last-minute travelers are often unable to book rooms during the high season.
In order to ensure a safe and comfortable vacation for thousands of travelers, resorts and travel agencies are rolling up their sleeves to make sure the tourist sites in the region are in good shape, according to Binh Thuan newspaper.
Beaches are being cleaned and wastebaskets are being installed to keep them that way during the holidays. Unlike in previous years, vendors in Rom Islet and around the sands dunes have been organized so that they may not harass tourists with offers of goods and services.
Formed in 1995, Mui Ne region has over 70 small and large scale resorts dotted along the coastline. The region is responding to the increasing demand for accommodation by local and international travelers by adding more resort projects in the area.
VietNamNet Bridge – Although the national holidays of April 30 and May 1 are still a few days away, resorts in the coastal region of Mui Ne are almost full booked, promising another good travel season for resorts in the region.
Vacationers leisurely walk on a beach in Mui Ne region.
The two-day holidays falls in middle of the week this year, which is rather inconvenient for a long vacation. However, that has not deterred travelers who want to take advantage of the holidays to relax and unwind with their families and friends. Because of its proximity to HCMC, Mui Ne is still a favored option among vacationers who want to escape the hot summer weather with a swim in the cool clear sea-water.
According to a resort general manager, resorts in Mui Ne are typically very full during holiday times and empty during the off-season, therefore last-minute travelers are often unable to book rooms during the high season.
In order to ensure a safe and comfortable vacation for thousands of travelers, resorts and travel agencies are rolling up their sleeves to make sure the tourist sites in the region are in good shape, according to Binh Thuan newspaper.
Beaches are being cleaned and wastebaskets are being installed to keep them that way during the holidays. Unlike in previous years, vendors in Rom Islet and around the sands dunes have been organized so that they may not harass tourists with offers of goods and services.
Formed in 1995, Mui Ne region has over 70 small and large scale resorts dotted along the coastline. The region is responding to the increasing demand for accommodation by local and international travelers by adding more resort projects in the area.
Unwinding with grass-skiing
13:26' 25/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – A tropical climate does not offer much opportunity for the experience of sliding on layers of snow. However, grass-skiing can give 'skiers' a sense of what it feels like as they slide down green, grass-covered hills.
Some skiers slide downhill on the new grass surface.
Several amusement parks around the country have now made grass-skiing available in Vietnam. One of them, the Green Club Resort, has recently added two new activities for their guests; grass-skiing and basket racing.
Visitors get on baskets for a row on the lake in the resort.
The grass-skiing slope is four meters high, built in an area of one hectare. It is covered with grass imported from Japan. There are two options for skiing, the surfboard which is priced at VND10,000 for each round and surfing shoes, priced at VND50,000 per hour. Beginners will be accompanied by instructors.
Alternatively, basket rowing provides vacationers an opportunity for a leisurely row on a 2-hectare lake.
The Green Club Resort is located at Phuoc Tan Commune in Long Thanh District in the southern province of Dong Nai. Tel: (0613) 930071, or visit website: www.caulacboxanh.com for more information.
Hereunder are some photos featuring visitors enjoying grass skiing and basket rowing at the club.
VietNamNet Bridge – A tropical climate does not offer much opportunity for the experience of sliding on layers of snow. However, grass-skiing can give 'skiers' a sense of what it feels like as they slide down green, grass-covered hills.
Some skiers slide downhill on the new grass surface.
Several amusement parks around the country have now made grass-skiing available in Vietnam. One of them, the Green Club Resort, has recently added two new activities for their guests; grass-skiing and basket racing.
Visitors get on baskets for a row on the lake in the resort.
The grass-skiing slope is four meters high, built in an area of one hectare. It is covered with grass imported from Japan. There are two options for skiing, the surfboard which is priced at VND10,000 for each round and surfing shoes, priced at VND50,000 per hour. Beginners will be accompanied by instructors.
Alternatively, basket rowing provides vacationers an opportunity for a leisurely row on a 2-hectare lake.
The Green Club Resort is located at Phuoc Tan Commune in Long Thanh District in the southern province of Dong Nai. Tel: (0613) 930071, or visit website: www.caulacboxanh.com for more information.
Hereunder are some photos featuring visitors enjoying grass skiing and basket rowing at the club.
Tuesday 22 April 2008
Third annual European Food Festival hits Hanoi
06:01' 23/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Following the success of the second annual European Food Festival, held in Hanoi to celebrate Europe Day in 2006, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) is set to bring the event back for a third year.
The Festival will take place in the stunning garden of the National Library of Vietnam from 5pm on May 24, bringing together the capital’s leading hotels and restaurants for a gastronomic night to remember.
“The Festival aims to offer a taste of Europe to the people of Hanoi, bringing the Vietnamese and European communities a night of food, drink and entertainment”, EuroCham Hanoi Director Nicholas Greenfield said.
But while fine food and drink might be in the spotlight, there’s more on offer at the festival than just a taste of Europe. The event will feature live entertainment from two famous bands in Hanoi as well as belly dancers and sports dancers, a fashion show from Alcado, and an extra-special lucky draw with prizes including hotel, resort, spa and restaurant vouchers, as well as an international return trip courtesy of the National Flag Carrier Vietnam Airlines.
Director Greenfield said the Festival also aims to promote the diversity of Europe through a showcase of its culinary arts, and to promote co-operation and deepen understanding between the Vietnamese and European communities.
VietNamNet Bridge - Following the success of the second annual European Food Festival, held in Hanoi to celebrate Europe Day in 2006, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) is set to bring the event back for a third year.
