Cooking in Hoi An ancient town in top 10 most interesting travel experience

Besides surfing in Hawaii, Yoga in India, cooking in Hoi An ancient town is one of the activities ranked in the top 10 special travel experiences in the world. This is voted by the Lonely Planet, the “lodestar of backpackers”.

  It wrote: “On the banks of the Hoi An River, the Red Bridge Restaurant and Cooking School is one of many restaurants offering courses to meet the growing demand for tutorials in quality Vietnamese cuisine. One-day and half-day cooking tours will match your culinary skills, from non-existent to cordon bleu. Starting with a trip to a local market, where you will select ingredients and learn by observing street vendors, you will then return to the restaurant for an expert demonstration before putting your new-found knowledge into practice. Expect to serve up rice-paper rolls and marinated beef, decorated with a pineapple boat. Classes usually last about three hours, include four dishes and cost around 40USD/one person. Take a camera so you can remember each dish you master.”

The nine remaining activities include:

1. Surfing in Hawaii – USA

  Learning to surf here is special. Polynesia was the birthplace of surfing – he’e nalu (wave sliding) was first observed here by Europeans in the 18th century – but Hawaii remains the focal point for the world’s coolest lifestyle. Plenty of surf schools and instructors will patiently teach you how to read the ocean for swell, paddle into a wave and, critically, learn to stand and ride at beginner spots such as Waikiki Beach and Puena Point. Between sessions you can watch the pros shred heaving monsters at reef breaks such as Pipeline, Off the Wall and Sunset Beach. Learn to bottom turn with the Waikiki Beach Boys; two-hour lessons cost 99USD and run twice daily from Monday to Saturday.

2. Archaeological research trips at Crow Canyon – USA

  Crow Canyon Archaeological Center offers up to 11 trips annually for those willing to get their hands dirty as they dabble in amateur archaeology. Visitors’ accommodation is in one of 10 ‘hogans’, circular log cabins built in the traditional Navajo style, at the centre’s 28-hec campus. The campus is part of a site that was occupied by Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde more than 1000 years ago. The trips, lasting seven to ten days, allow visitors to explore the land in relation to what is known about the region’s indigenous occupants, through studying the interaction of light, landscape and architecture, or participating in a dig. Find out more about resources for teachers and students at ‘www.crowcanyon.org’.

3. Yoga in Rishikesh – India

  A trip to the birthplace of yoga is an obvious choice if you are looking for a mystical experience inside and out. Not only does yoga promote relaxation through meditation; research conducted by the University of Texas has revealed it can help alleviate the negative side effects of cancer treatment. At Rishikesh, in the serene foothills of the Himalayas, special retreats invite novices to practice stretching, breathing and contemplation alongside qualified yogi masters. Depending where you stay you might also be encouraged to help out in the organic garden and cook for the group, in between soul-enriching excursions into the mountains. Ashrams offer courses to suit your level, from a few weeks to three months; get a feel for serenity at ‘www.yogashramrishikesh.com’.

4. Spanish in Patagonia – Argentina

  The small town of Bariloche, surrounded by glacial lakes, forests and the valleys and mountains of the Andes, is so inspiring you will probably learn more Spanish here in a month than you might elsewhere in a whole year. Sometimes called ‘the Switzerland of South America’, Bariloche is the base for most Patagonian language schools, so there’s always a good mix of international students should you wish to slack off from speaking Spanish. There are plenty of optional excursions too, from nearby skiing at Cerro Catedral, South America’s premier downhill resort, to a refreshing day trip through thick forest to the glorious Cántaros waterfall. Select courses from one-week intensives to six weeks of private tuition; traveler can visit ‘www.spanishinbariloche.com’.

5. Calligraphy in Kyoto – Japan

  Anyone looking to make their mark using the traditional characters of Japanese calligraphy will find the course run by the Women’s Association of Kyoto simultaneously frustrating and rewarding. Calligraphy written in Japanese isn’t at all easy, so you will need to keep focused if you want to make your instructor proud. After receiving a lecture about the history of the Japanese literary art form, you will be shown and told how it’s done. Then it’s over to you, grasshopper, as you sketch your favourite Japanese character, such as the symbol for ‘peace’ or ‘love’, before adding your signature. One lesson is enough to ensure you pity Japanese school kids forever. WAK JAPAN offers courses based in Kyoto; book online for a discount.

