November 2017 - Vietnam Breaking News

Vietnam ranks 8th in tourist arrivals to Korea

Vietnam ranks 8th in tourist arrivals to Korea
<p>As of November 19, Korea welcomed more than 300,000 Vietnamese tourists, signifying an annual rise of 29.9 per cent even without December. The number of Vietnamese tourist arrivals is expected to reach 330,000 in 2017, according to the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Vietnam.</p>
<p>MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) also achieved healthy performance. As of November 30, there were over 55,000 MICE tourist arrivals travelling from Vietnam to Korea, up 61.7 per cent against the same period last year.</p>
<p>More tourism products by local agencies have been launched to cater to Vietnamese tourists visiting Korea. Tour agencies like Fiditour, Vietravel, Transviet Travel, TST Tourist, and Saigontourist have rolled out new Korean winter tours to serve the rising demand. KTO works in collaboration with these agencies to develop 15 Korean winter tour products in the price range of VND14-16 million ($617-705).</p>
<p>“2017 is a successful year for Vietnam and Korean tourism. With rapid growth and the 8<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>ranking, Vietnam presents huge opportunities for the Korean tourism sector,” Jung Chang Wook, director of KTO in Vietnam, said.</p>
<p>He noted that KTO will continue its efforts to develop new and unique products for the Vietnamese market like Hallyu tourism and Korean beauty tourism. The organisation has hosted over 20 seminars to promote Korean tourism in Vietnam, including MICE and medical tours.</p>
<p>In the upcoming time, Korea will issue attractive programmes to lure in Vietnamese tourists during the 2018 Winter Olympics, which is scheduled to take place from February 9 to 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang county. In particular, Vietnamese visitors have been granted visa-free entry through Yangyang International Airport until April 2018.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;font-weight:bold;font-size:12px"><em>By Thanh Van</em></p>
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Vietnam ranks 8th in tourist arrivals to Korea Related image(s)<br />
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Vietnam ranks 8th in tourist arrivals to Korea

Vietnam ranks 8th in tourist arrivals to Korea

Vietnam ranks 8th in tourist arrivals to Korea As of November 19, Korea welcomed more than 300,000 Vietnamese tourists, signifying an annual...

Only local people allowed to offer homestay service in Hoi An

Only local people allowed to offer homestay service in Hoi An
<p><em>Authorities of Hoi An Town have issued a new regulation permitting permanent residents without foreign spouses to provide homestay service for tourists.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>A foreign visitor takes photos in the ancient town of Hoi An</em></p>
<p>According to a plan to develop lodging facilities in Hoi An in the 2017-2020 period, the regulation is aimed at preserving, promoting and introducing local culture, traditions, historical values and daily life of the people there.</p>
<p>Homestay service providers are also required to live in families with at least two generations at the time they ask for permission to operate homestays.</p>
<p>As for architecture, a homestay facility must have no more than two floors with ancestral altars and a common room. Investors are banned from building swimming pools in the area of homestays.</p>
<p>In addition, homestay lodgings must have no more than seven bedrooms including no more than five for guests. Accommodations for tourists must be adjacent to the main compartment of the homeowner.</p>
<p>Homestay facilities in Tra Que Vegetable Village in Cam Thanh Commune must have a minimum area of 300 square meters while those in Thanh Ha Pottery Village are required to measure at least 200 square meters.</p>
<p>The city will prioritize homestay service development in Can Chau, Cam Nam and Thanh Ha wards, and in Tra Que Vegetable Village, An Tan Fishing Village and An Bang Seaside Village.</p>
<p>Duong Minh Binh, chairman of CBT Travel Company which provides consulting services to develop homestays, told the Daily that the service is becoming popular in Vietnam. In Quang Nam Province, the service is offered by not only local people but also investors from other places.</p>
<p>Hoi An currently has 842 lodging facilities with more than 13,200 rooms, in which 479 establishments with nearly 7,900 rooms have been put into service. Particularly, there are 322 homestay facilities with nearly 1,300 rooms but only 1,011 rooms can be used now. Hoi An annually attracts three million tourists.</p>
<p><em>SGT</em></p>
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Only local people allowed to offer homestay service in Hoi An

Only local people allowed to offer homestay service in Hoi An

Only local people allowed to offer homestay service in Hoi An Authorities of Hoi An Town have issued a new regulation permitting permanent r...

Travel market busy during year end

Travel market busy during year end

Travel market busy during year end

Travel market busy during year end The year-end tourist season and New Year are approaching; it’s also a busy time to entice holiday-makers ...

Discovering the first water bus service in HCM City

Discovering the first water bus service in HCM City
<p><em>Hundreds of city inhabitants over the weekend flocked to Bach Dang Wharf in District 1, HCMC to experience the first water bus route which was officially put into service on November 25 after more than five months of technical test run.</em></p>
<p>Speaking at the launching ceremony of the first-ever waterbus service on Saturday, Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the HCMC Department of Transport, said the new public transport service is envisaged to ease road congestion in the inner city and spur the city’s tourism development, especially river tourism.</p>
<p>In addition to the Bach Dang-Thu Duc service, the operator is rolling up its sleeves to develop a second waterbus line with a length of 10.3 kilometers from Bach Dang to Lo Gom in District 6, Cuong added.</p>
<p>Nguyen Kim Toan, a representative of Daily Co Ltd, the operator of the new water transport service, said the waterbus public transportation has long been active in many advanced countries like the U.S., the UK and Thailand but is the first of its kind in Vietnam.</p>
<p>The launch of the new waterbus service proves the city’s stringent efforts to meet the demand for travel among local commuters, invigorate the city’s river tourism and create a habit for the use of public transportation means, Toan noted.</p>
<p>The investor offers free transportation for passengers in the first ten days with an aim to encourage city dwellers and international tourists to get accustomed to the new public transportation service.</p>
<p>The 10.8-kilometer bus route departs from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 and passes through districts 1, 2, and Binh Thanh before stopping at Linh Dong ferry terminal in Thu Duc District.</p>
<p>According to the waterbus service provider, after the first ten days, passengers will be charged VND15,000 (US$0.6) per trip regardless of distance. The firm boasts five boats capable of accommodating 70 passengers at a time, with four of them operated daily and one for backup.</p>
<p>It takes 30 minutes to travel nearly 11 kilometers by waterbus between Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 and Thu Duc District along with 12 stops. The boats have three minutes for picking up and dropping off passengers at each stop.</p>
<p>“I have to get up from 5.30 a.m. and am present at Bach Dang Wharf at 6 a.m. with a hope to experience the first waterbus service. The bustling and crowded atmosphere at the wharf can be felt as huge numbers of city residents showed their curiosity like me to come to secure a seat on the newly-operated boats of the waterbus service,” Ho Xuan Quang, a 36-year-old office staff residing in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District, told the Daily on the morning of November 26.</p>
<p>Nguyen Chi Trung, a 28-year-old tour guide working at HCMC-based travel firm Vietravel, said he took advantage of weekend breaks to gain hands-on experience in the newly-operated waterbus service.</p>
<p>He is pinning high hopes that the new transport means will bring a breath of fresh air to the city’s tourism, and help attract more foreign travelers who are mainly living in districts 1 and 2, Trung added.</p>
<p><em>SGT</em></p>
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Discovering the first water bus service in HCM City Related image(s)<br />
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Discovering the first water bus service in HCM City

Discovering the first water bus service in HCM City

Discovering the first water bus service in HCM City Hundreds of city inhabitants over the weekend flocked to Bach Dang Wharf in District 1, ...

Old floating villages open to tourists

Old floating villages open to tourists
<p><em>Authorities in Ha Long City plan to develop the ancient floating villages on Ha Long Bay into a tourist magnet.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Cua Van floating village on Ha Long Bay, a tourist hub at the site. — Photo static.mytour.vn</em></p>
<p>A portion of the VNĐ1.7 trillion (US$74.7 million) from the proceeds of entrance tickets to the bay will be set aside to develop the former boat villages in the Cua Van area on the bay.</p>
<p>It will also be used to develop projects at Cai Xa Cong Area on the mainland which has been used to resettle the boat people.</p>
<p>The area will be turned into a “living museum” with exhibitions and documentaries for tourists on how the boat people used to live until only a few years ago when they finally settled on the dry land. </p>
<p>The former boat people will perform their ancient folk songs while tourists can join “A Day as a Fisherman on the Bay”.</p>
<p>At Cai Xa Cong there will be a photo exhibition on the changes to the lives of the boat people, who historians believe have been living on the sea for centuries, like similar boat people who once lived in Hong Kong and other parts of South-east Asia.</p>
<p>The plan will be implemented in the second quarter of next year. Nearly 400 families living in floating villages on Ha Long Bay have been encouraged to resettle in houses built and given to them by the city in 2015. Local authorities have supported them in finding new jobs ashore.</p>
<p>The old floating villages, such as Cua Van and Vung Vieng, are now mainly used as tourism destinations. — <em>VNS</em></p>
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Old floating villages open to tourists Related image(s)<br />
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Old floating villages open to tourists

Old floating villages open to tourists

Old floating villages open to tourists Authorities in Ha Long City plan to develop the ancient floating villages on Ha Long Bay into a touri...

Vietnamese embassy helps get tourists out of Bali

Vietnamese embassy helps get tourists out of Bali
<p><em>The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia has received requests for support from around 50 Vietnamese tourists who are stuck in Bali, Indonesia, due to volcanic eruption, of whom 30 have left Bali safely by land.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Passengers at Gusti Ngurah Rai airport on Bali island</em></p>
<p>The embassy said some other people are waiting for assistance from airlines or for the re-opening of Ngurah Rai airport.</p>
<p>According to estimations of the Bali hotel association, about 800-1,200 Vietnamese tourists visit the island each month.</p>
<p>Nguyen Thanh Hai, a Vietnamese citizen who has lived in Bali for seven years, said that about 12 Vietnamese nationals living in the island are in safe conditions because no one is residing within the dangerous 12-km radius from the volcano.</p>
<p>Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency has announced a downgrade in warning of Mount Agung from “red” to “orange”, one level below the most serious. However, dangerous area is still defined within a radius of 10km.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Ngurah Rai international airport was re-opened at 15:00 of November 29. However, Indonesian authorities warned that direct flights to the island may be interrupted if the wind changes its direction.</p>
<p>More than 1,300 flights to and from Bali have been canceled since the airport was closed on November 27, affecting almost 180,000 passengers.-<em>VNA</em></p>
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Vietnamese embassy helps get tourists out of Bali Related image(s)<br />
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Vietnamese embassy helps get tourists out of Bali

Vietnamese embassy helps get tourists out of Bali

Vietnamese embassy helps get tourists out of Bali The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia has received requests for support from around 50 Vietn...