The Festival will take place in the stunning garden of the National Library of Vietnam from 5pm on May 24, bringing together the capital’s leading hotels and restaurants for a gastronomic night to remember.
“The Festival aims to offer a taste of Europe to the people of Hanoi, bringing the Vietnamese and European communities a night of food, drink and entertainment”, EuroCham Hanoi Director Nicholas Greenfield said.
But while fine food and drink might be in the spotlight, there’s more on offer at the festival than just a taste of Europe. The event will feature live entertainment from two famous bands in Hanoi as well as belly dancers and sports dancers, a fashion show from Alcado, and an extra-special lucky draw with prizes including hotel, resort, spa and restaurant vouchers, as well as an international return trip courtesy of the National Flag Carrier Vietnam Airlines.
Director Greenfield said the Festival also aims to promote the diversity of Europe through a showcase of its culinary arts, and to promote co-operation and deepen understanding between the Vietnamese and European communities.
Vietnam Cinema Literature UNESCO club opens
06:01' 23/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - After four months of pilot activities, on April 20th, the Vietnam Cinema Literature UNESCO club opened to public at Hong Bang Private University in Ho Chi Minh City.
The club led by Mrs Ho Thi Kim Thu has 70 members, including professors, doctors, writers, poets and directors from Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau.
In the near future, the club will organize training courses on literature and cinema, run camps and scenarios; publish books related to Vietnamese cinema and literature.
The club will hold monthly meetings for its members to exchange and share experiences in literature and cinema.
In addition, the club will promote activities and establish branches in Vung Tau, Quang Nam and Nha Trang.
(Source: CPV)
VietNamNet Bridge - After four months of pilot activities, on April 20th, the Vietnam Cinema Literature UNESCO club opened to public at Hong Bang Private University in Ho Chi Minh City.
The club led by Mrs Ho Thi Kim Thu has 70 members, including professors, doctors, writers, poets and directors from Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau.
In the near future, the club will organize training courses on literature and cinema, run camps and scenarios; publish books related to Vietnamese cinema and literature.
The club will hold monthly meetings for its members to exchange and share experiences in literature and cinema.
In addition, the club will promote activities and establish branches in Vung Tau, Quang Nam and Nha Trang.
(Source: CPV)
Monday 21 April 2008
Foreign investors eye tourism
23:14' 20/04/2008 (GMT+7)
Long and beautiful coasts in the southern province of Binh Thuan are attractive places for investors to build hotels and resorts. Foreign investment in these projects accounts for only 10 per cent of the country’s total foreign investment.
VietNamNet Bridge - Demand for new properties, Government incentives and the country’s natural advantages are driving foreign investment in the tourism industry.
Phan Huu Thang, head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency, said Viet Nam’s favourable conditions for tourism included good economic growth, social stability, foreign investment, and improved roads as well as airports and seaports.
"Viet Nam has great potential, including scenic landscapes, a long and beautiful coast and a diversified culture," said Thang.
"The Government encourages all sources, especially foreign capital, to develop tourism so it can become a key industry," Thang told participants at a two-day conference and exhibition on property opportunities in tourism that wrapped up yesterday in HCM City.
"The State applies incentives on land, taxation, and credit for investors in areas that include protection and restoration of tourism resources and environment, tourism human resources, and construction of tourism infrastructure, among others," he said.
Thang also praised FDI companies, including five-star hotels in Ha Noi and HCM City, the Victoria hotels in Sapa, Hoi An and Can Tho, and the Furama resort in Da Nang, for their significant contributions to the tourism industry.
"The Government will do its best to support investment in the tourism sector and we will strongly commit to advance the legal environment to draw more investment resources," he said.
Foreign investment in hotels, resorts and leasure projects, however, are still modest, representing around 10 per cent of the country’s total foreign investment capital of US$104 billion.
Thang said a strong increase had been seen in the tourism sector during the first quarter, especially in HCM City, Da Nang, Quang Nam Province, Hue, Khanh Hoa Province and Binh Thuan Province.
Marc Townsend, managing director of the US real estate consultancy firm CB Richard Ellis, said Viet Nam’s land prices had become too high and needed to be lowered.
Although there was a trend of shifting capital out of developed markets and into developing ones, investors might look elsewhere because of the high prices and the lengthy procedures for gaining land-use rights and land clearance, he said.
Townsend also saw Viet Nam as an attractive tourist destination for various factors including its charm. But there was an insufficient number of hotel rooms and infrastructure was still poor, he said.
For example, he said it was not easy or comfortable to fly to Phu Quoc, Viet Nam’s popular tourist island in Kien Giang Province, attributing the problem to Viet Nam Airlines’ lack of capital for expansion.
Around 350 projects from 12 cities and provinces including Lao Cai, Hue, Binh Dinh, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong and HCM City were on display at the exhibition.
The two-day event organised by the Phuquocland East Asia Corporation aimed to promote investment in tourism real estate development and provide a platform for industry players to discuss business opportunities and talk with authorities about a better investment environment.
Long and beautiful coasts in the southern province of Binh Thuan are attractive places for investors to build hotels and resorts. Foreign investment in these projects accounts for only 10 per cent of the country’s total foreign investment.
VietNamNet Bridge - Demand for new properties, Government incentives and the country’s natural advantages are driving foreign investment in the tourism industry.
Phan Huu Thang, head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency, said Viet Nam’s favourable conditions for tourism included good economic growth, social stability, foreign investment, and improved roads as well as airports and seaports.
