Vietnam Breaking News

Vietnamese & Polish airlines sign cooperation agreement

Vietnamese & Polish airlines sign cooperation agreement
  
VNA will transport passengers between Vietnam and Paris / Frankfurt / Moscow / London while LOT will transport passengers between these transit points and Warsaw.  
  
From Warsaw, the passengers can continue travelling on LOT flights to many domestic destinations of Poland and Europe. 
The cooperation agreement also will offer preferential prices for passengers as they buy inter-route tickets from VNA or LOT compared to the retail purchase of each leg of the airlines. 
Vice Director of Vietnam Airlines Trinh Ngoc Thanh said that the number of passengers between Vietnam and Poland grew by 5.5 percent a year in the period of 2011- 2016, with approximately 24,000 passengers per year in 2016.
Of these, the passengers from Poland accounted for more than 90 percent. 
The agreement will contribute strengthening effective exploitation of the air routes as well as economic and trade development between the two countries. 
BY BICH QUYEN- Translated by Huyen Huong
 
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Vietnamese & Polish airlines sign cooperation agreement

Vietnamese & Polish airlines sign cooperation agreement VNA will transport passengers between Vietnam and Paris / Frankfurt / Moscow ...

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Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov

Vietnam welcomes 11.6 million foreign tourists during Jan-Nov
<div class="article-photo">Foreign tourists on the The Huc bridge by Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi’s downtown (Source: VNA)</div>
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam welcomed11.6 million foreign tourist arrivals in the first 11 months of this year, up27 percent against the same period last year.
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).
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.
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.
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
 
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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 (...

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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
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This is the eighth month this year that Vietnam has welcomed more than 1 million foreign travelers.
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%).
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%.
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.
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.
 
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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 This is the eighth month this year that Vietnam has welcomed more than 1 mil...

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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
A warm, sunny day by the beach may sound like a totally absurd winter wish, but look no further than Vietnam, according to the Guardian.
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.
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.
The town, sitting between the busy coastal hotspots of<a href="http://bit.ly/2zymZJd">Nha Trang</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/2iip1tH">Hoi An</a>, is home to long, broad, sandy beaches which remain pristine thanks to the low number of tourists, most of whom are locals.
“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 Guardian.
In 2015, the U.K. travel publisher Rough Guides also listed Quy Nhon as one of the top nine authentic escapes in Southeast Asia, a destination off the beaten track.
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.
Eateries at a local fishing village all offer similar menus, but a whole grilled fish is recommended.
Quy Nhon is also steeped in history and witnessed the rise and fall of the Champa kingdom.
Tourists can take a xe om (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.
The spot also offers a perfect view of the town’s unspoiled countryside.
There are flights from Saigon to Quy Nhon every day, or you can settle in for a 12-hour bus ride.
The Guardian’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.”
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.
 
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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 A warm, sunny day by the beach may sound like a totally absurd ...

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Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism

Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.  
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.
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.
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.
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.
Source Hanoitimes
 
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Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism

Visa procedures need to be simplified to boost tourism According to the firms, more tourists from Japan, South Korea, the UK, Germany, Franc...

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Vietjet offers promotional tickets on routes to Thailand

Vietjet offers promotional tickets on routes to Thailand
NDO – Low cost carrier Vietjet Air is offering 15,000 tickets priced only from VND0 within the golden hours from 12pm to 2pm during November 30 and December 2 on website www.vietjetair.com, to welcome the opening of its new routes to Thailand.
The promotional tickets are applied on the following international routes: Ho Chi Minh City to Phuket/Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Da Lat/Hai Phong to Bangkok (Thailand) with the flight time being from November 30, 2017 to March 24, 2018. The promotional tickets are also applicable for the travel on Ho Chi Minh City-Chiang Mai route from December 12, Ho Chi Minh City-Phuket route from December 15, and Da Lat-Bangkok route from December 18.
Tickets can be booked within the two golden hours on website <a href="http://bit.ly/P4vpjt">www.vietjetair.com</a>, also compatible with smartphones at <a href="http://bit.ly/1BDdBzh">http://bit.ly/1BDdBzh</a> or at <a href="http://bit.ly/1zyybAq">http://bit.ly/1zyybAq</a> (by clicking the “Booking” tab). Payment can be made with debit and credit cards of Visa/Master/AMEX/JCB/KCP and ATM cards issued by 32 Vietnam’s banks that have been registered with internet banking.
With its opening of new routes to Thailand from December 2017, Vietjet will operate a total of six international routes connecting the two countries, offering more traveling and trading opportunities between the above cities. Recently, Thai Vietjet also has officially received new Air Operator Certificate which is in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
Vietjet is the first airline in Vietnam to operate as a new-age airline with low-cost and diversified services, using the latest e-commerce technologies to offer various products and services for consumers. The airline was named as one of the Top 500 Brands in Asia 2016 by global marketing research company Nielsen, the Best Asian Low Cost Carrier at the TTG Travel Awards 2015, and rated as one of the top three fastest growing airline brands on Facebook in the world by Socialbakers.
Currently, the airline boasts a fleet of 45 aircraft, including A320s and A321s, and operates 350 flights each day. It has already opened 73 routes in Vietnam and across the region to international destinations, including Thailand, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong (China), Mainland China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia.
 
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Vietjet offers promotional tickets on routes to Thailand

Vietjet offers promotional tickets on routes to Thailand NDO – Low cost carrier Vietjet Air is offering 15,000 tickets priced only from VND0...

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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 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.
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.
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).
“2017 is a successful year for Vietnam and Korean tourism. With rapid growth and the 8th ranking, Vietnam presents huge opportunities for the Korean tourism sector,” Jung Chang Wook, director of KTO in Vietnam, said.
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.
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.
By Thanh Van
 
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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...

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