Caterwings: Hanoi and HCMC on the top 100 list for global gourmets

Caterwings: Hanoi and HCMC on the top 100 list for global gourmets
<p><em>Hanoi and HCMC, Vietnam’s two biggest metropolises, have recently been named among the world’s 100 best food destinations voted by 20,000 food journalists and restaurant critics in a survey conducted by Caterwings, the U.K-based site that offers online food ordering services in Europe.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Foreign tourists hang out on Bui Vien pedestrian street in HCMC’s District 1 </em></p>
<p>HCMC took the 80th position while the Vietnamese capital city grabbed the 87th spot on the list of top 100 leading cities around the globe recommended for food connoisseurs. The list has taken into account several factors based on expert opinions of their culinary scenes, quality of service, diversity of cuisine, affordability for locals and visitors, vegetarian and vegan options, and quality of street food among others. </p>
<p>Manuel Queiroz, CEO of Caterwings, said in a statement posted on the website www.caterwings.co.uk that every destination in this bucket-list has instilled inspiration to food industry professionals such as burgeoning chefs, gastronomes and globetrotters around the world.</p>
<p>This is not the first time the country’s two fastest-growing cities have earned plaudits from global culinary experts and food-lovers as Hanoi gained the second spot after Tokyo in a list of the world’s 17 greatest cities for cuisine released by The Telegraph in February this year.</p>
<p>This June, the U.S. news site CNN put HCMC into the world’s 23 best street food destinations in which pho (noodle served with beef and chicken), banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) and com tam (broken rice) were touted as typical dishes of street food in the city.</p>
<p>Traditional Vietnamese dishes have heaped praised not only from domestic gourmets but also leaders of foreign countries on their visits to the country. During his official Vietnam visit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recently paid a visit to HCMC and tried a cup of Vietnamese coffee at a café near the intersection of Le Thanh Ton and Le Anh Xuan streets in the heart of the city.</p>
<p>Moreover, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had an opportunity to taste world-known banh mi thit (Vietnamese sandwich with cold cuts) for his breakfast during his trip to the country to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, local media reports.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, former U.S. President Barack Obama also attracted a lot of attention and applause from the media and public when trying bun cha (grilled pork and rice noodle), a specialty of the capital city, during his official visit to Vietnam last year.</p>
<p>In recent years, the authority of HCMC has been striving to step up the culture of street foods as scores of weekend food markets are springing up in the downtown area that have captured the attention of local youths and international tourists. </p>
<p>Bach Tung Diep Park and Nguyen Van Chiem Street in HCMC’s District 1 has recently been turned into the city’s convergence points for street hawkers, paving the path for promoting cultural spaces of street food among city dwellers and international tourists.</p>
<p><em>SGT</em></p>
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Caterwings: Hanoi and HCMC on the top 100 list for global gourmets Related image(s)<br />
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Caterwings: Hanoi and HCMC on the top 100 list for global gourmets

Caterwings: Hanoi and HCMC on the top 100 list for global gourmets

Caterwings: Hanoi and HCMC on the top 100 list for global gourmets Hanoi and HCMC, Vietnam’s two biggest metropolises, have recently been na...

State-of-the-art Ba Na Hills Golf Club wins world-class accolades

State-of-the-art Ba Na Hills Golf Club wins world-class accolades
<p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">Previously, Ba Na Hills Golf Clubs, which was designed by former world champion golfer Luke Donald, won “Best New Course 2016-2017” at the annual Vietnam Golf Magazine Awards.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px">The award title was determined by 1.1 million votes from 40 countries and territories collected between April and October.</span></span></p>
<p>Prior to this, in 2016, Luke Donald-designed golf club managed by IMG was also honoured as the best new golf course in the world at the annual World Golf Awards in Portugal, opening the doors to the country’s budding golf tourism.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify">Tim Haddon, general manager of Ba Na Hills Golf Club, asserted, “The awards are a great recognition for the golf club as well as a monumental achievement considering the tough competition for such a world-class award.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify">Additionally, in November 2016, Ba Na Hills Golf Club was given the accolade for “Best New Course in the Asia-Pacific” at the Asia-Pacific Golf Summit in Thailand.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify">Inaugurated in March 2016, the golf club is situated in the foothills of Ba Na Hills in the flourishing central coast of Vietnam, merely a 25-minute drive from downtown Danang city.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Since the debut in 2014, World Golf Awards has become the most reputable awarding ceremony in the golf tourism industry.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Chris Frost, managing director of World Golf Awards, stressed, “World Golf Awards 2017 is the largest golf tourism-focused awards taking place on the largest scale ever.”</p>
<p style="text-align: justify">World Golf Awards is an internationally recognised prestigious award, serving to celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism, top-class courses, and golf destinations. The awards ceremony was followed by a seven-month worldwide voting process by experts directly working in the industry of golf travelling and tourism, such as senior executives, travel buyers, tour operators, and media professionals.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify">Ba Na Hills Golf Club is under the management of IMG Group and owned by Sun Group, one of Vietnam’s leading property developers.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;font-weight:bold;font-size:12px"><em>By Sam Luong</em></p>
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State-of-the-art Ba Na Hills Golf Club wins world-class accolades Related image(s)<br />
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State-of-the-art Ba Na Hills Golf Club wins world-class accolades

State-of-the-art Ba Na Hills Golf Club wins world-class accolades

State-of-the-art Ba Na Hills Golf Club wins world-class accolades Previously, Ba Na Hills Golf Clubs, which was designed by former world cha...

Tourism guru plants the seed for floral canal in Saigon

Tourism guru plants the seed for floral canal in Saigon
<p class="Normal">It is high time for Ho Chi Minh City to say goodbye to its signature flower street in the downtown area and take advantage of its canals, a seasoned tourism expert has suggested.</p>
<p class="Normal">Nguyen Van My, founder of Saigon-based Lua Viet Tours Co Ltd, said the city has plenty of waterways and should map out a plan to tape them for tourism development over the next 20 years.</p>
<p class="Normal">“Saigon’s iconic annual flower street along Nguyen Hue Boulevard has fulfilled its mission,” My <span>told the city’s authorities at a meeting on Tuesday. “</span><span>Year after year, the city spends big sums transforming the boulevard into a flower street with artificial decorations. I think we should have a floral canal in Saigon to replace the flower street.” </span></p>
<p class="Normal">He suggested Ben Nghe Canal that runs along Vo Van Kiet Boulevard and Ben Van Don Street in District 1 as an ideal location.</p>
<p class="Normal">“Along the banks of the canal we could have stands selling traditional Vietnamese food and craftwork,” My said. <span>“If the plan works, Saigon will have a unique flower canal that cannot be found anywhere else.” </span></p>
<p class="Normal"><span>The city’s transport and tourism departments said they will report his proposal to the city’s government.</span></p>
<p class="Normal">Since 2004, the flower street on Nguyen Hue Boulevard, featuring giant statues, artificial plants and real flowers, has been a top destination for both local and visitors during <em>Tet</em>, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year. The event draws around one million visitors every year.</p>
<p class="Normal">HCMC has been looking at how to develop its waterways for tourism for years but not much has been done to take advantage of its canals and the Saigon River. The most recent attempt is the city’s new river bus service.</p>
<p class="Normal">Saigon has more than 1,000km (620 miles) of inland waterways, but it doesn’t make use of them, Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the city’s transport department, said in August.</p>
<p class="Normal">The river bus service should ease traffic jams and attract more tourists, he said.</p>
<p class="Normal">After multiple delays, the first river bus opened to passengers on November 25 connecting Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 and Linh Dong Station in Thu Duc District, and passing through District 2 and Binh Thanh District.</p>
<p class="Normal">A second route from Bach Dang Wharf to District 8 is scheduled to open in early 2018. The two routes will cost an estimated VND120 billion ($5.28 million).</p>
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Tourism guru plants the seed for floral canal in Saigon Related image(s)<br />
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Tourism guru plants the seed for floral canal in Saigon

Tourism guru plants the seed for floral canal in Saigon

Tourism guru plants the seed for floral canal in Saigon It is high time for Ho Chi Minh City to say goodbye to its signature flower street i...

At least 40 Vietnamese tourists stranded in Bali

At least 40 Vietnamese tourists stranded in Bali
<p><em>At least 40 Vietnamese tourists are still stranded in Bali, according to the latest report by Viet Nam Embassy in Indonesia.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Vietnamese tourists manage to leave Bali. – Photo tuoitre.vn</em></p>
<p>On Tuesday, the embassy’s hotline received 14 calls from Vietnamese stuck in Bali asking for support as Indonesia has raised the warning of Agung volcano’s eruption to the maximum level.</p>
<p>According to Nguyen Thanh Giang, an embassy official, four among these 40 people had left Bali for Surabaya by road and sea. The remaining are still waiting for connecting flights.</p>
<p>“Until now, the local authority has not yet called for evacuation. Therefore, the embassy is guiding Vietnamese on how to leave the island. Once they reach Surabaya and Lombok, there will be flights to other destinations,” Giang said.</p>
<p>He also said the actual number of Vietnamese stranded may be higher as they were almost all self-sufficient travelers. </p>
<p>There were 24 Vietnamese, part of nine travelling groups, reported to be stranded in Bali on Monday. </p>
<p>In addition, two Vietnamese expats live in Bali but not in the dangerous area.</p>
<p>The volcanic eruption, meanwhile, continued with ash, tephra and lava being expelled. The Indonesian authorities have evacuated thousands of people living in the neighbouring areas to more than 200 camps on the island. – <em>VNS</em></p>
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At least 40 Vietnamese tourists stranded in Bali Related image(s)<br />
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At least 40 Vietnamese tourists stranded in Bali

At least 40 Vietnamese tourists stranded in Bali

At least 40 Vietnamese tourists stranded in Bali At least 40 Vietnamese tourists are still stranded in Bali, according to the latest report ...

Over 11.6 million foreign tourists come to Vietnam in eleven months

Over 11.6 million foreign tourists come to Vietnam in eleven months
<p>NDO – Vietnam welcomed more than 11.6 million international tourists in 2017, not yet counting December, a year-on-year rise of 27.8%, according to Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.</p>
<p>More than 1.17 million foreign visitors entered Vietnam in November, a 14.4% increase from the previous month.</p>
<p>During the aforementioned period, the number of holidaymakers from Asian countries increased 32.6% compared to the same period last year. Several nations saw the strong growth of tourists to Vietnam including China, up 44.9%; the Republic of Korea, up 55.3%; Japan, up 7.7%; Taiwan (China), up 20.9%; and Malaysia, up 16.5%.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, visitors from European nations experienced a year-on-year rise of 17%. Encouraging growth was seen in some markets such as Russia which surged 34.8%, the United Kingdom rose 11.3%; Spain, up 19.8%; and Italy which grew 12.8%.</p>
<p>The administration chose 2017 as the Travel Year with an aim to enhance service quality of travel agencies and government’s management over travel operation. Accordingly, it focused on advertising work and providing trainings to improve human resources quality.</p>
<p>Vietnam aims to serve 13 million international tourists in 2017.</p>
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Over 11.6 million foreign tourists come to Vietnam in eleven months Related image(s)<br />
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Over 11.6 million foreign tourists come to Vietnam in eleven months

Over 11.6 million foreign tourists come to Vietnam in eleven months

Over 11.6 million foreign tourists come to Vietnam in eleven months NDO – Vietnam welcomed more than 11.6 million international tourists in ...

Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov

Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov
<div class="article-photo"><span>Foreign tourists on the The Huc bridge by Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi’s downtown (Source: VNA)</span></div>
<p><strong>Hanoi (VNA)</strong> – Vietnam welcomed11.6 million foreign tourist arrivals in the first 11 months of this year, up27 percent against the same period last year.</p>
<p>In the period, the number of visitors fromAsia enjoyed a year-on-year rise of 32.6 percent, in which tourists from keymarkets saw growth, such as China (44.9 percent), the Republic of Korea (55.3percent), Japan (7.7 percent), and China’s Taiwan (20.9 percent).</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the number of visitors fromEurope increased by 17 percent compared with that of the same period last year,with Russia reporting the highest rate at 34.8 percent.</p>
<p>In November alone, Vietnam served 1.17million international visitors, up 14.4 percent year-on-year. This was theeighth month Vietnam had welcomed over 1 million foreign tourists a month.</p>
<p>Minister of Culture, Sports and TourismNguyen Ngoc Thien said on November 28 that the number of foreign tourists toVietnam may hit 12.8 million this year, or a 28-percent increase in comparisonwith that of last year.-VNA</p>
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Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov Related image(s)<br />
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Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov

Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov

Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov Foreign tourists on the The Huc bridge by Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi’s downtown (...