"Viet Nam has great potential, including scenic landscapes, a long and beautiful coast and a diversified culture," said Thang.
"The Government encourages all sources, especially foreign capital, to develop tourism so it can become a key industry," Thang told participants at a two-day conference and exhibition on property opportunities in tourism that wrapped up yesterday in HCM City.
"The State applies incentives on land, taxation, and credit for investors in areas that include protection and restoration of tourism resources and environment, tourism human resources, and construction of tourism infrastructure, among others," he said.
Thang also praised FDI companies, including five-star hotels in Ha Noi and HCM City, the Victoria hotels in Sapa, Hoi An and Can Tho, and the Furama resort in Da Nang, for their significant contributions to the tourism industry.
"The Government will do its best to support investment in the tourism sector and we will strongly commit to advance the legal environment to draw more investment resources," he said.
Foreign investment in hotels, resorts and leasure projects, however, are still modest, representing around 10 per cent of the country’s total foreign investment capital of US$104 billion.
Thang said a strong increase had been seen in the tourism sector during the first quarter, especially in HCM City, Da Nang, Quang Nam Province, Hue, Khanh Hoa Province and Binh Thuan Province.
Marc Townsend, managing director of the US real estate consultancy firm CB Richard Ellis, said Viet Nam’s land prices had become too high and needed to be lowered.
Although there was a trend of shifting capital out of developed markets and into developing ones, investors might look elsewhere because of the high prices and the lengthy procedures for gaining land-use rights and land clearance, he said.
Townsend also saw Viet Nam as an attractive tourist destination for various factors including its charm. But there was an insufficient number of hotel rooms and infrastructure was still poor, he said.
For example, he said it was not easy or comfortable to fly to Phu Quoc, Viet Nam’s popular tourist island in Kien Giang Province, attributing the problem to Viet Nam Airlines’ lack of capital for expansion.
Around 350 projects from 12 cities and provinces including Lao Cai, Hue, Binh Dinh, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong and HCM City were on display at the exhibition.
The two-day event organised by the Phuquocland East Asia Corporation aimed to promote investment in tourism real estate development and provide a platform for industry players to discuss business opportunities and talk with authorities about a better investment environment.
Binh Thuan’s Mui Ne attracts Russian tourists
13:47' 20/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Mui Ne in Binh Thuan province has become a popular tourist destination to Russian visitors to Vietnam.
According to the general director of the Russian travel company Lanta-An, Klokov Igor Nikolaevich, the number of Russian visitors to Binh Thuan has increased since the opening of Lanta-An’s office in Mui Ne.
He said the company brings some 300 Russian visitors to Phan Thiet-Mui Ne per month, and the number could rise to 1,000 per month later this year when the weather becomes chilly in Russia.
The Hanoi-based Nhat Minh Tourism Company also brings Russian tourists to Mui Ne. Russians accounted for 11.3 percent of the 20,000 foreign visitors to Mui Ne in the first three months this year, according to figures from Binh Thuan Tourism Department.
VietNamNet Bridge - Mui Ne in Binh Thuan province has become a popular tourist destination to Russian visitors to Vietnam.
According to the general director of the Russian travel company Lanta-An, Klokov Igor Nikolaevich, the number of Russian visitors to Binh Thuan has increased since the opening of Lanta-An’s office in Mui Ne.
He said the company brings some 300 Russian visitors to Phan Thiet-Mui Ne per month, and the number could rise to 1,000 per month later this year when the weather becomes chilly in Russia.
The Hanoi-based Nhat Minh Tourism Company also brings Russian tourists to Mui Ne. Russians accounted for 11.3 percent of the 20,000 foreign visitors to Mui Ne in the first three months this year, according to figures from Binh Thuan Tourism Department.
Ha Long Bay returns to world wonders poll, right on top
13:41' 20/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay has been put back into the list of candidates for the world’s seven natural wonders poll at www.new7wonders.com after being removed from the list on April 14.
NewOpenWorld, the organizer of the online poll, did the removal because some Vietnamese websites had illegally used new7wonders’ logo, photos and contents from the NewOpenWorld website.
Now that the infringements have been solved, Ha Long Bay has return and is topping the list as it did before.
Copyright and wrong
The reason for the removal is some Vietnamese websites’ illegal use of New7wonders’ logo, photos and contents from the NewOpenWorld website.
On April 7, NewOpenWorld sent a letter to warn the Ha Long Bay Management Board of this situation and ask violating websites to remove the illegal contents, but they did not comply. A second letter, sent on April 14, said that the organization would temporarily remove the bay from the selection until the websites deleted all pirated contents and met NewOpenWorld’s requirements.
To many, though, the “infringements” such as those of the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh, EVN Telecom, and Tuoi Tre newspapers contributed greatly in calling millions of people to vote for Ha Long Bay and help the famous rock formation achieve first place on the list. It was simply a love for the heritage of the country and desire to introduce the Vietnamese image to the world.
Because of a shortage of knowledge, these websites unintentionally caused the removal of Ha Long Bay from the poll. Trouble might have been avoided had they understood the regulations which were agreed upon by NewOpenWorld and the Support Committee for Ha Long Bay.
“When we take part in any international playing field, we should learn about the regulations to avoid such troubles,” said Mr. Tran Chien Thang, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism.
Finally, Ha Long Bay has regained its position on the selection list.
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay has been put back into the list of candidates for the world’s seven natural wonders poll at www.new7wonders.com after being removed from the list on April 14.