6. Mountain biking in Marin County – USA

  Thanks in large part to the pioneering efforts of bike designer Joe Breeze, Marin County, and in particular Mt Tamalpais, has become famous worldwide as the birthplace of mountain biking. Located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, there’s no more rugged or exciting arena to develop a passion for downhill riding. Throughout summer, countless tour operators, catering to kids, women, amateurs and pros, offer tuition and guided trail riding, including bike hire and transport to the start of hundreds of trails among more than 2.550-hec of redwood groves and oak woodlands. Trails range from the gently sloping and visually spectacular to the you-must-be-kidding-me steeply insane. For trail maps, customised tours and bike hire information visit ‘www.mountainbikingmarin.com’.

7. Kung fu at Shaolin Temple – China

  Every year foreigners can apply to attend classes at the Shaolin Temple, amid the beautiful Song Shan mountains in China’s Henan province. Trainees at the 1500-year-old monastery, the birthplace of kung fu, embark on a steep learning curve led by extraordinarily disciplined ‘warrior-monk’ tutors. You won’t notice who you’re sharing a dorm with, as the gruelling regime starts at 8.30am (Chinese students begin at 5am) and lasts until at least 7pm. For inspiration, watch the coaches prepare for daily tourist performances, in which they snap iron bars with their heads and break glass by throwing a pin at it. Visitor opening hours are 8am–7pm daily, all year; ‘www.infohub.com’ offers a 10- to 30-day training tour for budding Bruce Lees (around 2000USD).

8. Bush-survival skills in Esingeni – South Africa

  If you can last a one-week survival course in South Africa‘s pristine wilderness, then chances are you’ll emerge feeling more human than you have ever felt before. Qualified field experts lead small-group tours from the Esingeni Bush Camp, based on a private game reserve. Participants learn how to construct a shelter, make a fire, locate and prepare food, and extract water from plants. You will also be taught how to navigate using the stars as you traverse the countryside, which is abuzz with unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells and animals. Anyone who has imagined what life was like before the agrarian revolution can find out here. Book a five-day bush survival course at ‘www.conservationacademy.co.za’.

9. Stove building in Cadmalca – Peru

  At the Cadmalca Community Lodge in Peru’s remote northern highlands, a simple but potentially life-saving ecoproject allows travellers to do something challenging and useful, while becoming immersed in a culture they would otherwise find difficult to access. In return for being lodged and shown around by a local host family, visitors will source the construction materials for a cooking stove that’s ideally suited to high altitude conditions – and then build it. The stoves have been shown to help reduce serious respiratory conditions associated with cooking over the open fires that are contained in the majority of mountain huts. Tours last seven days and depart from Lima; book before you arrive and expect to pay around 1600USD.

(Source: dtinews)

Belgian region helps restore Hue ancient house

  A 175-year-old house has been restored to its former glory in Phuoc Tich ancient village, the central province of Thua-Thien-Hue.

  This is the first time Nha Ruong, a typical kind of houses in the old time in Hue and the central region, to be restored under a cooperation project between Thua-Thien-Hue province and the Wallonie-Bruxelles region of Belgium . The project aims to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of ancient villages to help tourism development.

  Formed in 1470 under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, Phuoc Tich is the second village in Viet Nam recognised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national cultural and historical relic site.

  Spreading along the poetic O Lau River, about 40 kilometers north of Hue city, the village still preserves over 100 ancient houses. People here live on making pottery.

  Phuoc Tich is now a popular tourist destination in Thua Thien-Hue province.

(Source: VNA)

Hue garden to preserve rare and precious plants

The Thua Thien – Hue provincial People’s Committee has recently approved a plan to build a garden for local rare and precious plants.

  Under the plan the garden, which will be managed by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, will be built in the area of the former Quoc Tu Giam School (Imperial Academy) at Huong Ho Commune in Huong Tra District.

  According to Phan Thanh Hai, director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, the garden will be established with the hope of preserving and cultivating many rare and precious trees which were donated by different regions of the country to Hue’s ancient relics. Many donated rare and precious species have ceased to exist over the last few years.

  The garden is scheduled to be finished and put into operation early next year.