Foreign visitors to Vietnam hits 11.6 million in 11 months

Foreign visitors to Vietnam hits 11.6 million in 11 months
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<p>This is the eighth month this year that Vietnam has welcomed more than 1 million foreign travelers.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px">The number of visitors from Asia rose 32.6% over eleven months compared to last year’s corresponding period. The highest growth was seen in travelers from the Republic of Korea (up 55.3%), trailed by China (up 44.9%), Taiwan (up 20.9%), Malaysia (up 16.5%), Thailand (up 12.1%), Singapore (up 7.4%), and Japan (up 7.7%).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px">Tourists from Europe are estimated to have increased 17% compared to last year, mostly from Russia (up 34.8%). Visitors from five Western European markets, which are visa exempt for up to 15 days, also increased remarkably with arrivals from the UK seeing a rise of 11.3%. The others are France up 6.7%, Germany 14.1%, Spain 19.8% and Italy 12.8%.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px">At a recent conference to discuss the implementation of the government’s action plan of developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien forecast that until the end of the year, the number of foreign arrivals to Vietnam may reach 12.8 million, up 28% over last year.</span></p>
<p>In the 2016-2017 period, the number of international visitors to Vietnam jumped nearly 60% compared to 2015 – the highest growth so far. Minister Nguyen Ngoc Thien said Vietnam’s tourism sector need to speed up its growth rate to catch up with other regional countries in tourism development.</p>
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Foreign visitors to Vietnam hits 11.6 million in 11 months Related image(s)<br />
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Foreign visitors to Vietnam hits 11.6 million in 11 months

Foreign visitors to Vietnam hits 11.6 million in 11 months

Foreign visitors to Vietnam hits 11.6 million in 11 months This is the eighth month this year that Vietnam has welcomed more than 1 mil...

Terrorists go to rehab at ‘5-star’ Saudi center

Terrorists go to rehab at ‘5-star’ Saudi center
<p class="Normal">With its indoor swimming pool, sun-splashed patios and liveried staff, the Saudi complex has the trappings of a five-star resort, but it is actually a rehab center — for violent jihadists.</p>
<p class="Normal">Riyadh’s Mohammed bin Nayef Counseling and Care Centre, a cushy halfway house between prison and freedom, spotlights a controversial Saudi strategy for tackling homegrown extremists.</p>
<p class="Normal">While the global fight against terrorism is often associated with drone strikes and torture, the philosophy that underpins the center’s approach is that extremism requires not coercion but an ideological cure.</p>
<p class="Normal">Overseen by clerics and psychologists, it works to prevent convicts who have served their sentences from returning to jihad, through what it calls religious counseling and ideological detoxification.</p>
<p class="Normal">“Our focus is on correcting their thoughts, their misconceptions, their deviation from Islam,” Yahya Abu Maghayed, a director at the center, said while giving <em>AFP</em> a golf cart tour of the sprawling, palm tree-lined complex.</p>
<p class="Normal">The convicts are housed in a series of low-slung buildings, outfitted with large-screen televisions and king-size beds, all framed by manicured lawns.</p>
<p class="Normal">Many linked to groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban walk around freely in flowing white robes, and have access to a spacious gym, a banquet hall and furnished apartments reserved for visits from spouses.</p>
<p class="Normal">“We make the ‘beneficiaries’ feel they are normal people and still have a chance — a chance to return to society,” Abu Maghayed said, insisting the center refrained from calling them prisoners or inmates.</p>
<p class="Normal"><strong>‘Talking cure’ for terrorists </strong></p>
<p class="Normal">Saudi Arabia, long accused of exporting its ultraconservative Wahhabist Sunni doctrine around the world, is itself a victim of domestic terror attacks.</p>
<p class="Normal">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to roll back the influence of the ultra-conservative religious establishment, this week jump-started a 41-nation military coalition to combat Islamist extremism, vowing to wipe terrorism from the face of the Earth.</p>
<p class="Normal">But the rehab facility, founded in 2004, is one of the centerpieces of Saudi Arabia’s strategy to expunge violent extremism at home.</p>
<p class="Normal">It claims to have treated more than 3,300 men convicted of terrorism-related crimes, including repatriated Guantanamo Bay detainees.</p>
<p class="Normal">The center boasts of a “success rate of 86 percent”, Abu Maghayed said, measured by those men who did not return to jihad for at least a decade after graduating from the centre.</p>
<p class="Normal">Of the remainder, he said, most only showed signs of “deviant behavior” and only a minuscule number relapsed into violent jihad.</p>
<p class="Normal">An American terrorism expert who has closely studied the Saudi program said the recidivism rate was higher, pointing out media reports of graduates from the center who have showed up on battlefronts.</p>
<p class="Normal">“Saudis are to be applauded for trying something different — they were one of the first to try a ‘talking cure’ for terrorists,” John Horgan, another expert at Georgia State University, told <em>AFP</em>.</p>
<p class="Normal"><span>“(But) without greater transparency about its participants… it’s impossible to know what value added, if any, this program brings in reducing the threat of re-engagement in terrorism.”</span></p>
<p class="Normal"><strong>‘Ideas can fight ideas’ </strong></p>
<p class="Normal"><em>AFP</em> was given a chance to interview “beneficiaries” if they agreed, but when two bearded, gym-buffed men were approached in their living quarters, they declined to talk.</p>
<p class="Normal">Critics say there is a moral hazard of treating jihadists, many with blood on their hands, with lavish facilities and financial incentives.</p>
<p class="Normal">But Saudi officials say the threat of sanction is always hanging over them.</p>
<p class="Normal">Those who refuse to reform after a minimum stay of three months at the center are returned to “the judicial process”, Abu Maghayed said.</p>
<p class="Normal">But more than coercion, the centre pushes for increasing familial bonds, encouraging marriage and children, a psychological tether meant to make it harder to return to violent ways.</p>
<p class="Normal">“You cannot counter terrorism by force,” said Ali al-Afnan, an educational psychology specialist at the center.</p>
<p class="Normal">“Only ideas can fight ideas.”</p>
<p class="Normal">The center uses art therapy as one of its tools. Comparisons between portraits in the early days of incarceration and those at later stages are used as a metric to study inmates’ frame of mind.</p>
<p class="Normal">Abu Maghayed showed <em>AFP </em>one early painting, which he said depicted a gloomy “Guantanamo mentality” — with splashes of orange, the color of jumpsuits at the infamous prison.</p>
<p class="Normal">Another canvas painted weeks later showed bold brushstrokes and sparks of color, depicting hope.</p>
<p class="Normal">As Afnan spoke to <em>AFP</em>, he fielded an abrupt telephone call from a former “beneficiary” who once travelled to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban.</p>
<p class="Normal">Now married and with children, he was seeking advice from Afnan over returning to university for a graduate programme.</p>
<p class="Normal">“This man is our role model,” Afnan said after hanging up. “A shining example of how people deserve a second chance.”</p>
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Terrorists go to rehab at ‘5-star’ Saudi center

Terrorists go to rehab at ‘5-star’ Saudi center

Terrorists go to rehab at ‘5-star’ Saudi center With its indoor swimming pool, sun-splashed patios and liveried staff, the Saudi complex has...

The Guardian names Vietnam’s Quy Nhon among best destinations for winter sun

The Guardian names Vietnam’s Quy Nhon among best destinations for winter sun
<p class="Normal">A warm, sunny day by the beach may sound like a totally absurd winter wish, but look no further than Vietnam, according to the <em>Guardian</em>.</p>
<p class="Normal">The U.K. newspaper has named Quy Nhon, a beach town in south central Vietnam, among the top 10 winter sun destinations for 2018. If you’re not the type of person who’s obsessed with planning, there’s just  enough time to add it to this year’s checklist.</p>
<p class="Normal">Quy Nhon is the capital of Binh Dinh Province where fishing is the main industry, and locals can often be seen swinging along the coast in coracle boats between different fishing vessels.</p>
<p class="Normal">The town, sitting between the busy coastal hotspots of<a href="http://bit.ly/2zymZJd"><span style="color:#b22222">Nha Trang</span></a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/2iip1tH"><span style="color:#b22222">Hoi An</span></a>, is home to long, broad, sandy beaches which remain pristine thanks to the low number of tourists, most of whom are locals.</p>
<p class="Normal">“The intense resort development seen in the country’s more popular seaside locations has yet to reach this region, making for a laidback atmosphere and the perfect place for a relaxed getaway,” said the <em>Guardian</em>.</p>
<p class="Normal">In 2015, the U.K. travel publisher <em>Rough Guides</em> also listed Quy Nhon as one of the top nine authentic escapes in Southeast Asia, a destination off the beaten track.</p>
<p class="Normal">One way to enjoy the quiet sunny beach town is to doze off in a café or bar on the beachfront. Alternatively, sample the fresh local seafood and an ice-cold beer with the waves lapping at your feet.</p>
<p class="Normal">Eateries at a local fishing village all offer similar menus, but a whole grilled fish is recommended.</p>
<p class="Normal">Quy Nhon is also steeped in history and witnessed the rise and fall of the Champa kingdom.</p>
<p class="Normal">Tourists can take a <em>xe om</em> (motorbike taxi) to a hilltop to the north of the town to visit several Cham towers which were built between the 11th and 13th centuries.</p>
<p class="Normal">The spot also offers a perfect view of the town’s unspoiled countryside.</p>
<p class="Normal">There are flights from Saigon to Quy Nhon every day, or you can settle in for a 12-hour bus ride.</p>
<p class="Normal">The <em>Guardian</em>’s winter sun list is compiled by writers based in hotspots around the world, offering options for “shaking off the winter blues with the promise of sun, sea and palm-fringed sands.”</p>
<p class="Normal">The list also suggests Rincón de Guayabitos in Mexico, Hiriketiya Bay in Sri Lanka, Keurboomstrand in South Africa, Rosario Islands in Colombia, Grande-Anse beach in Guadeloupe which is a region of France, Kirra in Australia’s Gold Coast, Bang Saen in Thailand, Tanjung Rhu in Malaysia and Velas in India.</p>
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The Guardian names Vietnam’s Quy Nhon among best destinations for winter sun

The Guardian names Vietnam’s Quy Nhon among best destinations for winter sun

The Guardian names Vietnam’s Quy Nhon among best destinations for winter sun A warm, sunny day by the beach may sound like a totally absurd ...

Hanoi nightlife set to get an extension

Hanoi nightlife set to get an extension
<p><em>The People’s Committee of HoanKiem district has prepared a draft decree on allowing businesses in the Old Quarter, around Hoan Kiem Lake (or the Lake of Returned Sword) and some surrounding areas to stay open until 2am.</em></p>
<p>The decree will contain conditions that organisations and businesses have to meet, as well as the scope and duration of the pilot period.</p>
<p>The draft decree has received comments from the district’s Party Standing Committee and related departments, and will be submitted to the municipal administration for consideration soon.</p>
<p>A year after allowing restaurants, bars and other entertainment establishments in the HàNội Old Quarter to remain open late, the capital city has received positive feedback from residents and visitors.</p>
<p>Last September, the Ha Noi People’s Committee agreed to allow restaurants, bars and entertainment centres in the Old Quarter to stay open until 2am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on a pilot basis.– <em>VNA</em></p>
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Hanoi nightlife set to get an extension Related image(s)<br />
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Hanoi nightlife set to get an extension

Hanoi nightlife set to get an extension

Hanoi nightlife set to get an extension The People’s Committee of HoanKiem district has prepared a draft decree on allowing businesses in th...