NewOpenWorld, the organizer of the online poll, did the removal because some Vietnamese websites had illegally used new7wonders’ logo, photos and contents from the NewOpenWorld website.
Now that the infringements have been solved, Ha Long Bay has return and is topping the list as it did before.
Copyright and wrong
The reason for the removal is some Vietnamese websites’ illegal use of New7wonders’ logo, photos and contents from the NewOpenWorld website.
On April 7, NewOpenWorld sent a letter to warn the Ha Long Bay Management Board of this situation and ask violating websites to remove the illegal contents, but they did not comply. A second letter, sent on April 14, said that the organization would temporarily remove the bay from the selection until the websites deleted all pirated contents and met NewOpenWorld’s requirements.
To many, though, the “infringements” such as those of the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh, EVN Telecom, and Tuoi Tre newspapers contributed greatly in calling millions of people to vote for Ha Long Bay and help the famous rock formation achieve first place on the list. It was simply a love for the heritage of the country and desire to introduce the Vietnamese image to the world.
Because of a shortage of knowledge, these websites unintentionally caused the removal of Ha Long Bay from the poll. Trouble might have been avoided had they understood the regulations which were agreed upon by NewOpenWorld and the Support Committee for Ha Long Bay.
“When we take part in any international playing field, we should learn about the regulations to avoid such troubles,” said Mr. Tran Chien Thang, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism.
Finally, Ha Long Bay has regained its position on the selection list.
Tour Caravan becomes a trademark of Vietnam tourism
05:45' 21/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - This was affirmed by Mr. Vu The Binh, Head of Travel Department under the Vietnam National Tourism Administration in an annual meeting on April 17, in Hanoi.
According to Mr. Binh, more than 2,000 international caravan groups visited Vietnam over the past three years. If the Government approved regulations to allow foreign road vehicles to travel in Vietnam, the number of tour caravans to Vietnam in 2008 will be equal to the total of all previous years.
More than 1.2 million foreigners came to Vietnam in the first quarter of 2008, with a 58.2 percent increases in the number of business travelers. Chinese tourist increased by 60.2 percent on year while the Republic of Korea and Japan markets saw slight decreases in the number of tourists.
Ho Chi Minh City remains the top tourism market with 840,000 foreign tourists in the first quarter, earning a turnover of 6,700 billion VND.
The Vietnam National Tourism Administration organized many other activities to further promote Vietnam tourism to foreign friends such as holding seven international tourism fairs, developing a caravan tour to travel through six Southeast Asian countries, carrying out surveys in Laos and Cambodia to develop the project “three countries – one destination” and organizing seminars on domestic tourism products and travel.
VietNamNet Bridge - This was affirmed by Mr. Vu The Binh, Head of Travel Department under the Vietnam National Tourism Administration in an annual meeting on April 17, in Hanoi.
According to Mr. Binh, more than 2,000 international caravan groups visited Vietnam over the past three years. If the Government approved regulations to allow foreign road vehicles to travel in Vietnam, the number of tour caravans to Vietnam in 2008 will be equal to the total of all previous years.
More than 1.2 million foreigners came to Vietnam in the first quarter of 2008, with a 58.2 percent increases in the number of business travelers. Chinese tourist increased by 60.2 percent on year while the Republic of Korea and Japan markets saw slight decreases in the number of tourists.
Ho Chi Minh City remains the top tourism market with 840,000 foreign tourists in the first quarter, earning a turnover of 6,700 billion VND.
The Vietnam National Tourism Administration organized many other activities to further promote Vietnam tourism to foreign friends such as holding seven international tourism fairs, developing a caravan tour to travel through six Southeast Asian countries, carrying out surveys in Laos and Cambodia to develop the project “three countries – one destination” and organizing seminars on domestic tourism products and travel.
More than 10 percent FDI capital poured into tourism
09:17' 21/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - So far, $10.8 billion has been injected in hotel construction and tourism business by foreign-invested businesses, accounting for more than 10 percent of the total registered FDI capital in Vietnam.
This was said by Mr. Phan Huu Thang, Director of the Foreign Investment Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment at a two-day seminar on tourism investment opportunities opening last week in HCM City.
In the first quarter of 2008, 8 foreign projects poured total registered capital of 1,621 million USD into tourism in Vietnam, mainly in central coastal tourism centers.
FDI businesses invested nearly 12.8 billion USD in building offices, luxury apartments and more than 4.4 billion USD in constructing new urban areas.
Vietnam greeted nearly 1.28 million foreign tourists in the first quarter of 2008, marking an on year increase of 15.7 percent.
VietNamNet Bridge - So far, $10.8 billion has been injected in hotel construction and tourism business by foreign-invested businesses, accounting for more than 10 percent of the total registered FDI capital in Vietnam.
This was said by Mr. Phan Huu Thang, Director of the Foreign Investment Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment at a two-day seminar on tourism investment opportunities opening last week in HCM City.
In the first quarter of 2008, 8 foreign projects poured total registered capital of 1,621 million USD into tourism in Vietnam, mainly in central coastal tourism centers.
FDI businesses invested nearly 12.8 billion USD in building offices, luxury apartments and more than 4.4 billion USD in constructing new urban areas.
Vietnam greeted nearly 1.28 million foreign tourists in the first quarter of 2008, marking an on year increase of 15.7 percent.
Friday 18 April 2008
Lion Air resumes HCM City service
16:02' 18/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Indonesian airline Lion Air has resumed service to HCM City after a three-year suspension of the low-fare carrier's flights in Vietnam.
