Vietnam Breaking News

Central region struggles to develop tourism

Central region struggles to develop tourism
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Community-based tourism, unique lifestyles and traditional cultural values offer major potential for development in the centre of Viet Nam and its Central Highlands, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam said at a tourism forum in Tam Kỳ city on Saturday.
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<td>Fishing in An Bình Islet of Lý Sơn Island off the coast of Quảng Ngãi Province. VNS Photo Công Thành</td>
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But, Đam said, too many barriers were preventing the region’s tourism from taking off. “A series obstacles, including visa exemption, infrastructure, accommodation, environment require joint action by different agencies,” Đam said. “International tourists don’t come to Việt Nam only to stay at luxury hotels and resorts. They are lured by the unique lifestyle and traditional culture that they cannot find elsewhere in the world,” he said.
 
“Culture in the central and Central Highlands region should be attractions to international tourists. The region should boost community-based tourism to boost sustainable green industry and stable incomes,” he added.
 
The deputy PM also warned that standard of human resource and hospitality management in the region has yet to reach the required level to serve luxury tourism, as well as the environment.
 
Dr Trần Du Lịch, head of the Consultative Group for Development of the Central Coastal Region, said tourism’s potential has yet evaluated as a key industry for future’s development in Việt Nam, and the ‘green’ industry was received unfair treatment in comparison to other industries.
 
Lịch said tourism in the region has yet to build up its luxury brands due to a lack of human resources, while investment funds have been poured in too many fields.
 
“Tourism potential in the central and central highlands region has yet set on right launching pad, while the industry received too little preferential as cement or steel industries were enjoyed from the governmental policy,” Lịch spoke out at the forum, which was held on Saturday.
 
He said the tourism service in the region was designed for all tourists, but not high-end global tourists and premium services.
 
Lịch suggested hospitality must be concerned as one of the most important factor for future’s development in tourism in the region.
 
The director of the Việt Nam Institute of Economics, Trần Đình Thiên said tourism in 19 provinces and cities in the central and central highlands has been booming rapidly over past decades.
 
Thiên, who is a member of the national consultancy Council on financial policy and monetary, said the region should build a trust and attraction to global tourists, and a world level downtown and entertainment.
 
Expert Vũ Đình Ánh said tourism in Việt Nam will struggle against fund deficiency in next five years when the state budget will be limited for the industry.
 
 Ánh said tourism industry, which was invested total fund of US$18.5 billion in 2011-15, will need $24 billion for 2016-20 development in creating an estimated revenue of $35 billion in 2020.
 
He said preferential tax policy for tourism has yet concerned, while a fund for tourism industry is not established.
 
Chairman of Việt Nam Tourism Association, Vũ Thế Bình said tourism capacity in the region has been underdeveloped in comparison to HCM City and Hà Nội.
 
Despite of hosting 6.4 million foreign tourists in 2016, the region only earned VNĐ71 trillion ($3.1 billion) – 17.7 per cent of the country’s tourism income.
 
The region has nearly 400 hotels and resorts – 39 per cent of country’s total – but only 49 per cent of room had served for tourists.
 
Meanwhile, number of travel agencies accounted 10 per cent of the country, and tour guides (2,000 persons) only took a 12 per cent of the country’s total tour guides.
 
Bình also said 19 provinces and cities in the region employed 350,000 direct and indirect employees, but nearly 40 per cent are unskillful.
 
He said the region had developed 12 airports including three international airports – Đà Nẵng, Phú Bài of Huế and Cam Ranh of Khánh Hòa – but only one duty-free shop was built in Đà Nẵng.
 
The forum, which included in agenda of the on-going 6th Quảng Nam Heritage Festival, was a chance to review and evaluate real potential of tourism and hurdles that the industry needs to clear out for future growth.
Source VNS

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Central region struggles to develop tourism

Central region struggles to develop tourism Community-based tourism, unique lifestyles and traditional cultural values offer major potenti...