30 trillion VND for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20

30 trillion VND for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20
<div class="article-photo"><span>A view of Bai Chay Bridge in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province (File photo)</span></div>
<p><strong>Hanoi (VNA)</strong> – The Government will spend over 30 trillion VND (1.3billion USD) in tourism infrastructure development in the 2016-20period, according to a target programme approved recently.</p>
<p>The programme, which was approved under the Prime Minister’s Decision1861/QĐ-TTg this month, is aimed at building a modern and developedinfrastructure system to attract tourists and foreign and domestic investmentin areas with significant tourism potential to build tourism areas of regionaland global competitiveness.</p>
<p>This is targeted at contributing to turning tourism into a spearhead economicsector of Vietnam.</p>
<p>By 2020, the Government plans to develop a comprehensive and moderninfrastructure system for three to five tourist attractions and provide supportto improve access to 30 national tourist sites.</p>
<p>The programme will focus on constructing major roads leading to tourist sites,a waste treatment system, lake embankment and dredging and embellishment ofnatural resources.</p>
<p>In the first 10 months of this year, international tourist arrivals to Vietnam reachedmore than 10 million, representing a rise of 28.1 percent over thesame period last year.</p>
<p>Vietnam is expected to welcome some 13 million tourist arrivals this year, from10 million in 2016.-VNA </p>
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30 trillion VND for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20 Related image(s)<br />
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30 trillion VND for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20

30 trillion VND for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20

30 trillion VND for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20 A view of Bai Chay Bridge in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province (File photo) Hanoi (VN...

VND30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20

VND30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20
<div align="center"></div>
<div>This is targeted at contributing to turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector of Vietnam.</div>
<div>By 2020, the Government plans to develop a comprehensive and modern infrastructure system for three to five tourist attractions and provide support to improve access to 30 national tourist sites.</div>
<p>The programme will focus on constructing major roads leading to tourist sites, a waste treatment system, lake embankment and dredging and embellishment of natural resources.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px">In the first 10 months of this year, international tourist arrivals to Vietnam reached more than 10 million, representing a rise of 28.1% over the same period last year.</span></p>
<p>Vietnam is expected to welcome some 13 million tourist arrivals this year, from 10 million in 2016.</p>
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VND30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20 Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200" /><br />

VND30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20

VND30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20

VND30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-20 This is targeted at contributing to turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector o...

VND 30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020

VND 30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020
<p>NDO/ VNA – The Government will spend over VND 30 trillion (US$1.3 billion) in tourism infrastructure development in the 2016-20 period, according to a target programme approved recently.</p>
<p>The programme, which was approved under the Prime Minister’s Decision 1861/QĐ-TTg of this month, is aimed at building a modern and developed infrastructure system to attract tourists and foreign and domestic investment in areas with significant tourism potential to build tourism areas of regional and global competitiveness.</p>
<p>This is targeted at contributing to turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector of Vietnam.</p>
<p>By 2020, the Government plans to develop a comprehensive and modern infrastructure system for three to five tourist attractions and provide support to improve access to 30 national tourist sites.</p>
<p>The programme will focus on constructing major roads leading to tourist sites, a waste treatment system, a lake embankment and dredging and embellishment of natural resources.</p>
<p>In the first 10 months of this year, international tourist arrivals to Vietnam reached more than 10 million, representing a rise of 28.1% over the same period last year.</p>
<p>Vietnam is expected to welcome some 13 million tourist arrivals this year, from 10 million in 2016.</p>
<br />
VND 30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020 Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200" /><br />

VND 30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020

VND 30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020

VND 30 trillion for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020 NDO/ VNA – The Government will spend over VND 30 trillion (US$1.3 billion) in touris...

PM approves $1.3b for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020

PM approves $1.3b for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020
<p><em>The Government will spend over VND30 trillion (US$1.3 billion) in tourism infrastructure development in the 2016-20 period, according to a target programme approved recently.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>A view of Bai Chay Bridge in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province. Viet Nam will spend VND30 trillion in developing tourism infrastructure through 2020. — File Photo</em></p>
<p>The programme, which was approved under the Prime Minister’s Decision 1861/QD-TTg this month, is aimed at building a modern and developed infrastructure system to attract tourists and foreign and domestic investment in areas with significant tourism potential to build tourism areas of regional and global competitiveness.</p>
<p>This is targeted at contributing to turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector of Viet Nam.</p>
<p>By 2020, the Government plans to develop a comprehensive and modern infrastructure system for three to five tourist attractions and provide support to improve access to 30 national tourist sites.</p>
<p>The programme will focus on constructing major roads leading to tourist sites, a waste treatment system, lake embankment and dredging and embellishment of natural resources.</p>
<p>In the first 10 months of this year, international tourist arrivals to Viet Nam reached more than 10 million, representing a rise of 28.1 per cent over the same period last year.</p>
<p>Viet Nam is expected to welcome some 13 million tourist arrivals this year, from 10 million in 2016. — <em>VNS</em></p>
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PM approves $1.3b for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020

PM approves $1.3b for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020

PM approves $1.3b for tourism infrastructure in 2016-2020 The Government will spend over VND30 trillion (US$1.3 billion) in tourism infrastr...

Vietnamese tourists warned to leave Bali over menacing volcano

Vietnamese tourists warned to leave Bali over menacing volcano
<p><em>The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia has issued travel warning for Vietnamese tourists with intention to visit resort island of Bali as Indonesian authority has raised the alert for Mount Agung eruption to the highest level.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Indonesian authority has raised the alert for Mount Agung eruption to the highest level. </em></p>
<p>According to the Embassy, a group of Vietnamese tourists who were stranded in Bali due to the closure of Depansar International Airport had contacted the embassy for support. They were directed to travel to western Bali island to Surabaya city by ferry and then took a flight to Jakarta, the Embassy said, adding that the tourists had safely arrived in Jakarta on November 27 evening.</p>
<p>In case of urgent support, Vietnamese citizens can contact the embassy’s hot line at 62811161025.</p>
<p>Thousands of tourists are being stuck in Bali as many flights have been cancelled due to the volcano’s eruption.</p>
<p>A report from local aviation navigation authorities showed that “aircraft flight channels are covered with volcanic ash”, Indonesia’s transportation ministry said.</p>
<p>Denpansar airport, about 60 km (37 miles) from the volcano, will be closed until 7 a.m. local time on November 29, it said.</p>
<p>Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces.</p>
<p>Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet).</p>
<p>On November 27, authorities ordered 100,000 residents living near the volcano to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be “imminent”. An 8-10 km exclusion zone has been imposed around the summit.</p>
<p>Agung’s last eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar. The mount experienced unprecedented levels of seismic activity in September, resulting in the evacuation of 140,000 local residents.</p>
<p>Mount Agung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes extending the length of Indonesia, which straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire.-<em>VNA</em></p>
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Vietnamese tourists warned to leave Bali over menacing volcano

Vietnamese tourists warned to leave Bali over menacing volcano

Vietnamese tourists warned to leave Bali over menacing volcano The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia has issued travel warning for Vietnamese ...

Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism

Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism
<p><em>Travel firms have proposed the Government to simplify the visa procedures for international tourists by issuing visa-on-arrival or e-visa to make the country more attractive to foreign guests.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Vietnam now waives entry visas for tourists from 23 countries and territories.</em></p>
<p>According to the firms, more tourists from Japan, South Korea, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain have come to Vietnam, reflecting the positive impact of the relaxed visa policy for visitors from these countries.</p>
<p>The Tourism Advisory Board also said that the visa waiver for citizens from five Western European countries has increased the number of tourists from these markets by 10.1 percent.</p>
<p>Bui Viet Thuy Tien, Managing Director of Asian Trails Co., said that international tourists can get an entry visa on arrival in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. For Vietnam, foreign tourists must ask travel agencies to complete all Vietnam visa procedures before arrival so that they can get a visa stamp at the border gate and make a fee payment, a process which is time-consuming.</p>
<p>Tien said last-minute tour bookings are popular now, so with the current visa issuance system, Vietnam may lose a lot of such tourists if applying for a visa remains complicated.</p>
<p>Though the Government permitted the issuance of e-visas since the beginning of this year, a large number of tourists have still requested travel agencies for help since the e-visa system has not worked smoothly, she said.</p>
<p>Echoing Tien, Tu Quy Thanh, Director of Lien Bang Travelink, said many existing problems make Vietnam’s visa policy less attractive. In particular, international tourists to Phu Quoc Island off mainland Kien Giang Province are not required to apply for an entry visa but if they want to travel to other parts of the country, they will have to apply for a visa.</p>
<p>For international tourists who arrive at other airports than Phu Quoc, they must head to domestic terminals to fly on to the island, which costs airlines more time and human resources.  </p>
<p>According to the Tourism Advisory Board, Vietnam’s visa policy is not as liberal as other regional countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Vietnam now waives entry visas for tourists from 23 countries and territories, but Thailand does that for 58 source markets, Malaysia 164, Singapore 160, Indonesia 169 and the Philippines 160.</p>
<p>Vietnam’s visa exemptions apply to short visits only, whereas tourists in the other countries can stay for up to 30 days or even 90 days in some cases.</p>
<p>The Tourism Advisory Board has recently proposed to extend a visa-free stay to 30 days from the current 15 days for citizens of another six countries including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium as this move will attract more arrivals and encourage tourists to stay longer and spend more.</p>
<p>The advisory agency cited data of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the General Statistics Office of Vietnam saying that a tourist from visa waiver countries such as France, Denmark and Norway spends more than US$1,000 and their vacations often last more than 15 days.</p>
<p><em>Hanoitimes</em></p>
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Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism Related image(s)<br />
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Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism

Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism

Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism Travel firms have proposed the Government to simplify the visa procedures for interna...

Festival honours buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang

Festival honours buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang
<p><em>An annual festival to honour the buckwheat flowers, the most iconic flowers of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, and the unique cultural values of the province’s local ethnic people is taking place in Dong Van district.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Local children play in a sea of buckwheat flowers</em></p>
<p>The one-month event includes a variety of activities, such as photo exhibitions, buckwheat flower arrangement displays, an exhibition of products from buckwheat flowers, musical performances and recreations of some ethnic people’s festivals.</p>
<p>Addressing the opening ceremony, Tran Duc Quy, Vice Chairman of the provincial People Committee and also head of the management board, said that the festival is one of the province’s activities aimed at promoting tourism.</p>
<p>“Ha Giang has been endowed with many magnificent unspoiled landscapes. With the aim of turning our difficulties into momentum for development, the local authorities and ethnic people have constantly made great efforts and worked together to reduce poverty,” </p>
<p>Quy said: “Together with strengthening agricultural production, the province has chosen tourism as one of the key industries.”</p>
<p>Beautiful fields of buckwheat flowers, framed by magnificent limestone mountains, have become a highlight attraction for tourists to Ha Giang province in recent years. The province hopes to draw more tourists by showcasing its natural attractions.</p>
<p>First held in 2015, the festival aims to promote and popularise the image of Ha Giang province among both domestic and international tourists.</p>
<p>While promoting tourism in the region, the festival is also expected to improve the livelihoods of the local ethnic people.</p>
<p>Thousands of tourists are expected to attend the event, which will run until the end of this year.</p>
<p>Buckwheat is cultivated for its grain-like seeds, which are used to make specialty food by ethnic minorities in the mountainous region. </p>
<p>The crop is often planted around September. From late October to early November carpets of buckwheat flowers are in full bloom, making for a spectacular sight. The hills and mountains are covered by the white and pink of the flowers.</p>
<p>The flowers symbolise love and happiness, so many couples shoot their wedding photos in these fields.-<em>VNA</em></p>
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Festival honours buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang Related image(s)<br />
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Festival honours buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang

Festival honours buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang

Festival honours buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang An annual festival to honour the buckwheat flowers, the most iconic flowers of the northern m...