The carrier's inaugural flight is scheduled to land at HCM City's Tan Son Nhat Airport at 11:20 am today after a four-hour, 30-minute flight from Soekamo Airport in Jakarta.
The daily return flight will leave HCM City at 12:20pm and stop over in Singapore before arriving in Jakarta.
The carrier's senior manager of sales and marketing, Chandran Rama Muthy, said the schedule would make it easy for holidaymakers to check in and out at hotels in HCM City.
Chandran said tourists were Lion Air's major passengers and that students and family members visiting relatives made up the rest.
"Lion Air is the first airline in the world to fly the brand new Boeing 737-900ER, new safe and comfortable aircraft," said Chandran.
The Boeing 737-900 aircraft will initially operate with all economy class seats, but later the carrier will arrange 10 business class seats and 195 economy class seats.
He said Lion Air was a hybrid carrier rather than a low-cost airline, meaning that it is somewhere between a low-cost and full-serviced airline.
VietNamNet Bridge – Indonesian airline Lion Air has resumed service to HCM City after a three-year suspension of the low-fare carrier's flights in Vietnam.
The carrier's inaugural flight is scheduled to land at HCM City's Tan Son Nhat Airport at 11:20 am today after a four-hour, 30-minute flight from Soekamo Airport in Jakarta.
The daily return flight will leave HCM City at 12:20pm and stop over in Singapore before arriving in Jakarta.
The carrier's senior manager of sales and marketing, Chandran Rama Muthy, said the schedule would make it easy for holidaymakers to check in and out at hotels in HCM City.
Chandran said tourists were Lion Air's major passengers and that students and family members visiting relatives made up the rest.
"Lion Air is the first airline in the world to fly the brand new Boeing 737-900ER, new safe and comfortable aircraft," said Chandran.
The Boeing 737-900 aircraft will initially operate with all economy class seats, but later the carrier will arrange 10 business class seats and 195 economy class seats.
He said Lion Air was a hybrid carrier rather than a low-cost airline, meaning that it is somewhere between a low-cost and full-serviced airline.
Mammoth resort to open on Phu Quoc
10:48' 18/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Pearl of Asia Development Corp, a subsidiary of the Trustee Suisse group, has unveiled plans to build a super-luxury retreat with leisure, entertainment, and business facilities on Phu Quoc Island.
The US$9-billion Pearl of Asia complex will be built on a pristine white-sand beach in Rach Tram Area on the north–western tip of the island.
The project has been approved by the Government’s Office and the People’s Committee of Kien Giang Province, according to a press release from Trustee Suisse.
The retreat will be developed in two stages on an area of approximately 3,200ha and at an estimated cost of 6bil euro (more than $9bil).
It will contain a holiday and entertainment district that will be "similar to a village" and have first-class hotels, stately homes, sporting facilities, an "elite" casino for high-stakes gambling, a hall suitable for holding concerts, operas, ballet, musicals, and (music and film) awards, a marina for sports yachts and mega yachts, a world-class health and medical centre, and beautiful parks and gardens.
"The Pearl of Asia will provide ultra-high net worth individuals, celebrities, and key decision makers an entirely new way of combining pleasure and business activities," Trustee Suisse said.
"It will set new standards for ecological responsibility."
The Vinaconex Joint Stock Company is the Swiss firm’s local partner in the project.
In the first stage of the project, 275ha would be developed at a cost of around 2bil euro ($3.19bil), Trustee Suisse said.
Le Minh Hoang, director of Kien Giang’s Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said the province had given the "go-ahead" to the Swiss investors and allowed them to draw up a detailed scheme for the project.
The Government plans to develop Phu Quoc into a tourist island that will attract 2-3mil visitors per year by 2020.
It has also agreed in principle to the development of casinos on the island.
Phu Quoc is an unspoilt tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand that is just a short flight away from almost all Southeast Asian Cities metropolises. About 70% of the 567sq. km island is blanketed by rain forests that are criss-crossed by rivers and streams.
VietNamNet Bridge – Pearl of Asia Development Corp, a subsidiary of the Trustee Suisse group, has unveiled plans to build a super-luxury retreat with leisure, entertainment, and business facilities on Phu Quoc Island.
The US$9-billion Pearl of Asia complex will be built on a pristine white-sand beach in Rach Tram Area on the north–western tip of the island.
The project has been approved by the Government’s Office and the People’s Committee of Kien Giang Province, according to a press release from Trustee Suisse.
The retreat will be developed in two stages on an area of approximately 3,200ha and at an estimated cost of 6bil euro (more than $9bil).
It will contain a holiday and entertainment district that will be "similar to a village" and have first-class hotels, stately homes, sporting facilities, an "elite" casino for high-stakes gambling, a hall suitable for holding concerts, operas, ballet, musicals, and (music and film) awards, a marina for sports yachts and mega yachts, a world-class health and medical centre, and beautiful parks and gardens.
"The Pearl of Asia will provide ultra-high net worth individuals, celebrities, and key decision makers an entirely new way of combining pleasure and business activities," Trustee Suisse said.
"It will set new standards for ecological responsibility."
The Vinaconex Joint Stock Company is the Swiss firm’s local partner in the project.
In the first stage of the project, 275ha would be developed at a cost of around 2bil euro ($3.19bil), Trustee Suisse said.
Le Minh Hoang, director of Kien Giang’s Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said the province had given the "go-ahead" to the Swiss investors and allowed them to draw up a detailed scheme for the project.