(Source: tuoitre)

Da Nang fireworks contest now biennially

The Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC) will be held biennially instead of every year, according to a decision by Mr Nguyen Ba Thanh, Da Nang City’s party committee secretary, at a five-year review meeting of the DIFC on Sep-12th in the locality.

DANANG INTERNATIONAL FIREWORKS COMPETITION 2012

  From 2013, the city will organize the event on odd years to “both attract tourists and help the organizing process and sponsors’ mobilization.”

  “For the past five years, the DIFC was held by mobilizing sponsors and not using the state budget. The organizing task is better and more professional. The big success was no explosions or fires during the event. It also helped promote Da Nang’s tourism sector,” Mr Thanh added.

  Mr Thanh also ruled there will no large-scale ticket sales. Tickets will be directly distributed at four and five star hotels based on the demand of each hotel. Besides, the organizers have to create more free spaces for tourists and local people to admire the fireworks display.

  Mr Thanh approved for local hotels to increase their prices by no more than 50 per cent during the DIFC. If any hotel violates its prices announced on the website, it will receive a sanction to contribute from VND 300 million to VND 500 million to the city’s fund for organizing the fi reworks competition. Food shops and parking areas aren’t allowed to increase their prices during the event.

  Mr Ngo Quang Vinh, director of the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that: “After five years, the DIFC has attracted a large number of tourists to Da Nang annually. Especially, the tourist’s number in 2011 was triple compared to 2010, from around 100,000 to 300,000 arrivals.”

(Source: SGT)

Culture and Sports Week held in Tuyen Quang province

  The 8th Cultural, Sports and Tourism Festival of Northeastern ethnic groups will take place in the northern border province of Tuyen Quang between September 27th and 30th alongside with the province’s Culture and Sports Week.

  The festival will be co-hosted by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry and 8 regional provinces and cities includes various interesting activities, such as artistic exchange among ethnic groups in the northeastern region, Then singing, performances of different traditional instruments by ethnic people, photo exhibitions, beauty contest and sports competitions.

  Northeastern – the sacred and beautiful region will be inaugurated at 8.00pm hours on September 27th at Tan Quang Park.

(Source: qdnd)

Hoang Su Phi terraced fields become National Relics

The Ha Giang provincial People’s Committee held a ceremony on Sep-16th to receive a certificate from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognising the Hoang Su Phi terraced fields as a national heritage site.

  The ceremony highlighted the efforts made by the Ha Giang authorities and people to conserve the terraces and ensure their sustainability. It was held to raise public awareness about the fields and begin connecting them with other national heritage sites in Vietnam to promote their preservation and tourism potential. In addition to being aesthetically beautiful, the terraces also have great cultural and historical value.

  The Hoang Su Phi terraced fields, located in Ban Luoc, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Ho Thau, Nam Ty and Thong Nguyen communes of Ha Giang province, are evidence of centuries of wet rice cultivation by ethnic minorities in the Hoang Su Phi area, including the Nung, Dao and La Chi ethnic groups.

  The fifth Hoang Su Phi district Culture and Sports Festival also opened earlier, featuring traditional ethnic arts and cultures.

(Source: nhandan)

Chinese tourists decline by nearly 10% in 2012

  Nearly 894,000 people visited Vietnam from mainland China in the first eight months of 2012, a 9.7% drop from the same period of 2011, according to the General Statistics Office.
Ho Chi Minh City – based Lien Bang Travelink said the number of Chinese tourists it served dropped by 30%, while Danang – based Vitours said numbers have dropped sharply from more than 100,000 in 2011.
In 2011, more than 1.4 million Chinese came to the country, a year-on-year increase of 56.5%.
Around 58% by air, 30% normally come by road and the rest by sea.
The tourism industry organised a promotion in Guangzhou City in August and is set to hold road shows in the cities of Xian and Tianjin on the next month. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism plans to invite Chinese media outlets to Vietnam.

(Source: VNS)

Ho Chi Minh City hosts first Mekong tourism city mayor meeting

Leaders from Ho Chi Minh City of Viet Nam, Phnom Penh of Cambodia and Vientiane of Laos gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on September 13th for the first meeting of Mekong sub-regional tourism cities’ mayors.