The Anam launches Nha Trang art tour

The Anam launches Nha Trang art tour
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<p><span style="font-size: 16px">The seven-hour Nha Trang art tour available from 1.30 p.m. everyday is expected to bring visitors to explore a collection of hundreds of artworks ranging from oil paintings, metalwork to sculpture and photography by acclaimed artists such as photographer Mai Loc, painter Bui Van Quang, metalwork artist Bui Trung Chinh, sculptor Doan Xuan Hung and other artists. </span></p>
<p>Those partaking in the tour will be offered with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the Vietnamese art scene and learn about the life stories of these artists.</p>
<p>One of such life stories in particular is about artist Mai Loc, who used to serve as a cyclo driver to take tourists around the city. </p>
<p>Loc met a Norwegian couple in 1995 by chance, who gave him a camera on the occasion of his wedding, which has completely changed his life. </p>
<p>Loc is no longer a cyclo driver but the owner of a photo gallery in Nha Trang which was launched several years ago to pursue his passion for photography. </p>
<p>He has bagged numerous local and international awards and has organized exhibitions showcasing his black and white photos of Vietnam’s stunning landscapes and people to international friends.</p>
<p>The tour priced at US$77 per person in a group of six will wrap up with a dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant renowned for its seafood.</p>
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The Anam launches Nha Trang art tour Related image(s)<br />
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The Anam launches Nha Trang art tour

The Anam launches Nha Trang art tour

The Anam launches Nha Trang art tour The seven-hour Nha Trang art tour available from 1.30 p.m. everyday is expected to bring visitors to e...

The delicious dishes – symbol of Hanoi’s winter

The delicious dishes – symbol of Hanoi’s winter
<p><em>Hanoi in cold days is the best time you can enjoy many famous dishes.</em></p>
<p><strong>Corn and sweet potato</strong></p>
<p>Hanoi in cold days, the good smelling of grilled corn and sweet potato in a corner of night street with yellow light makes many people feel fluttered… </p>
<p>If the autumn is woken up by the smelling of young green sticky rice and milky flower, the winter is featured by the smelling of boiled corn and grilled sweet potato. </p>
<p>This smelling appears in all streets, all small valley, making people cannot resist because it reminds a part of peaceful childhood in the bustling day.</p>
<p>The fresh corns and brown sweet potato on the coal stove bring a strange warm feeling. Their good smelling seems to urge the customers to enjoy immediately. </p>
<p>Enjoying the simple snacks is to wake up the childhood memory of anyone. They make the people living in the city remember the friends in the country.</p>
<p>Sitting on the sidewalk to eat corn and sweet potato with your pink cheek because of the hot coal is a simple hobby but make people remember forever. Just like that, the corn and sweet potato become in dispensable part of Hanoi’s Winter.</p>
<p><strong>Boiled snails</strong></p>
<p>Like many other places across Vietnam, boiled snails become an in dispensable dishes of Hanoians when the winter comes. Snails are often soaked with chilly in order to make them “open the mouth” to release dust and sand inside before being boiled.</p>
<p>The snails are normally served with a mixture of fish sauce, lime, chili, sugar and lemongrass. It is quite interesting to know that this accompaniment varies from stall to stall and the good sauce rather than the snails is the key to attract eaters.</p>
<p><strong>Banana cake</strong></p>
<p>The smell of the cakes makes passersby’s mouth water and the heat from the stoves keeps people warm in the cold atmosphere. The main ingredients of the crisp yellow cakes are sweet potatoes and bananas from the countryside.</p>
<p>After being mixed with flour and sugar, they are deep fried and become a perfect treat in winter days. Gold cumbersome piece of cake, crunchy outside, soft inside, sweet as honey flow.</p>
<p><strong>Floating Cakes</strong></p>
<p>When Hanoi becomes cold, “Floating Cakes” is sold at the beginning. This is a kind of snack that many people Hanoi love. With molasses broth from yellow, aromatic spicy fresh ginger, topped with peanut, Floating Cakes treats your taste buds well.</p>
<p> For student, Floating Cakes stall is where they can not only enjoy an afternoon snack but also gather together and go for some gossip.</p>
<p>In particular, with Winter underway, it is a great opportunity to enjoy Floating Cakes because this dish is spicy and hot. Almost Floating Cakes restaurants are opened throughout the Winter and closed when Summer comes.</p>
<p><strong>Hot Plain rice flan</strong></p>
<p>Plain rice flan  is considered one of the most rustic and simple cakes in Hanoi cuisine. “Bánh đúc lạc” is the most popular in the north with a jelly shape and mild flavor. </p>
<p>The main ingredients are non-glutinous rice flour or corn-flour and peanut. It is served either hot or cold, commonly with soy sauce and sometimes with tofu.</p>
<p>It is interesting to relish a hot bow of Hot Plain rice flan topped with ground pork, grilled ground spawns, fried onions, roasted sesame seeds and herbs, called “Hot Plain rice flan”, a good treat in the winter.</p>
<p><strong>Pork rib porridge</strong></p>
<p>Waking up in the early morning and going out in Hanoi, you suddenly remember that it is a long time you do not enjoy Pork rib porridge, and you feel hungry. Then, you decide to go for pork rib porridge.</p>
<p>Pork Rib porridge stand situated in the sidewalk of Hang Bo Street has existed for many years and the porridge here is quite intriguing. A big bowl of porridge full of fried dough sticks and salted shredded pork costs only VND8,000. </p>
<p>The stand is small and located in the sidewalk but attracting a lot of people from the elder, children, to the young.</p>
<p>What better than eating a hot bowl of rib porridge in the early morning. A tasty bowl of porridge with crispy fried dough sticks and fragrant salted shredded pork and the noise in the sidewalk in the early morning, all of them are enough for a satisfying breakfast.</p>
<p><strong>Hot chestnuts</strong></p>
<p>During cold times in Hanoi, hot chestnuts were more than a snack. They drew people together and helped to ease the dreariness of winter. Even today, when living conditions are much improved, Hanoians recall long-ago scenes of roasting chestnuts with fond nostalgia.</p>
<p>Every year, come October or November, the chestnut sellers reappear. Stroll along streets like Hang Bac, Hang Be, Nguyen Huu Huan or To Tich and you will likely encounter women roasting chestnuts over charcoal.</p>
<p>Because of their hard shell, chestnuts are first boiled before being roasted with salt or sand. The latter ingredients help to keep the nuts from burning. The secret to roasting perfect chestnuts is knowing how much to heat the pan. While chestnuts may be found all over the city, the best are reputedly sold on To Tich Street.</p>
<p>Upon removing the brown shell, the while chestnut is revealed. Part of this snack’s allure is its scent, which makes people feel warmer. To prepare chestnuts at home, be sure to boil them for 20 minutes before roasting.</p>
<p>With a wealth of imported snacks on offer, Hanoians are still drawn to buy bags of roasted chestnuts when the weather turns cool. On a winter’s night, some lovers are sure to be wandering Hanoi’s streets sharing a bag of steaming chestnuts.</p>
<p><em>Hanoitimes</em></p>
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The delicious dishes – symbol of Hanoi’s winter Related image(s)<br />
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The delicious dishes – symbol of Hanoi’s winter

The delicious dishes – symbol of Hanoi’s winter

The delicious dishes – symbol of Hanoi’s winter Hanoi in cold days is the best time you can enjoy many famous dishes. Corn and sweet potato...

Vietnam to spend US$1.32 billion for tourism infrastructure till 2020

Vietnam to spend US$1.32 billion for tourism infrastructure till 2020
<p><em>Prime Minister has recently approved a program on development of tourism infrastructure in the period 2016 – 2020 to help the tourism industry become a key economic sector.</em></p>
<p>Under Decision 1861/QĐ-TTg, the VND30 trillion (US$1.32 billion) program will focus on building and upgrading tourism and transport infrastructure at provinces with key tourist destinations listed in the “Strategy on Vietnam’s tourism development until 2020, vision to 2030” approved by the Government.</p>
<p>The program will give priority to poor provinces, whose budget cannot afford the investment.</p>
<p>The program will also strive to have the infrastructure of three to five national tourist areas to be perfected by 2020, contributing to creating favorable conditions for tourists as well as attracting domestic and foreign investment.</p>
<p>Under the “Strategy on Vietnam’s tourism development until 2020, vision to 2030”, Vietnam will develop tourism to be a key economic industry with high professionalism, modern and fairly synchronously-developed tourist infrastructure; high quality, competitive and diversified tourist products imprinted with unique traditional cultural characteristics.</p>
<p>Specifically, by 2020, Vietnam tourism sets the targets to receive 10-10.5 million international arrivals and 47-48 million domestic tourists, with total revenue of US$18-19 billion accounting for 6.5-7 percent of GDP; have 580,000 rooms including 35-40 percent of 3-5 stars; create 3 million jobs including 870,000 direct labors. </p>
<p>By 2030, total tourism revenue is expected to double that of 2020 to US$36-38 billion.</p>
<p>To meet the targets, the strategy also mentions to the development of infrastructure and technical facilities for tourism.</p>
<p>According to the strategy, the planning and investment in infrastructure development will include transport, information and communications, energy, water supply and drainage, environment and related fields to ensure a uniform system for tourism development; modernizing the public transport network; planning public spaces;</p>
<p>It will also upgrade and develop social infrastructure of culture, health, and education, especially museums, theaters, clinics, training and educational establishments, with sufficient conveniences and  facilities for tourists;</p>
<p>The strategy emphasizes on the need of developing the technical infrastructure system that ensures quality, modern, convenient and uniform tourism services and facilities, to meet the needs of tourists. Such a system includes tourist attractions, accommodations, restaurants, information service, travel advice, booking and reservation service, travel agents, tour operators, tour guides, vehicles and transport service establishments for tourists, service facilities for sightseeing, leisure, entertainment, sports, conference and other purposes.</p>
<p>Under the strategy, the State will offer preferential policies to support investments in tourism infrastructure, human resource training, tourism promotion and brand development; link and mobilize resources for capacity building and quality improvement of tourism service providers, forming tourism centers of regional and international standards.</p>
<p>The investment priority lies in the development of national tourism centers, attractions, and urban areas, as well as tourism routes and destinations in remote areas or regions of socio-economic difficulties which have potential to develop tourism;</p>
<p>The Government will implement sustainable development policies and design preferential policies for the development of eco-tourism, green tourism, community tourism, and responsible tourism;</p>
<p>Other policies to encourage social engagement in and attraction of domestic and foreign investment sources for the development of tourism technical infrastructure, human resource and tourism promotion will be also mentioned in the strategy.</p>
<p><em>Hanoitimes</em></p>
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Vietnam to spend US$1.32 billion for tourism infrastructure till 2020 Related image(s)<br />
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Vietnam to spend US$1.32 billion for tourism infrastructure till 2020

Vietnam to spend US$1.32 billion for tourism infrastructure till 2020

Vietnam to spend US$1.32 billion for tourism infrastructure till 2020 Prime Minister has recently approved a program on development of touri...