The Government plans to develop Phu Quoc into a tourist island that will attract 2-3mil visitors per year by 2020.
It has also agreed in principle to the development of casinos on the island.
Phu Quoc is an unspoilt tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand that is just a short flight away from almost all Southeast Asian Cities metropolises. About 70% of the 567sq. km island is blanketed by rain forests that are criss-crossed by rivers and streams.
Vietnam trying to get Ha Long Bay back in poll
15:36' 18/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has sent a dispatch to NewOpenWorld asking the organisers to put Ha Long Bay back in the world natural wonder poll, said a senior official of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
Ha Long Bay out of world wonder poll
The official, Vice Head of VNAT’s Tourism Promotion Agency Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, also called for individuals and organisations supporting Ha Long Bay to strictly obey NewOpenWorld’s rules.
Acting Head of VNAT, Nguyen Quoc Ky, stated that though NewOpenWorld is not a United Nations (UN) representative, it is a reputed organisation in the world, not an entirely commercial one as some newspapers have reported.
Ky also said that NewOpenWorld’s standards for the seven world natural wonders are very dynamic, and that this is a new way of looking at the subject.
“Vietnam will use every tool and information channel to advertise its image to the world through Ha Long Bay as its symbol,” Ky declared.
VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has sent a dispatch to NewOpenWorld asking the organisers to put Ha Long Bay back in the world natural wonder poll, said a senior official of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
Ha Long Bay out of world wonder poll
The official, Vice Head of VNAT’s Tourism Promotion Agency Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, also called for individuals and organisations supporting Ha Long Bay to strictly obey NewOpenWorld’s rules.
Acting Head of VNAT, Nguyen Quoc Ky, stated that though NewOpenWorld is not a United Nations (UN) representative, it is a reputed organisation in the world, not an entirely commercial one as some newspapers have reported.
Ky also said that NewOpenWorld’s standards for the seven world natural wonders are very dynamic, and that this is a new way of looking at the subject.
“Vietnam will use every tool and information channel to advertise its image to the world through Ha Long Bay as its symbol,” Ky declared.
Japanese, South Korean tourists abandoning Vietnam
17:06' 18/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The number of tourists from Japan and South Korea is now on the decrease. South Korea, traditionally the second biggest inbound tourism market for Vietnam, has fallen to 5th position, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
1.29mil international tourists came to Vietnam in Q1
VNAT has released statistics showing that the number of Japanese travellers decreased by 7% in the first three months of the year, while the number of South Korean travellers decreased by 0.8%.
Japan and South Korea have been the two leading inbound tourism markets for Vietnam.
The noteworthy thing is that while the number of tourists from the two leading markets decreased, other markets witnessed growth in the first quarter of the year. The number of Chinese tourists coming to Vietnam, for example, rose by 60% in the first quarter compared to the same period of 2007.
In 2007, Vietnam received 450,000 South Korean tourists and 380,000 Japanese tourists.
Explaining the decrease, Vu The Binh, Director of the Travel Department under VNAT, said that it was because of the lack of Vietnamese tour guides. With such a high number of South Korean tourists, Vietnam needs to have 800-1,000 tour guides, while in fact it has 50 Korean-speaking tour guides only.
Vietnamese laws do not allow foreign tour guides to practice in Vietnam, while it requires a big number of tour guides to meet the demand.
VNAT has taken a lot of inspection tours to illegal representative offices of travel firms in Hanoi and HCM City in the last time, and expelled some 40 South Korean tour guides from Vietnam. As a result, the number of South Korean tourists coming to Vietnam has decreased.
Acting General Director of VNAT Nguyen Quoc Ky said that South Korean travel firms have been doing all the work to bring South Korean tourists to Vietnam in the last two years, while Vietnamese travel firms only play an unimportant role in tour arrangements.
In order to attract more South Korean tourists, Ky thinks that it is necessary to sign a state-level agreement between Vietnam and South Korea which will provide a legal framework for South Korean travel firms and tour guides. Once the agreement is inked, the scrambling for clients in Vietnam will stop
Regarding Japan’s market, Ky said that Japanese tourists are now heading to new destinations, especially ones in Central Asia (countries which belonged to the Russian Federation and Mongolia).
“In order to bring them back to Vietnam, the country needs to renovate tourism products and change its tourism promotion methods,” Ky said.
According to VNAT, 1.29mil international tourists came to Vietnam in Q1, an increase of 16% over the same period of last year.
VietNamNet Bridge – The number of tourists from Japan and South Korea is now on the decrease. South Korea, traditionally the second biggest inbound tourism market for Vietnam, has fallen to 5th position, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
1.29mil international tourists came to Vietnam in Q1
VNAT has released statistics showing that the number of Japanese travellers decreased by 7% in the first three months of the year, while the number of South Korean travellers decreased by 0.8%.
Japan and South Korea have been the two leading inbound tourism markets for Vietnam.
The noteworthy thing is that while the number of tourists from the two leading markets decreased, other markets witnessed growth in the first quarter of the year. The number of Chinese tourists coming to Vietnam, for example, rose by 60% in the first quarter compared to the same period of 2007.
In 2007, Vietnam received 450,000 South Korean tourists and 380,000 Japanese tourists.
Explaining the decrease, Vu The Binh, Director of the Travel Department under VNAT, said that it was because of the lack of Vietnamese tour guides. With such a high number of South Korean tourists, Vietnam needs to have 800-1,000 tour guides, while in fact it has 50 Korean-speaking tour guides only.