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Viet Nam talks boost to tourism fund

Viet Nam talks boost to tourism fund
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The country inevitably must launch a fund to support sustainable Vietnamese tourism growth, Vũ Thế Bình, vice president of Việt Nam Tourism Association said.
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<td>The country inevitably must launch a fund to support sustainable Vietnamese tourism growth, Vũ Thế Bình, vice president of Việt Nam Tourism Association said.- Photto Buffalo Trip</td>
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Bình and other tourism agencies’ representatives joined the discussion yesterday on a draft of the  revised tourism law.
 
According to Bình, the revised law is based on the basic content of Tourism Law 2005 and has updated regulations relevant to current affairs and targets to develop Vietnamese tourism into a spearhead economic sector.
 
The Vietnamese tourism sector in the first five months of this year has witnessed strong growth, with more than 5.2 million international tourists visiting Vietnamese shores, a surge of nearly 30 per cent compared to the same period last year.
 
“We can reach the 30 per cent growth, even 50 per cent if we have strong resources,” Bình said.
 
However, he said that the Vietnamese tourism sector has yet to gather strong resources and needs a fresh “bounding force”, which he suggests will come in the form of a tourism development support fund.
 
Nguyễn Hồng Hải, president of the capital city’s tourism club, said that sources of the fund– from the State, voluntary donors and other legal sources–must be clarified.
 
A representative of Việt Nam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA) highlighted that the fund establishment is necessary to boost Vietnamese tourism promotion around the world. In Viet Nam, budget for tourism promotion activities remains only US$2 million on average, equivalent to only 2.9 per cent of Thailand’s, 2.5 per cent of Singapore’s and 1.9 per cent of Malaysia’s.
 
He suggested learning from other countries’ experience in calling for investment.
 
Phạm Mạnh Cường, VISTA deputy general secretary, recommended funding the proposal with an accommodation tax paid by tourists staying overnight.
 
Accommodation ranking on debate
 
Controversy broke out among participants on whether accommodation rankings should be made mandatory.
 
Đinh Mạnh Thắng, president of Tourism Association of central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, said that a ranking system should not be made compulsory, as tourists determine the accommodation quality, not the State or accommodation owners.
 
Many participants agreed that holiday visitors are lured by high-quality accommodation at reasonable prices, not by star rankings.
 
However, others argued that accommodation rankings are necessary to protect rights of tourists and avoid cheating.
 
At the discussion, the participants also agreed on compulsory licences of three types of tours:  domestic, inbound and outbound.
Source VNS

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Viet Nam talks boost to tourism fund

Viet Nam talks boost to tourism fund The country inevitably must launch a fund to support sustainable Vietnamese tourism growth, Vũ Thế Bì...

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Helicopters to fly passengers from downtown Saigon to Tan Son Nhat airport

Helicopters to fly passengers from downtown Saigon to Tan Son Nhat airport
A local helicopter firm has completed the necessary procedures to launch passenger flights from downtown Ho Chi Minh City to Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
The Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNH South) has been conducting pilot flights over the past month to test the service.
As part of a deal struck with Times Square Investment Joint Stock Company, VNH South will serve high-income customers on return flights between Times Square Tower in District 1 and the airport.
Fares for the service have yet to be announced, but one aviation expert told the Saigon Times that a helicopter flight from the city center to Tan Son Nhat Airport can cost more than $10,000. Vietnam’s average annual income was around $2,200 last year.
The agreement also says that VNH South will expand its helicopter passenger services between the tower and other destinations in the south.
The helicopters used for this service can carry up to 12 passengers and two pilots.
The roads leading to Tan Son Nhat airport are often jammed, especially during the holidays, so the city has been working on different solutions to tackle the problem.
Tan Son Nhat is Vietnam’s largest airport. It was designed to handle 25 million passengers per year, but last year it served 32.5 million, up 22.4 percent from 2015.
Around ten buildings in HCMC have helipads, including Diamond Plaza, Bitexco Financial Tower and Tan Son Nhat Saigon Hotel.
 
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Helicopters to fly passengers from downtown Saigon to Tan Son Nhat airport

Helicopters to fly passengers from downtown Saigon to Tan Son Nhat airport A local helicopter firm has completed the necessary procedures to...