Black sesame sweet soup, a popular dessert in Hoi An

Black sesame sweet soup, a popular dessert in Hoi An

Black sesame sweet soup, a popular dessert in Hoi An

Black sesame sweet soup, a popular dessert in Hoi An The dish was imported to Hoi An from Fujian Province in China when Chinese traders cam...

Phuoc Kieu villagers keep forge fires burning

Phuoc Kieu villagers keep forge fires burning
<p>The village of Phuoc Kieu in the central province of Quang Nam is a centrepiece of the region’s history, with a 400 year-old traditional trade of bronze casting.</p>
<p>Established by followers of feudal lord Nguyễn Hoàng, the village was said to be his weapon production base in the early 17th century. It was again employed and expanded by Vietnamese 18th-century Tây Sơn army.</p>
<p>The village’s craftsmanship impressed the lords of Tây Sơn so much that their artisans were summoned to then capital Phú Xuân, now Hue, to make items used in royal ceremonies, government seals and even cannons.</p>
<p>Four hundred years have passed and the villagers are still keeping the fires burning in the forges. Long gone are the times of weapons making, with village now famous for its bronze decorative items and ceremonial artefacts.</p>
<p>Some of the most prized creations are the bronze gongs, ancient musical instruments popular among the region’s numerous ethnic groups. The village’s artisans passed trade secrets down from generation to generation in bronze casting and fine-tuning to produce the best products. </p>
<p><em>VNS</em></p>
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Phuoc Kieu villagers keep forge fires burning Related image(s)<br />
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Phuoc Kieu villagers keep forge fires burning

Phuoc Kieu villagers keep forge fires burning

Phuoc Kieu villagers keep forge fires burning The village of Phuoc Kieu in the central province of Quang Nam is a centrepiece of the region’...

Coconut fairyland strives to attract tourists

Coconut fairyland strives to attract tourists
<p><em>Ben Tre has enormous potentials in not only agriculture but also tourism. Making full use of the favourable ecosystem, Ben Tre tourism has been developing in a more professional and sustainable manner, making it the local spearhead economic sector.</em></p>
<p>Ben Tre – home to small islets amid wide rivers of Tien, Co Chien and Ham Luong – is renowned for its rich historic values and orchards, especially coconuts.</p>
<p>Thai Thanh Huyen, a visitor to Ben Tre expressed her delight when visiting the province, saying that she has been familiar with Ben Tre province through various songs. She wants my kids to know more about the locality as a home to coconut candy and large rivers, she added.</p>
<p>Another visitor Tran Thi Thuy Vy said: “Visiting Ben Tre, I have a chance to see the most primitive and pristine scenery. I also learn more about the local people’s cool lifestyle.”</p>
<p>Potentials in ecosystem, landscape as well as historical and cultural values have been exploited by the provincial government to diversify tourism. Currently, Phung islet is the top tourist attraction of Ben Tre.</p>
<p>According to Tran Duy Phuong, Deputy Director of Ben Tre’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Like other Mekong Delta regions, Ben Tre’s tourism is based on orchards, among which, coconuts are the province’s signature.</p>
<p>Phan Van Thong, Director Con Phung Tourist Co., Ltd, Ben Tre Province said that each year, Phung islet welcomes more than 5,000 tourists with 30 percent of them foreigners.</p>
<p>There are some 72 tourist attractions across the province with 2,000 qualified accommodations. The province welcomes 1.2 million tourist arrivals annually with foreign visitors accounting for 43 percent.</p>
<p>However, local tourism still faces challenges in terms of infrastructure and traffic. Numerous new bridges like RachMieu, Co Chien and Ham Luong built recentlyhave partly addressed the challenge.The province should diversify tourism products besides merely relying on coconuts to attract more tourists.</p>
<p>Tran Duy Phuong – Deputy Director of Ben Tre’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism told reporters that Ben Tre had been focusing on community tourism by promoting homestay services while sea tourism and tours to mangroves were also a focus.</p>
<p>Ben Tre expects to turn tourism into the local spearhead sector by 2030. In order to realise the goal, the province should push tourism promotion and improve tourism service quality.-<em>VNA</em></p>
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Coconut fairyland strives to attract tourists Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200" /><br />

Coconut fairyland strives to attract tourists

Coconut fairyland strives to attract tourists

Coconut fairyland strives to attract tourists Ben Tre has enormous potentials in not only agriculture but also tourism. Making full use of t...

Vietnam embraces hi-tech tourism

Vietnam embraces hi-tech tourism
<p><em>The Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) agreed to promote smart tourism in the country.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>The Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) signed a co-operation agreement to promote the country’s smart tourism. — Photo xahoithongtin.com.vn</em></p>
<p>They signed a comprehensive co-operation agreement in this regard in Ha Noi on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Under the three-year agreement, the two sides would support each other in their development. They would annually build suitable co-operation programmes to advertise the country’s tourism sector to local and foreign tourists by applying modern IT solutions and services.</p>
<p>VNPT would consult and co-operate with VNAT to build a master plan on IT application for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the tourism sector and to build a development plan for smart tourism.</p>
<p>In addition, the two sides would build an IT management system to connect information among localities in developing tourism. They would build digital products to serve tourists and promote tourism through e-marketing.</p>
<p>Speaking at the signing ceremony, Pham Duc Long, VNPT’s general director, said the group has a co-operation with 52 cities and provinces, as well as 10 ministries in several sectors to develop e-governance, IT applications in management and to provide smart IT applications.</p>
<p>“The tourism sector has been one of our most important customers. Currently, VNPT has been leading in launching smart city solutions for 15 cities and provinces nationwide, including big localities such Ha Noi and HCM City,” Long said.</p>
<p>He added that the sector was seeing a strong growth and expected a boom in the time to come. VNPT hoped to contribute to the boom.</p>
<p>Many localities, which signed co-operation agreements with VNPT in smart city development, have paid attention to tourism development. Last month, the group signed an agreement with Saigontourist to develop smart tourism.</p>
<p>VNPT is expected to accompany the sector for a long-term period to take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to further develop the country’s tourism, while meeting the tourists’ increasing demand.</p>
<p>Nguyen Van Tuan, VNAT’s general director, said tourism and IT had been two different sectors. However, they had a common target of serving tourists, thus supporting each other.</p>
<p>Tuan said the country’s tourism sector had a lot of potential and opportunities for development. Last year, Viet Nam for the first time welcomed more than 10 million international tourist arrivals, representing a 26 per cent year-on-year rise. It also served 62 million local tourists, with a total revenue of VND400 trillion (US$17.5 billion) or 18.6 per cent higher than the previous year.</p>
<p>This year, the sector is expected to see over 13 million international tourist arrivals, increasing 30 per cent from last year, while serving 75 million local tourists to earn VND500 trillion ($22 billion).</p>
<p>“If the sector reaches the set targets, it could contribute one percentage point to the country’s GDP in 2017,” he said, adding that the sector had striven to digitalise its activities as smart tourism would be a requirement, a trend and a task to keep up with the current situation. — <em>VNS</em></p>
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Vietnam embraces hi-tech tourism Related image(s)<br />
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Vietnam embraces hi-tech tourism

Vietnam embraces hi-tech tourism

Vietnam embraces hi-tech tourism The Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) and the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (...

Hop-on, hop-off buses debut in Hanoi

Hop-on, hop-off buses debut in Hanoi
<p>The sightseeing tour allows visitors to experience the vibrant city, discover the capital’s 1000-year history over three carefully designed sightseeing routes, featuring more than 15 stops. Among them are the Hanoi Old Quarter streets, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam), Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the 19th-century French-style Opera building, and more.</p>
<p>Visitors can buy a one-day ticket for VND130,000 and select any destination during the city tour.</p>
<p>The hop-on and hop-off bus is part of the Golden Tour, recently launched in Hanoi to connect the Temple of Literature and Vietnam Fine Arts Museum to other tourist attractions in the capital city.</p>
<p>The “Studious Tradition” tour departing from the Confucian-era Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam’s first national university, includes explanations about the 11th century institution and the diplomas displayed there.</p>
<p>It then moves to the nearby Vietnam Fine Arts Museum to enjoy sculpture, lacquer, oil painting, folk painting and antique painting works, many of which feature the Vietnamese nation’s studious tradition.</p>
<p>Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Center for Scientific and Cultural Activities of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam, said the tour explanation has been supplemented with information about Vietnam’s tradition of respecting its talented people in all fields, while art featuring those traditions are displayed at the museum, making it possible for visitors to learn about the traditions through both venues.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;font-weight:bold">Bao Thoa</p>
<p style="text-align:right;font-weight:bold"></p>
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Hop-on, hop-off buses debut in Hanoi Related image(s)<br />
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Hop-on, hop-off buses debut in Hanoi

Hop-on, hop-off buses debut in Hanoi

Hop-on, hop-off buses debut in Hanoi The sightseeing tour allows visitors to experience the vibrant city, discover the capital’s 1000-year h...

Touring to Kim Bong wood carving village in Quang Nam

Touring to Kim Bong wood carving village in Quang Nam
<p><em>Those having a chance to take a trip to the central province of Quang Nam should make a journey to Kim Bong traditional wood carving village in Cam Kim Commune on the opposite side of the ancient town of Hoi An.</em></p>
<p>For local residents born and brought up in the region, they have been familiar with the fragrance of wood and the sounds of wood carving in the village where tourists from far and wide can get hands-on knowledge of the traditional craft village with a long-established history of hundreds of years.</p>
<p>The village built up its carpentry reputation in the 15th century by Northern people who migrated there to start a new life. The occupation of wood carving in Kim Bong dramatically developed in the 18th century thanks to the prosperity of Hoi An Port with three major areas of construction, household appliances and boat making, according to information on the website http://bit.ly/2n5veup;</p>
<p>Tourists can find the mark of Kim Bong village through sophisticated carved details at altars, furniture and pillars found in ancient houses, pagodas, temples and worshipping compartments in the UNESCO-listed ancient town of Hoi An.</p>
<p>After more than one century of existence and development, the career of wood carving has witnessed many ups and downs, but it has still been preserved until now thanks to those artisans with great passion and strong devotion to maintain the craft village and pass the skills down from generation to generation.</p>
<p>In order to reach the destination, travelers are recommended to take a boat trip around 15 minutes from Hoi An City to Kim Bong wood carving village. </p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Tourists visit Kim Bong wood carving village in Cam Kim Commune, Quang Nam Province</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>Visitors inspect wooden statues displayed at a facility</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>The job requires artisans to be meticulous, patient and hard-working</em></p>
<p><em>SGT</em></p>
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Touring to Kim Bong wood carving village in Quang Nam Related image(s)<br />
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Touring to Kim Bong wood carving village in Quang Nam

Touring to Kim Bong wood carving village in Quang Nam

Touring to Kim Bong wood carving village in Quang Nam Those having a chance to take a trip to the central province of Quang Nam should make ...

Winter festival set for next month

Winter festival set for next month
<p><em>A winter festival will be organized in the mountainous district of Sapa in the northern upland province of Lao Cai from December 23, the Government news website quotes a source from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). </em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>A ripe rice season in Sapa. A winter festival will be organized in the mountainous district of Sapa in the northern upland province of Lao Cai from December 23</em></p>
<p>This is the second year the district has hosted the festival with a variety of cultural and entertainment activities highlighting unique cultural traits of ethnic minority groups.</p>
<p>Visitors can take a close look at some of the town’s activities such as folk games, performances of traditional musical instruments and local cuisine. One of the new features of this event is a fire dance performance by Red Dao ethnic minority people.</p>
<p>Along with the winter festival, Sapa is preparing a street festival featuring a range of programs such as parades, traditional costume performances, and dragon and lion dance shows on major streets in the district on the night of December 31.</p>
<p><em>SGT</em></p>
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Winter festival set for next month Related image(s)<br />
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Winter festival set for next month

Winter festival set for next month

Winter festival set for next month A winter festival will be organized in the mountainous district of Sapa in the northern upland province o...