Vietnamese laws do not allow foreign tour guides to practice in Vietnam, while it requires a big number of tour guides to meet the demand.
VNAT has taken a lot of inspection tours to illegal representative offices of travel firms in Hanoi and HCM City in the last time, and expelled some 40 South Korean tour guides from Vietnam. As a result, the number of South Korean tourists coming to Vietnam has decreased.
Acting General Director of VNAT Nguyen Quoc Ky said that South Korean travel firms have been doing all the work to bring South Korean tourists to Vietnam in the last two years, while Vietnamese travel firms only play an unimportant role in tour arrangements.
In order to attract more South Korean tourists, Ky thinks that it is necessary to sign a state-level agreement between Vietnam and South Korea which will provide a legal framework for South Korean travel firms and tour guides. Once the agreement is inked, the scrambling for clients in Vietnam will stop
Regarding Japan’s market, Ky said that Japanese tourists are now heading to new destinations, especially ones in Central Asia (countries which belonged to the Russian Federation and Mongolia).
“In order to bring them back to Vietnam, the country needs to renovate tourism products and change its tourism promotion methods,” Ky said.
According to VNAT, 1.29mil international tourists came to Vietnam in Q1, an increase of 16% over the same period of last year.
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Da Nang to have US$5 billion tourism zone
19:57' 15/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - An ecological tourism zone is to be built at Van Village of the central city of Da Nang, with a total investment capital estimated at US$5 billion, according to the participants at a meeting held recently between the Da Nang City People’s Committee and the U.S. Oak Tree Realty Group.
Representatives of the U.S. group said the tourism zone, named “Rising Sun,” is a leisure complex comprising a golf course, resort, marina, helicopter pad, luxurious hotels, villas and a casino for foreigners. The zone will be built on an area of 500 hectares and is expected to provide employment to 10,000 people.
At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, Secretary of the city’s Party Committee and Chairman of the city’s Council, allowed the Oak Tree Realty Group to expand the project an additional 1,500 hectares further to the southwestern area of Van Village. Moreover, the deadline for Oak Tree to announce its decision to invest in the project was set on May 5, 2008.
If the project is to be carried out, it will become one of the largest investment capital expenditures of its kind in Viet Nam.
Da Nang is considered as a city with great potential for tourism industry, attracting people from Viet Nam and abroad. The past few years have seen the city open its doors to welcome foreign investors to invest in sea tourism and help improve its overall tourism infrastructure.
VietNamNet Bridge - An ecological tourism zone is to be built at Van Village of the central city of Da Nang, with a total investment capital estimated at US$5 billion, according to the participants at a meeting held recently between the Da Nang City People’s Committee and the U.S. Oak Tree Realty Group.
Representatives of the U.S. group said the tourism zone, named “Rising Sun,” is a leisure complex comprising a golf course, resort, marina, helicopter pad, luxurious hotels, villas and a casino for foreigners. The zone will be built on an area of 500 hectares and is expected to provide employment to 10,000 people.
At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, Secretary of the city’s Party Committee and Chairman of the city’s Council, allowed the Oak Tree Realty Group to expand the project an additional 1,500 hectares further to the southwestern area of Van Village. Moreover, the deadline for Oak Tree to announce its decision to invest in the project was set on May 5, 2008.
If the project is to be carried out, it will become one of the largest investment capital expenditures of its kind in Viet Nam.
Da Nang is considered as a city with great potential for tourism industry, attracting people from Viet Nam and abroad. The past few years have seen the city open its doors to welcome foreign investors to invest in sea tourism and help improve its overall tourism infrastructure.
Why were Vietnamese scenic spots removed from poll?
10:27' 15/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – According to NewOpenWorld, the organiser of the new world natural wonder selection, Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Fansipan Mountain were rejected from the selection list because of lack of official support committees.
In an email answering Tien Phong Newspaper’s question about why it removed the two above sites from the nomination list, NewOpenWorld said all nominees become official nominees when they have official support committees, otherwise they will be removed.
According to NewOpenWorld, each nominated site must be registered, using NewOpenWorld’s form, and faxed to +49-89-818196033. The registration form includes the name of the site and information about the support committee.
The committee must be assigned by the government or have a legal presence or responsibility to the registered site.
Nguyen Van Tinh, Head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Physical Training’s International Cooperation Agency, said that Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Fansipan were nominated by local administrations and the media. Only Ha Long Bay was registered and supported by the government and state agencies. Ha Long’s support committee is temporarily the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh province.
To maintain the top position of Ha Long Bay in this selection, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is printing posters to deliver to passengers on Vietnam Airlines flights, organising Vietnamese cultural weeks abroad, which include events to advertise Ha Long Bay.
Quang Ninh province, the site of Ha Long Bay, is awaiting the government’s approval to launch a nationwide campaign calling for votes for Ha Long Bay.
Pham Sanh Chau, Chief of the External Cultural and UNESCO Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said NewOpenWorld will choose only one wonder in each country. Is it reasonable that three scenic spots of Vietnam be represented in the selection? Should Vietnam focus on only one nominee?
VietNamNet Bridge – According to NewOpenWorld, the organiser of the new world natural wonder selection, Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Fansipan Mountain were rejected from the selection list because of lack of official support committees.
In an email answering Tien Phong Newspaper’s question about why it removed the two above sites from the nomination list, NewOpenWorld said all nominees become official nominees when they have official support committees, otherwise they will be removed.
According to NewOpenWorld, each nominated site must be registered, using NewOpenWorld’s form, and faxed to +49-89-818196033. The registration form includes the name of the site and information about the support committee.