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Artistic wall painting contest raises public awareness of climate change

Artistic wall painting contest raises public awareness of climate change
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NDO – An artistic wall painting contest entitled “2030 City” has been jointly launched by the Centre of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE), the 350.org and Da Kao ward’s Youth Union in Ho Chi Minh City.
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The contest on the theme of climate change and energy will last until July 7 following the success of the artistic wall painting activity on wildlife protection last April. It is to cover ten walls in the central positions of the city’s districts with new coatings.
The contest, targeting both young Vietnamese and foreigners, aims to offer opportunities for street art lovers to demonstrate their passion through works of their own.
By this way, information, knowledge and messages on climate change and clean and renewable energy will be widely disseminated, making it easier for the public to access.
The contest offers VND21 million (US$924) in prize money for the best three paintings and for the painting voted by spectators. The organising committee covers all the expenses (meal, travel and painting tools) for the participants.
The contest jury consists of prestigious artists who participated in the wall painting event on wildlife protection, including Trang Suby and Bao Huynh, and CHANGE Director Hoang Thi Minh Hong. In addition, the local authorities will examine the suitability of the painting works.
Registration for the contest will be from June 1 to 15, while entries will be submitted to the organising committee between June 16 and July 7.
CHANGE, which is under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA), is a Vietnamese non-governmental organisation officially patronising the activities of the 350.org movement in Vietnam and other environmental protection projects.
Its mission is to mobilise resources to raise public awareness, change behaviours and build capacity for the community to handle environmental issues, promote sustainable development and adaptation to climate change.
The 350.org is a global movement on climate change. It has been initiated since 2007 with the participation of millions of people from 188 countries around the world. The name of the movement mentions 350ppm, which is the maximum safe limit of the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere as calculated by scientists.
The activities deployed by 350.org serve the optimal goal of reducing the CO2 concentration from the current 402ppm level to 350ppm, in order to avoid serious consequences caused by climate change. So far, the movement has attracted the participation of more than 10,000 volunteers in 20 cities and provinces across Vietnam.
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Artistic wall painting contest raises public awareness of climate change

Artistic wall painting contest raises public awareness of climate change NDO – An artistic wall painting contest entitled “2030 City” has b...

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Trump proposes privatising US air traffic control