Mekong Delta to improve tourism services

Mekong Delta to improve tourism services
<p>Many attractions in the Mekong Delta have maintained their high traffic since the beginning of the year.</p>
<p>The Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Đồng Tháp Province reported that the province welcomed 110,000 arrivals in October, up 25 per cent year-on-year. This brought the number of arrivals to 2.5 million in the first 10 months, up 24 per cent year-on-year. </p>
<p>Tràm Chim National Park, Nguyễn Sinh Sắc and Xẻo Quýt relic sites were among the popular attractions.</p>
<p>To boost tourism, the province has also promoted ecotourism and created tours to local fruit gardens.</p>
<p>Nguyễn Ngọc Thương, director of the provincial Culture, Sports, and Tourism Department, said that development plans, including better infrastructure and effective promotion campaigns, had brought about positive changes to the tourism sector.</p>
<p>Around 5.3 million tourists visited Cần Thơ Province in the first eight months of the year, up 43 per cent year-on-year, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.</p>
<p>The province welcomed 76,700 arrivals during the national Independence Day (September 2) holiday period, generating more than VNĐ48 billion ($2 million) in revenue.</p>
<p>The department aims to attract 5.5 million arrivals and earn VNĐ2 trillion ($88 million) this year.</p>
<p>Since Kiên Giang has the most tourism potential in the Delta, the province in recent years has been a hotspot for investment, with 274 ongoing tourism projects on 7,690ha of land, worth VNĐ231 trillion (US$10 billion). </p>
<p>Trần Chí Dũng, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said that investors had been eyeing Phú Quốc Island, with 218 tourism projects on 6,445ha of land, worth VNĐ222 trillion ($9.7 billion). About 30 projects had been carried out on the island so far.</p>
<p>The province has called for investments to upgrade its infrastructure and build airports, seaports and roads.</p>
<p>Between 2013 and June 2017, Kiên Giang Province drew 20.4 million tourists, of whom 1.1 million were international visitors.</p>
<p>In 2016, the province had 5.6 million arrivals, and of that number, 309,700 were foreigners. Tourists generated a total of VNĐ3.67 trillion ($158 million) in revenue.</p>
<p>The province targets more than six million arrivals this year.</p>
<p><strong>Better services</strong></p>
<p>The Mekong Delta has attracted more local visitors compared to the south and north central coastal areas of Việt Nam. However, the number of visitors to the Red River Delta and the southeast are higher than that of the Mekong Delta.</p>
<p>Also, differences in the number of arrivals between provinces in the Mekong Delta are noticeable. While foreigners to Tiền Giang and Bến Tre provinces accounted for 50 per cent of the total number of international tourists, local visitors to An Giang Province made up one-third of total local tourists.</p>
<p>The Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism said that tourism in the Mekong Delta had gained more recognition, but that it should have been better.</p>
<p>Due to the lack of diverse tourism products, international tourists typically spend an average 1.95 day and local visitors an average 1.7 day in the region.</p>
<p>Phạm Vũ Hồng, chairman of Kiên Giang Province People’s Committee, said that to meet the demand of visitors, the province would expand the airport, improve power systems and upgrade infrastructure, and complete them before the deadlines.</p>
<p>But he said it was also important to invest in more tourism products to extend visitors’length of stay. </p>
<p>The secretary of Đồng Tháp Province’s Party Committee, Lê Minh Hoan, said that Đồng Tháp, Tiền Giang and Long An provinces had collaborated with HCM City to create a tour called Một Hành Trình Ba Điểm Đến (A journey to three destinations).</p>
<p>Starting from HCM City to Long An, Tiền Giang, and Đồng Tháp provinces, tourists will be able travel to Tân Lập Floating Village, an ecotourism site, the Đồng Tháp Mười Ecological Reservation Area, and Tràm Chim National Bird Park, among other attractions.</p>
<p>The Mekong Delta Tourism Association has also urged local provinces not to copy each other’s tourism products as all of them have similar conditions for tourism.</p>
<p>Tourism experts said that Cần Thơ City and Phú Quốc Island should be key destinations, while Mỹ Tho City could play a support role for tourism in the eastern area of the Mekong Delta.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;font-weight:bold;font-size:12px"></p>
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Mekong Delta to improve tourism services Related image(s)<br />
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Mekong Delta to improve tourism services

Mekong Delta to improve tourism services

Mekong Delta to improve tourism services Many attractions in the Mekong Delta have maintained their high traffic since the beginning of the ...

Vietnam’s terraced fields among Top 25 surreal landscapes

Vietnam’s terraced fields among Top 25 surreal landscapes
<p><em>UK daily newspaper The Telegraph has voted Vietnam’s terraced rice fields in sixth position on its Top 25 most surreal landscapes in the world.</em></p>
<p>Joining the terraced rice fields are the world’s largest salt flats, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the world’s third-largest hot springs, Grand Prismatic in the US, the salt and soda lake Natron in Tanzania, Quebrada de Humahuaca Valley in Argentina, the Wave – a sandstone rock formation in Arizona, the Mendenhall Glacier cave in Alaska, Shubazakura Hill in Japan, Dallol volcano in Ethiopia, and Cano Cristales River in Colombia, among others.</p>
<p>The terraced rice paddies in Vietnam, The Telegraph wrote, form one of the most striking green landscapes in the world.</p>
<p>The terraced rice fields have been created by people living in mountainous and hilly terrain, where there is a shortage of flat land for rice cultivation. They chose areas with gentle slopes and advantage positions for receiving rainwater and stream water, changing them into spectacular terraced rice fields. This is evidence of the creativity of local ethnic minority people in adapting to the local climate, soil, and irrigation conditions.</p>
<p>At any time of year, the terraced rice fields possess a different beauty. In April and May, they are watered to prepare for a new crop and their surfaces look like mirrors reflecting the colors of nature. Under the sunlight, the flooded terraced fields seem to overlap each other, like steps leading up to the sky. In June and July, the terraced fields wear green “dresses” of fully-grown rice. In September and October, when the harvest begins, they change from green to yellow, resembling golden silk scarves flying in the wind above green mountain slopes. Ethnic minority people, in their colorful costumes, embellish the beautiful picture.</p>
<p>Terraced rice fields are most commonly found in Sapa (Lao Cai province), Mu Cang Chai district (Yen Bai province), Hoang Su Phi district (Ha Giang province), Que Phong district (Nghe An province), Pu Luong district (Thanh Hoa province), and the central highlands region.</p>
<p>The imposing scenery, along with the unique features of local ethic minority people’s culture, attract both domestic and foreign tourists and inspire photographers.</p>
<p><em>VN Economic Times</em></p>
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Vietnam’s terraced fields among Top 25 surreal landscapes Related image(s)<br />
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Vietnam’s terraced fields among Top 25 surreal landscapes

Vietnam’s terraced fields among Top 25 surreal landscapes

Vietnam’s terraced fields among Top 25 surreal landscapes UK daily newspaper The Telegraph has voted Vietnam’s terraced rice fields in sixth...

Da Nang cafes, restaurants offer free restrooms for tourists

Da Nang cafes, restaurants offer free restrooms for tourists
<p>Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy director of the city’s tourism department, said the campaign was launched in 2015 at 100 restaurants and cafés downtown. He said the city would continue to encourage restaurant and café owners in the city to offer free restrooms for visitors in the coming years.</p>
<p>He said the department also offered a smart phone application called Comfort as Home to help tourists locate free restrooms in the city.</p>
<p>Nguyen Hong Son, vice chairman of Hai Chau District’s business association, said tourists can recognise free restroom sites with the logo saying Comfort as Home, or “Free Restroom” on the door.</p>
<p>He said the free service will help reduce the city’s expenditures on building public toilets.</p>
<p>Da Nang, with only 20 public toilets, has determined that it needs more than 6,000 public restrooms for tourists and local people at a cost of VND10 trillion (US$440 million).</p>
<p>In May, the city’s tourism department opened visitors’ centres at Da Nang International Airport’s new terminal and downtown to provide free information, brochures and maps for tourists.</p>
<p>Last year the department launched its fanpage, Danang FantasiCity, as an official channel of Da Nang’s tourism sector on Facebook. The city hosted 5.1 million tourists, including 1.76 million foreigners, in the first nine months this year, bringing VND15 trillion ($663 million) to the local economy. </p>
<p style="text-align: right;font-weight:bold;font-size:12px"><em>Source VNA</em></p>
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Da Nang cafes, restaurants offer free restrooms for tourists Related image(s)<br />
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Da Nang cafes, restaurants offer free restrooms for tourists

Da Nang cafes, restaurants offer free restrooms for tourists

Da Nang cafes, restaurants offer free restrooms for tourists Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy director of the city’s tourism department, said the ca...

Bac Kan bolsters sustainable tourism development

Bac Kan bolsters sustainable tourism development
<p>Nguyen Thi Xuan Dao, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City said she was impressed by the beautiful landscapes and friendly locals. “They have helped me learn more about the place and culture here,” said Dao.</p>
<p>Over the years, the province has attached importance to developing tourism and considered the sector a driving force to boost the local economy. However, the province needs more open mechanisms to encourage investment in the area to beef up tourism in the locality.</p>
<p>Tran Hung Viet, Deputy General Director of the Saigon Tourist Company said the best way to promote tourism products is to provide the best service to customers, advertisements about the place’s tourism should also be enhanced.</p>
<p>In order to have a sustainable tourism industry, it is necessary to carry out the overall plan for tourism development, ensuring the stable life for citizens and keeping indigenous culture and natural environment.</p>
<p>Pham Duy Hung, Vice Chairman of People’s Committee of Bac Kan province said: “We hope more investors, foreign and domestic tourists will know more about Bac Kan.” </p>
<p>Hung said the province is expecting more investment in infrastructure to be poured into Ba Be tourism area in order to attract more tourists to Ba Be Lake in particular and northern provinces in general.</p>
<p>Recently, Bac Kan successfully held a heritage festival, one of the province’s biggest tourism events. With the province’s efforts and determination, Bac Kan’s tourism sector is expected to become a major economic sphere, driving the local economy forward.</p>
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Bac Kan bolsters sustainable tourism development Related image(s)<br />
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Bac Kan bolsters sustainable tourism development

Bac Kan bolsters sustainable tourism development

Bac Kan bolsters sustainable tourism development Nguyen Thi Xuan Dao, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City said she was impressed by the beautifu...