The committee must be assigned by the government or have a legal presence or responsibility to the registered site.
Nguyen Van Tinh, Head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Physical Training’s International Cooperation Agency, said that Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Fansipan were nominated by local administrations and the media. Only Ha Long Bay was registered and supported by the government and state agencies. Ha Long’s support committee is temporarily the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh province.
To maintain the top position of Ha Long Bay in this selection, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is printing posters to deliver to passengers on Vietnam Airlines flights, organising Vietnamese cultural weeks abroad, which include events to advertise Ha Long Bay.
Quang Ninh province, the site of Ha Long Bay, is awaiting the government’s approval to launch a nationwide campaign calling for votes for Ha Long Bay.
Pham Sanh Chau, Chief of the External Cultural and UNESCO Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said NewOpenWorld will choose only one wonder in each country. Is it reasonable that three scenic spots of Vietnam be represented in the selection? Should Vietnam focus on only one nominee?
‘Green’ guide offers tourists eco-options
20:26' 15/04/2008 (GMT+7)
A guidebook for green hotels in Vietnam, published in French, Vietnamese and English, is expected to aid the country’s eco-tourism industry.
VietNamNet Bridge - A guidebook for "green hotels" has been released by the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, the city’s Energy Conservation Research and Development Centre and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency.
The book is the result of a nine-year programme that targets a sustainable and eco-friendly development for the growing hotel industry.
The six-section guidebook uses practical experience, good practice, techniques and technologies that have been adopted successfully by many hotels in the country to create a framework and detailed instructions.
The aim is to help hotels reach the international standard of a green hotel through resource management.
Begun in 1999, the guidebook was first written for HCM City’s Majestic Hotel to reduce its energy bill.
It was later transformed into a large-scale project called Greening the Hotel Industry in Viet Nam through Efficient Resource Management.
Many hotels, including those owned by the big company Saigontourist, began to use the book.
The project resulted in a 10 per cent reduction in the participating hotels’ energy and water bills.
As a result, the National Administration of Tourism decided to spread the concept of green hotels across the country.
The book identifies a set of benchmarks for the resource management for hotels to follow and allows hotel managers to assess their present status, choose their own method to adopt suitable environmental policies, and reducing the consumption of energy and water as well as the production of solid wastes.
These solutions start with simple daily actions, such as setting the correct temperature and regularly maintaining the air conditioning system. The guidebook highlights the active role of clients in this eco-friendly approach.
Covering the evaluation of results, the guide is also designed to assist hotels in the adoption of ISO 14001 certification that reflects international environmental management standards.
Publishers expect the book to help raise awareness about the environment among tourists.
"When tourists come to Viet Nam, they will know that there is a special action to fight against pollution. It’s a good opportunity to advertise Vietnamese tourism, its facilities and its eco-tourism," said Philippe Masset, head of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency’s international affairs division on international programmes and projects.
Saigontourist has also taken this opportunity to announce the establishment of its Green Club, which aims at strengthening the co-operation between individuals and organizations to enhance activities to protect the environment in the country’s tourism.
"I hope there will be numerous hotels which can become members of the Green Club to share their experience, wealth and knowledge to improve hotel management and environmental management," said Tran Hung Viet, deputy director of the Saigontourist Corporation.
A guidebook for green hotels in Vietnam, published in French, Vietnamese and English, is expected to aid the country’s eco-tourism industry.
VietNamNet Bridge - A guidebook for "green hotels" has been released by the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, the city’s Energy Conservation Research and Development Centre and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency.
The book is the result of a nine-year programme that targets a sustainable and eco-friendly development for the growing hotel industry.
The six-section guidebook uses practical experience, good practice, techniques and technologies that have been adopted successfully by many hotels in the country to create a framework and detailed instructions.
The aim is to help hotels reach the international standard of a green hotel through resource management.
Begun in 1999, the guidebook was first written for HCM City’s Majestic Hotel to reduce its energy bill.
It was later transformed into a large-scale project called Greening the Hotel Industry in Viet Nam through Efficient Resource Management.
Many hotels, including those owned by the big company Saigontourist, began to use the book.
The project resulted in a 10 per cent reduction in the participating hotels’ energy and water bills.
As a result, the National Administration of Tourism decided to spread the concept of green hotels across the country.
The book identifies a set of benchmarks for the resource management for hotels to follow and allows hotel managers to assess their present status, choose their own method to adopt suitable environmental policies, and reducing the consumption of energy and water as well as the production of solid wastes.
These solutions start with simple daily actions, such as setting the correct temperature and regularly maintaining the air conditioning system. The guidebook highlights the active role of clients in this eco-friendly approach.
Covering the evaluation of results, the guide is also designed to assist hotels in the adoption of ISO 14001 certification that reflects international environmental management standards.
Publishers expect the book to help raise awareness about the environment among tourists.
"When tourists come to Viet Nam, they will know that there is a special action to fight against pollution. It’s a good opportunity to advertise Vietnamese tourism, its facilities and its eco-tourism," said Philippe Masset, head of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency’s international affairs division on international programmes and projects.
Saigontourist has also taken this opportunity to announce the establishment of its Green Club, which aims at strengthening the co-operation between individuals and organizations to enhance activities to protect the environment in the country’s tourism.
"I hope there will be numerous hotels which can become members of the Green Club to share their experience, wealth and knowledge to improve hotel management and environmental management," said Tran Hung Viet, deputy director of the Saigontourist Corporation.
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