Trump proposes privatising US air traffic control
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WASHINGTON: In the first salvo in a week-long push to overhaul America’s infrastructure, President Donald Trump on Monday (Jun 5) announced a plan to privatise the nation’s air traffic control system.
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US President Donald Trump announces the Air Traffic Control Reform Initiative in the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP/NICHOLAS KAMM)
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In what he called an “air travel revolution,” Trump promised the “really monumental reform” would deliver “cheaper, faster, and safer travel” as well as an economic boost that could be worth US$25 billion to the economy.
“Our plan will get you where you need to go more quickly, more reliably, more affordable, and yes, for the first time in a long time, on time,” Trump said in announcing the plan at the White House.
In fact the proposal to break off the air traffic function from the government’s Federal Aviation Administration was first proposed during the Clinton administration, and was revived early last year in legislation introduced by Pennsylvania Republican representative Bill Shuster.
The plan would create a private non-profit corporation supported by user fees rather than taxes, a model used in many other countries, including Canada.
If approved by Congress, the FAA would retain its oversight of air travel safety, but its 30,000 air traffic controllers would move off the government’s books.
DJ Gribbin, special assistant to the president for infrastructure, acknowledged that the proposal – which National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) supported in its previous iteration – “had been percolating in DC for decades, so it was naturally low hanging fruit from policy perspective.”
For a Trump White House beset by investigation into its ties with Russia, which is also struggling to gain traction on other legislative efforts including promised tax reform – which so far exists only as a one-page outline – and the health care overhaul, low-hanging fruit could give them a much-needed easy win.
This week also will feature a discussion on how to improve freight shipping on the inland waterway, a meeting with governors and mayors on how best to leverage budget resources and private investment to improve key infrastructure, and a speech by Trump Friday on a bid to slash the time needed to approve projects to just two years from an average of eight to 10 years.
As to the timing of a major infrastructure investment package, “We absolutely do feel it can be accomplished this year,” Reed Cordish, assistant to the president for technology, told reporters.
SUPPORT FROM KEY GROUPS
The White House could win support in Congress especially with the backing of key interest groups, including the airlines and the air traffic controllers union.
NATCA supported the 2016 version of the proposal, that included a federally chartered not-for-profit corporation, but said protecting the rights of the workers and ensuring safety will be key.
The union “shares the administration’s commitments to infrastructure modernization and providing the National Airspace System (NAS) with a stable, predictable funding stream,” NATCA said in a statement on Monday.
“We look forward to reviewing the specifics of the air traffic control (ATC) reform legislation so we can evaluate whether it satisfies our union?s principles, including protecting the rights and benefits of the ATC workforce.”
The airline industry group, Airlines for America (A4A), applauded the proposal, saying it will allow “enhanced safety, reduced delays, fuel savings, reduced emissions, increased capacity and greater operational efficiency.”
The antiquated system used in the United States employs ground radar and paper slips “rather than GPS and advanced software,” the statement said, noting that delays with the current system cost the economy up to US$25 billion a year.
However, despite the pledge that the technology upgrade will benefit passengers, FlyersRights.org, the largest airline passenger advocacy organisation, expressed “shock and dismay” over a plan it said would give more power to the airlines.
“Adopting this scheme would mean handing the airlines (for free) control over a core public asset, and providing them nearly unbridled power to extract new fees and increased taxes from passengers,” the group’s president, Paul Hudson, said in a statement.
Trump said his predecessor, Barack Obama, spent US$7 billion to try to upgrade the air traffic control system and “totally failed.”
“Honestly, they didn?t know what the hell they were doing … We are still stuck with an ancient, broken, antiquated, horrible system that doesn?t work.”
He noted that Canada is among the 50 countries that have adopted this model, having made the change 20 years ago, and cut costs significantly and handle 50 per cent more traffic. “And we?re going to top them, actually, by a long shot.”
Source AFP
 
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Trump proposes privatising US air traffic control

Trump proposes privatising US air traffic control WASHINGTON: In the first salvo in a week-long push to overhaul America’s infrastructure, ...

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Gov’t extends visa-exemption policy for five European countries

Gov’t extends visa-exemption policy for five European countries
<div class="lead-post" style="font: bold 15px/1.5 arial;color: #333;margin-bottom: 10px">History shows that globalization is an inevitable trend with or without our support, said PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the opening ceremony of the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo on Monday.</div>
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<td><img alt="PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a keynote address at the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan on June 5, 2017. Photo: VGP" src="http://bit.ly/2rNXX7Z" title="PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a keynote address at the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan on June 5, 2017. Photo: VGP" width="500" /></td>
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<td>PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a keynote address at the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan on June 5, 2017. Photo: VGP</td>
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The Government has agreed to extend visa exemption policy for citizens from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
 
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Foreigners read book on Viet Nam
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Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung released the news at the press conference on June 3.
 
The policy, which will be extended until June 30, 2018, allows citizens from the five European countries to visit Viet Nam without having to apply for visa with the time limit of stay in Viet Nam not exceeding 15 days since the day they get entry permit to Viet Nam.
This is the second time the Government extended the policy which took effect from July 1, 2015.
According to Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien, the policy has brought about positive effects on the development of the tourism sector.
Official statistics show the number of international arrivals to Viet Nam surged 30.8% in the first five months this year to over 5.3 million.
Noticeably, the extended policy forms part of the Government’s measures to ensure the preset growth goal of 6.7% this year, said Mr. Dung.
At recent Cabinet meeting, the Government tasked the tourism sector to achieve the growth rate of 30% for the rest of the year.
The Cabinet members also agreed to speed up grant of e-visa to foreigners following the Government’s introduction of Decree No. 07/2017/ND-CP guiding the pilot implementation of an e-visa scheme for visitors from 40 countries with an aim to give a boost to tourism growth, according to the Minister-Chairman who is also the Government Spokesperson.
The Decree was considered a new step towards reforming entry and exit procedures for foreign tourists, experts said.
Source VGP
 
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Gov’t extends visa-exemption policy for five European countries

Gov’t extends visa-exemption policy for five European countries History shows that globalization is an inevitable trend with or without our ...