Thanh Thuy Village, a centre for art

Thanh Thuy Village, a centre for art
<p><em>VietNamNet Bridge – People in Thanh Thuy Village in Binh Hai Commune in the central province of Quang Ngai have long taken pride in their natural masterpiece, Ganh Yen, a volcanic lava reef consisting of hexagonal columns of basalt lying on their side.</em></p>
<p>Now they have created their own masterpieces to complement it. They have painted murals on the walls of 14 old houses. Most are in three dimensions. Others glow at night. </p>
<p>The recent development in local tourism has created extra income for many people in Thanh Thuy Village.</p>
<p>But first – nature’s handiwork. Millions of years ago, rivers of molten basalt cooled after pouring out of a nearby volcano. As the fluid rock quickly cooled, it formed into huge crystals of rock, known in Australia and Ireland as Devil’s Causeways. In Vietnam, like in other countries where the rare formation appears, tourists flock to the sites.</p>
<p>Thanh Thuy Village is about 35km north of Quang Ngai City. After passing by green, terraced fields, visitors set foot on the first impressive destination of the journey, a beautiful strait in the shape of a crescent moon.</p>
<p>According to a tourist from HCM City, Tran Thi Anh, the structure of the volcanic lava reef in Thanh Thuy Village is as unique as Phu Yen Province’s Ghenh Da Dia or Da Dia Reef which has become a symbol of the province. However, the rock in Thanh Thuy spreads over a wider area and has not been interfered with by people.</p>
<p>After settling in to the peaceful surroundings, visitors can join villagers catch fish or dive into the sea to contemplate the coral reefs. Each basket boat (coracle) used by local fishermen can carry two tourists to fishing or diving spots.</p>
<p>“It is such an exciting experience for me. I could see the stunning beautiful coral reefs with my own eyes,” said Vu Duoc, a tourist from Quang Ngai City.</p>
<p>To ensure safety, the fishermen always make tourists wear life jackets before boarding the boats – and telling them not to dive too deeply. </p>
<p>The peaceful village has become more attractive to tourists since an art project was implemented there in July.</p>
<p>The moss-covered walls of 14 old houses in the village were given lively 3D paintings by 16 artists from Kien Họa group in HCM City. Some of the murals even glow when the night falls.</p>
<p>“When we first arrived here, seeing the dilapidated houses and moss-covered rough walls, we felt very discouraged,” said Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, head of the group.</p>
<p>“Determined to freshen the atmosphere of the poor village, members of the group were very enthusiastic about their work,” he said, adding that four 3D paintings glow at night. </p>
<p>It took the artists nearly five days to turn the rough cement walls into painting surfaces. The murals that glow are complicated, requiring layers of paints and at least three days to finish, double the time to create a plain one. The finished work is really eye-catching, especially at night as they sparkle mysteriously in the village.</p>
<p>The big-sized paintings, each from 20 to 30sq.m in dimension, were created with the theme: “Active Youth, Connecting Culture to the World”. They feature local culture, life and youth aspirations.</p>
<p>They include images of basket boats floating on a peaceful sea, or local farmers planting onions under the sun. Visitors can also see paintings portraying features of Japan or Western countries.</p>
<p>Tuyen also said the group was continuing to draw paintings in nearby areas, consulting the local authority for its opinions.</p>
<p>The project has been well supported by locals, making them realise the beauty of their ordinary life and astonishment at the stunning beauty of the murals.</p>
<p>“I cannot believe the image of the basket boats, which has been closely associated with the life of local fishermen for a long time. They have become so lively and lovely in those pictures,” said bystander Nguyen Thi Thanh.</p>
<p>The Kien Họa painters have also taught local children to decorate the walls of their houses with simple paintings. This has helped to evoke their affection for nature and their hometown.</p>
<p>“The painters have created beautiful work. We cannot take our eyes off them. They have also painted on the basket boats then used them to decorate the village entrance,” said 10-year-old Nguyen Huong Sen.</p>
<p>To create more tourism highlight for the village, the local authority has invested more than VND1,5 billion (US$66,000) to improve its infrastructure, including building a flag tower and constructing new roads.</p>
<p>“The region is endowed with unspoiled nature with a diversified eco-system and marine life and sincere hospitality of the locals. The project is therefore expected to promote its tourism and create more jobs for fishermen,” Tuyen said. </p>
<p><em><strong>Phuong Ha</strong></em></p>
<p><em>Source: VNS</em></p>
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Thanh Thuy Village, a centre for art Related image(s)<br />
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Thanh Thuy Village, a centre for art

Thanh Thuy Village, a centre for art

Thanh Thuy Village, a centre for art VietNamNet Bridge – People in Thanh Thuy Village in Binh Hai Commune in the central province of Quang N...

Vietjet to open Da Lat – Bangkok route in mid-December

Vietjet to open Da Lat – Bangkok route in mid-December
<p>NDO – Budget carrier Vietjet will launch a new air route connecting Da Lat with Bangkok in mid-December, becoming the first airline to operate a direct service between Da Lat and Bangkok.</p>
<p>The airline announced on November 24 that the new route will commence on December 18, 2017, in the wake of Da Lat Flower Festival 2017, and will be operated by an Airbus A320 with four return flights per week, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.</p>
<p>The flight will depart from Bangkok at 10:30am and return from Da Lat at 12:55am, with a flight duration of one hour and 45 minutes.</p>
<p>“To further contribute to the tourism growth of Vietnam and Thailand, Vietjet is pleased to announce the new international route from Vietnam’s central highland city of Da Lat to Bangkok. The new service will be launched just prior the Da Lat Flower Festival and I am delighted that people from the two countries can now travel more conveniently in order to enjoy their neighbouring country’s scenery through our ever expanding flight network,” said Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh, Vice President of Vietjet.</p>
<p>Following the launch of the Da Lat – Bangkok route, Vietjet and Thai Vietjet will operate a total of six direct routes between Vietnam and Thailand, including Bangkok to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat, and from Ho Chi Minh City to Phuket and Chiang Mai.</p>
<p>Vietjet has a fleet of 45 aircraft, including A320s and A321s, and operates 350 flights per day. It has already opened 73 routes in Vietnam and across the region, to international destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia, among others.</p>
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Vietjet to open Da Lat – Bangkok route in mid-December Related image(s)<br />
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Vietjet to open Da Lat – Bangkok route in mid-December

Vietjet to open Da Lat – Bangkok route in mid-December

Vietjet to open Da Lat – Bangkok route in mid-December NDO – Budget carrier Vietjet will launch a new air route connecting Da Lat with Bangk...

Vietjet offer 700,000 domestic tickets from VND0

Vietjet offer 700,000 domestic tickets from VND0

Vietjet offer 700,000 domestic tickets from VND0

Vietjet offer 700,000 domestic tickets from VND0 The promotional tickets are available over November 23-25 from noon to 2pm on the airline’...

Quang Binh opens three new caves to visitors

Quang Binh opens three new caves to visitors
<p><em>Visitors to central Quang Binh Province will get a chance to visit three caves that were recently discovered in the territory of local Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.</em></p>
<p class=" a-c"><em>View inside the Over cave. Courtesy Photo of Jungle Boss Company</em></p>
<p>The province People’s Committee on Wednesday allowed a local company, Jungle Boss, to exploit the caves of Pygmy, Over and Dai A for tourism purposes.</p>
<p>The pilot exploitation of the caves will start on the first of December and end in April next year. After the pilot period, the local Department of Tourism and managers of the national park will examine the company’s job, as well as the impact of tourism on the caves, before taking a final decision on the long-term exploitation of the caves for tourism.</p>
<p>The caves were discovered recently, making Quang Binh the “Kingdom of caves” in the country, with the world’s biggest cave Son Doong, and many other wet and dry caves located along the karst mountain range situated in the locality.</p>
<p>The caves are adjacent, with Pygmy 845m long, Dai A 1,616m long, and Over 3,244m long.</p>
<p>Visitors can register to visit the caves and will start their trip at Quyet Thang Village, which is 10km far west from the province’s municipal Dong Hoi City. They will trek on a 20km path under the primary forest in the national park before entering the grotto.</p>
<p>Each trip will take tourists three days and two nights to complete. — <em>VNS</em></p>
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Quang Binh opens three new caves to visitors Related image(s)<br />
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Quang Binh opens three new caves to visitors

Quang Binh opens three new caves to visitors

Quang Binh opens three new caves to visitors Visitors to central Quang Binh Province will get a chance to visit three caves that were recent...

New rules set to put most tour guides out of work

New rules set to put most tour guides out of work
<p><em>VietNamNet Bridge – New rules could push thousands of freelance tourist guides out of work next year, creating a serious shortage in the industry, experts warn.</em></p>
<p>They say that the provisions on issuing tourist guide licenses in the Law on Tourism set impractical conditions that freelancers will not be able to meet, pushing them out of work, worsening the current shortage.</p>
<p>The Law on Tourism stipulates that tourist guides should have labour contracts with authorized travel agencies, tour operators or firms providing tour-guide services; or be a member of a professional tour guide organisation.</p>
<p>In addition, tour guides must have a contract or equivalent document on every trip.      </p>
<p>Currently, carrying a tour guide card is the only requirement.</p>
<p><strong>New rules are needed</strong></p>
<p>Officials of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism have said that the tightening of conditions for issuing tour guide licences was necessary to improve occupational skills and standards.</p>
<p>The new provisions are also needed to better manage the operations of freelance tour guides who account for 90 per cent of total in the country, they add.</p>
<p>Pham Le Thao, deputy director of the VNAT’s travel department of Travel told the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper that since 2016, the administration has found 393 cases where fake university degrees were used to get tour guide cards.</p>
<p>Of these, 300 cases have been handed to the police for investigation.</p>
<p>Moreover, occupational ethnics and qualifications of tour guides in general have not met international tourists’ expectations.</p>
<p>Thus, the provisions that require tour guides to work under the management of travel businesses, professional career associations or tour guide service suppliers would better help develop skills, enable better management and protect the rights of tour guides, Thao said.</p>
<p><strong>Crisis in the making</strong></p>
<p>Several tourism experts and industry insiders do not share the VNAT’s opinion.</p>
<p>Viet Nam plans to welcome 13 million international tourists this year, and it needs at least 25,000 international tour guides and 50,000 domestic tour guides to serve these visitors.</p>
<p>Currently, there are about 20,000 tour guides in the country, of whom 19,000 are freelancers. If they cannot satisfy the new provisions and are thrown out of work, the tourism sector will face a serious human resource crisis, the experts say.</p>
<p>Nguyen Tuan Quyen said that the new provisions were not feasible and would cause a lot of difficulties.</p>
<p>First, there is no national tour guide service provider in the country, so freelancers cannot register to work for such an agency.</p>
<p>Second, most travel businesses only sign contracts with a limited number of tour guides to save costs, hiring freelancers during peak season. Thus, there was little chance of having all 19,000 freelancers being able to sign contracts.</p>
<p>As a result, joining a career association – or the Viet Nam Association of Tour Guides, the new, sole agency established this month, was the only choice for freelancers.</p>
<p>Quyen said this was “totally improper” as people should join a certain association voluntarily for its ability to protect members’ rights instead of being forced to do so.</p>
<p>He also said that many tour guides have complained about the high registration VND500,000 (US$22), and annual membership fee of VND1 million ($44).</p>
<p>Most freelance tour guides have no stable income and can only earn money for several months during the peak tourism season, so this was a high amount for them, he added.</p>
<p>Tu Quy Thanh, director of the Lien Bang Travel Link, said the association should not collect fees initially, to encourage tour guides to join. When members are well protected, trained and able to earn stable incomes, they will be ready to pay fees.</p>
<p>Nguyen Van My, chairman of Lua Viet Tour Company said that it was necessary to turn all freelancers to formal employees of travel businesses.</p>
<p>Travel businesses should be required to have at least five international tour guides and ten domestic tour guides to continue operations. This would solve the problem, he said.</p>
<p>My said that in fact, freelancers signed seasonal contracts with travel businesses for the peak period. The Government should accept this contract to avert a potential crisis in the coming months, he added.</p>
<p><em>Source: VNS</em></p>
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New rules set to put most tour guides out of work Related image(s)<br />
<img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200" /><br />

New rules set to put most tour guides out of work

New rules set to put most tour guides out of work

New rules set to put most tour guides out of work VietNamNet Bridge – New rules could push thousands of freelance tourist guides out of work...

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