  The event, which took place within the framework of the 2012 International Travel Expo-Ho Chi Minh City, aims to the implement sustainable tourism development strategy, contributing to prioritizing toursim cooperation between cities in the Mekong sub-region.

  Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Mr Le Hoang Quan said the city’s tourism sector has developed strongly in recent years. In the 2006-2011 period, the number of international tourists to the city saw an average increase of more than 10%, accounting for about 60% of the country’s total number of foreign visitors. The sector contributed 43% and 11% to Viet Nam’s total turnover from the non-smoke industry and the city’s GDP, respectively

  He pointed out that the municipal authorities always create favourable conditions to develop tourism through a series of policies, promotion solutions and programmes on human resources training.

  At the conference, the mayors of Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Vientiane signed a joint statement on intensifying and encouraging travel agencies to cooperate in information exchange and experience sharing on the tourism development planning and promotion.

  They agreed to cooperate in training and developing human resources for tourism, implementing joint promotion programmes to build the Mekong Sub-region into an attractive destination, and further tighten the relations between countries in the region while strengthening exchanges with other cities outside the region.

(Source: VNA)

Cat Ba – Long Chau Island bids to become World Natural Heritage Site

Cat Ba Island

  The authorities of Hai Phong City and the National Heritage Council are completing procedures to submit to UNESCO for recognition of the Cat Ba-Long Chau Archipelago as a World Natural Heritage Site.

  Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee, Mr Le Khac Nam said the council has approved the procedures and asked them to revise some content before submission to the Prime Minster. This proposal is scheduled to be sent to UNESCO on September 30th.

  Cat Ba Archipelago, located in Cat Hai District, Hai Phong city, includes 367 islands with bays, clean beaches, caves, virgin forests and limestone mountains. It is also home to abundant natural resources and high biodiversity, which make it an ideal area for the development of Viet Nam’s tourism industry.

  At present, Viet Nam has two World Natural Heritage sites recognised by UNESCO, namely Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province and Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province.

(Source: dtinews)

Russian travel agencies to flock to Viet Nam

Some 19 groups with around 400 people from travel agencies in 18 Russian cities will come to Viet Nam from this month until November to research Viet Nam’s tourism.

  Such travelers will not o­nly tour popular destinations such as Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan provinces but also inspect Ninh Thuan Province.

  Chairwoman of Anh Duong Company, Mrs Hoang Thi Phong Thu said that the firm in coordination with its foreign partner Pegas Touristik organized the program. Travel agencies who will visit Viet Nam this time come from different cities across Russia.

  In addition to inspecting tours, hotel and restaurant services in central coastal cities and in the Mekong Delta, some groups will attend the Int’l Travel Expo HCM City 2012 which will open in HCM City o­n September 6th.

  In summer, Anh Duong and Pegas Touristik organized a trip for around 300 people from Russian travel agencies to get acquainted with destinations in Viet Nam in preparation for the coming winter travel season.

  “Partners have given positive feedbacks after the trip. The number of Russian tourists coming to Viet Nam in the winter will amount to around 100,000, doubling that of last year’s winter,” Mrs Thu told the Daily.

  According to Mrs Thu, there will be around three charter flights daily from Russia to Cam Ranh Int’l Airport in Khanh Hoa Province from October 15th to April 30th next year, and Russian tourists will visit Nha Trang and then move to Phan Thiet and HCM City. They will also visit Ninh Thuan Province. Currently, there is o­nly o­ne charter flight to Cam Ranh each day and six flights per week.

  Together with Anh Duong Company, HCM City, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Da Nang and Quang Nam provinces will attend the Leisure Moscow 2012 taking place in Russia this month.

  With a recent strong growth in the Russian market, Viet Nam has picked Russia as o­ne of the three main markets to boost promotion activities to attract tourists.

(Source: SGT)

Hanoi bus fares to rise up to 80% from 2013

  The Hanoi People’s Committee has decided to increase bus fares by up to 80% from 2013, instead of October, as previously proposed by the capital’s bus company.

  Under the forthcoming increase, single bus ticket fares for routes less than 25 kilometers will cost 5,000 dong (US$ 0.24), 25-30 kilometers routes will cost 6,000 dong (US$ 0,29) and routes longer than 30 kilometers will cost 7,000 dong.

  Commuters will also have to pay 90,000 dong (US$ 4.29) and 140,000 dong (US$ 6.67) for one-route and all-route monthly passes respectively.