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Tran Quoc – A sacred pagoda of the high society

Tran Quoc – A sacred pagoda of the high society
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Tran Quoc is the name of Hanoi’s oldest and most sacred pagoda. Nearly 1500 years old, it used to receive kings in Buddhist memorial days and host famous Buddhist monks who came here to practice their religion.
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Occupying a promontory at the northwest corner of the West Lake in Yen Phu ward, West Lake district of Hanoi, Tran Quoc has been officially recognised as a national relic of history and culture since 1989.
According to the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Dictionary, ‘Originally named Khai Quoc (meaning ‘Nation Founding’) Tran Quoc was built during King Ly Nam De’s (544-548) reign in Yen Hoa Village. 
In 1615, it was moved to what used to be the foundation of Thuy Hoa back hall and Han Nguyen Palace near Yen Phu dyke, the previous Kings’ favourite place for fishing and relaxation. 
From 1624 to 1639, Khai Quoc was continually expanded and later King Le Hy Tong renamed it Tran Quoc. 
The beginning of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802- 1945) the pagoda was renovated and acquired a bigger bell and Buddha statues. In 1821, King Minh Mang visited it and gave 20 silver taels for its renovation. 
In 1842, King Thieu Trị also visited Tran Quoc and contributed one big gold coin and 200 quan (the currency of the time).’
Tran Quoc was like a spiritual anchor for the nation and its kings.
Historical texts also recorded that Tran Quoc had hosted famous Buddhist monks such as His Venerable Khuong Viet Chan Luu and High Zen Priests Van Phong, Thao Duong, Thong Bien, Giac Quan and Quang Te. 
Having been renovated multiple times, Tran Quoc architecture shows ‘harmonious continuity between historical eras,’ as noted by cultural experts.
The main architectural units of Tran Quoc pagoda includes the Front Hall, Incense Ward, Upper Edifice, Bell Tower, Ancestral Shrine and House of Steles. 
The experts don’t mention much about the carvings and artwork at Tran Quoc. They simply remark that ‘some details are painstakingly well done.’
About the overall architectural and scenic values of the pagoda, the general opinion is that the antic solemn structures in sternly strict arrangement according to the ancient Buddhist rules and the dreaminess of the West Lake highlight each other well. 
Perhaps that’s why the British Daily Mail ranks Tran Quoc among the world’s 15 most beautiful Buddhist pagodas.
Having witnessed so many historical ups and downs, the pagoda preserves valuable artefacts, such as the statues in the Upper Edifice, especially the one of Shakyamuni Buddha entering Nirvana, unique and meticulously made in a distinct fashion. 
The 14 steles with engraved texts about the foundation and history of the pagoda, including the steles of famous scholars Nguyen Xuan Chinh (1587-1693) and Pham Quy Thich (1760-1825), are also considered highly valuable.
Behind the pagoda’s entrance is a ‘garden of towers’ with many old and new towers. 
Most attention is drawn to the 11-storey, 15m-tall Six Heaven Tower that houses many Amitabha statues made of precious stones, with 9 layers of stone carved lotuses at the top.
Amid the 500ha of West Lake, the pagoda’s 3000 m2 garden stands prominently under the shade of many tree species such as mountain pomegranates, longans, willows, etc. 
Buddhists revere the banyan tree planted by President Rajendra Prasad of India when he visited Tran Quoc in 1959.
Source Vietnam Heritage
 
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Tran Quoc – A sacred pagoda of the high society

Tran Quoc – A sacred pagoda of the high society Tran Quoc is the name of Hanoi’s oldest and most sacred pagoda. Nearly 1500 years old, it u...

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