Vietnam Breaking News

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 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.
He said the department also offered a smart phone application called Comfort as Home to help tourists locate free restrooms in the city.
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.
He said the free service will help reduce the city’s expenditures on building public toilets.
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).
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.
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. 
Source VNA
 
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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...

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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 beautiful landscapes and friendly locals. “They have helped me learn more about the place and culture here,” said Dao.
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.
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.
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.
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.” 
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.
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.
 
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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...

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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 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.
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. 
The recent development in local tourism has created extra income for many people in Thanh Thuy Village.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
To ensure safety, the fishermen always make tourists wear life jackets before boarding the boats – and telling them not to dive too deeply. 
The peaceful village has become more attractive to tourists since an art project was implemented there in July.
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.
“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.
“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. 
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.
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.
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.
Tuyen also said the group was continuing to draw paintings in nearby areas, consulting the local authority for its opinions.
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.
“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.
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.
“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.
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.
“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. 
Phuong Ha
Source: VNS
 
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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...

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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 Bangkok in mid-December, becoming the first airline to operate a direct service between Da Lat and Bangkok.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
 
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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...

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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’...

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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 recently discovered in the territory of local Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
View inside the Over cave. Courtesy Photo of Jungle Boss Company
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.
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.
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.
The caves are adjacent, with Pygmy 845m long, Dai A 1,616m long, and Over 3,244m long.
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.
Each trip will take tourists three days and two nights to complete. — VNS
 
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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...

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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 next year, creating a serious shortage in the industry, experts warn.
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.
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.
In addition, tour guides must have a contract or equivalent document on every trip.      
Currently, carrying a tour guide card is the only requirement.
New rules are needed
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.
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.
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.
Of these, 300 cases have been handed to the police for investigation.
Moreover, occupational ethnics and qualifications of tour guides in general have not met international tourists’ expectations.
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.
Crisis in the making
Several tourism experts and industry insiders do not share the VNAT’s opinion.
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.
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.
Nguyen Tuan Quyen said that the new provisions were not feasible and would cause a lot of difficulties.
First, there is no national tour guide service provider in the country, so freelancers cannot register to work for such an agency.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Nguyen Van My, chairman of Lua Viet Tour Company said that it was necessary to turn all freelancers to formal employees of travel businesses.
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.
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.
Source: VNS
 
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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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