(Source: VNS)

Ho Chi Minh City hosts int’l tourism expo 2012

More than 500 domestic and foreign businesses will take part in the eighth Int’l Tourism Expo in Ho Chi Minh City between September 13th and 19th.

  ITE Ho Chi Minh City 2012 is Vietnam’s biggest tourism event to introduce the latest tourist products and services. It also promotes major domestic and overseas destinations, especially the programme Four Countries – A Destination, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

  The Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the event’s organiser, has developed a Meeting Online service to help participating businesses meet and sign contracts. More than 3,000 such meetings have been arranged online.

  Senior officials and Ministers of tourism of the four aforementioned countries will meet within the framework of the exposition, aiming to increase cooperation in the field.

  For the first time Ho Chi Minh City will organise a meeting of the mayors of cities in the Mekong River basin, including Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam, Vientiane of Laos, Phnom Penh of Cambodia, Bangkok of Thailand and Yagon of Myanmar. The meeting is to realise the joint statement on tourism connectivity between big tourism centres in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

(Source: VOV)

Tourism sector needs skills standards

The implementation of a universal and consistent set of occupational skills standards is crucial for the development of Vietnam’s tourism sector, according to int’l experts and industry insiders during a workshop held on September 6th.

Ha Long Bay - A world natural heritage

  As strong growth in the tourism sector has created higher demand for front-line staff and well-trained managers, such standards will act as a benchmark for measuring the performance of workers in the tourism industry and lay the foundation for effective training activities.

  Vietnam began compiling its first set of national occupational skills standards for the tourism sector in 2008 and is in the process of finalising it.

  However, along with the country deeper int’l integration, the national standards being developed in Vietnam have to meet industry requirements and come in line with int’l standards, said Mr Vu Quoc Tri, deputy director of Vietnam’s National Tourism Administration’s Int’l Co-operation Department.

  According to Mr Tri, Vietnam has joined other ASEAN members to adopt the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals in 2009, which means Vietnam’s national occupational skills standards must be compatible with the common competency standards of ASEAN tourism professionals.

  He said such compatibility was a prerequisite to facilitate the free flow of tourism professionals among the ASEAN region, which is set to begin in 2015.

  Though rather than starting from the scratch, the content of the national occupational skills standards will be developed by mapping and cultivating several standard systems currently in practice.

  “There is no need to re-invent the wheel. We should use the best of what is available to meet the needs of all our stakeholders,” said Mr Paul Pentfold, an int’l tourism expert.

  One of the main references cited was the Vietnam Tourism Occupation Skills Standards (VTOS), which was developed under the European Union-funded project “Human Resources Development in Tourism” from 2004 to 2010.

  The VTOS, which sets the minimum skill requirements for 13 occupations at entry level in both travel and hospitality, are still being taught at vocational colleges, according to representatives present at the workshop.

  However, the national occupational skills standards would have to cover all industry levels, said Mrs Pham Thi Thanh Ngoc, vice rector of Hai Phong Vocational College in Tourism and Services.

  Vietnam Tourism Association deputy chairman Mr Vu The Binh said that the biggest challenge was to engage tourism professionals, especially those working in travel, in training activities to meet standards.

  “The fact is that managers in travel companies pay scant attention to training activities. Out of 1,000 companies nation-wide, only 30 to 40 managers are interested in providing training for their employees,” he said.

  Mr Binh added that, as the Tourism Law has been under review, there was a need to amend certain provisions to re-organise the sector to ensure that it’s mandatory for all tourism professionals to meet the occupational standards in order to operate at the designated level.

  According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalid Social Affairs’ Vocational Training Department, Vietnam has issued national occupational skills standards for 122 occupations in various sectors, including industry, commerce, transport and construction.

(Source: VNS)

VietJet Air launches attractive promotions, with more flights.

  VietJet Air announced on September 9th that from Oct-14th the airline will increase the number of flights on many domestic routes.

  Accordingly, there will be two flights daily on the HCM City–Nha Trang route; three round-trip flights daily on the HCM City–Danang route; and three daily round trip flights on the Ha Noi–Danang route.

  The budget carrier will also offer a attractive promotional program in which it will offer tickets for only 99,000 dong (4.5 USD). 10,000 promotional tickets will be available on the HCM City–Nha Trang, HCM City–Danang and Ha Noi–Danang routes from this Oct-14th to Mar-31st, 2013.

  VietJet Air currently flies Airbus A320 aircraft to four major hubs of Vietnam — HCM City, Ha Noi, Danang and Nha Trang. VietJet Air will now offer 10 return flights a day between HCM City–Ha Noi, Ha Noi–Danang, HCM City–Danang and HCM City–Nha Trang. The route linking HCM City and the northern city of Hai Phong will commence on Oct-1st, with one return trip a day.

  In late this year, with the arrival of three more A320 aircraft, VietJet Air expanded its fleet to 6 aircrafts adding new routes to more destinations in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. At present, routes under consideration include Ha Noi–Phu Quoc, Ha Noi–Da Lat, HCM City–Hue and HCM City–Vinh.

  Director of business development at VietJet Air, Mr Desmond Lin said “As always VietJet Air makes great efforts to serve customers by introducing more flights and offering even lower cost fares this time. With VietJet Air becoming both a domestic and int’l carrier, we believe that customers will soon enjoy a wider choice of routes for private travel and business purposes both domestically and internationally.”

(Source: SGGP)

Cheap tickets at Vietnam Airlines

  Vietnam Airlines announced a special promotion programme with 110,000 cheap tickets for int’l and domestic flight routes.

  Customers can buy promotional tickets for flight routes to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and The United Kingdom at an average price of VND1.253 million (US$59) for a two-way ticket and VND 400 (US$19) for a one-way ticket for domestic flights.

  The special promotional programme will apply to tickets from September 12th-19th and from August 31st to October 10th, this year for domestic flights.

(Source: VNA)

Caravan visitors deeply impressed by Hue relics

An int’l caravan delegation left the former imperial city of Hue on September 7th after traveling through China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

  The convoy of fifty caravans carrying 150 reporters, representatives of int’l travel agents and businesspeople started its trip from Nanning, China on August 18th, and traversed through Laos, Thailand and the central region of Vietnam. This is the biggest int’l caravan group to visit Hue relics since early this year.

  They visited My Son sanctuary, Hoi An ancient town, Da Nang city and tourist sites in Hue relics on September 5th-6th, which they said left a deep impression on them. Besides, they were also very happy about their trip, going through a lot of beautiful scenery and discovered some new tourism sites at the central region of Vietnam..

  Hue relics has received many caravan delegations in recent years, and more visitors are choosing this kind of tourism because they can visit and relax whenever and wherever they want.

  Travel agents in Hue city are preparing appropriate infrastructure and services for travelers during the peak tourist season that will begin in next time.

(Source: VOV)

AirMekong announces a special promotion on its anniversary

The budget carrier AirMekong has announced a special promotion program to mark its 2nd anniversary of operation.

  Accordingly, everyday from Sep-6th, the airline will provide at least 222 discounted seats on domestic routes of HCM City-Buon Me Thuot/Pleiku/Phu Quoc/Con Dao/Quy Nhon (from VND535,000 each), and Ha Noi-Da Lat/HCM City/Buon Me Thuot/Pleiku, Phu Quoc, Con Dao (VND1 million), flying from Sep-15th to Oct-14th. AirMekong also plans an increased number of local flights between Buon Me Thuot, Pleiku and HCM City, HCM City and Con Dao, Ha Noi and Buon Me Thuot and Pleiku.

  Further information is available at AirMekong’s website: www.airmekong.com.vn or its ticket offices across the country. Especially, passengers who successfully complete a transaction through the online service F@st i-bank of TechcomBank at the airline’s website will get VND50,000 in cash.

  Over the past 2 years, AirMekong has conducted around 20,000 safe flights with more than 1.3 million passengers on 13 domestic routes, with an average of 30 flights everyday.

(Source: qdnd)

Call for increased state budget for tourism

The Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has asked the Ministry of Finance for an increase in the State budget to meet increased demand for tourism.

  According to a recent VNAT report, over 4.3 million foreign travellers visited the country during the first eight months, a 10% increase over the same period of 2011, while the number of domestic tourists reached 23.2 million, an increase of seven percent compared to the same period of 2011.

  Deputy director of VNAT, Mrs Hoang Thi Diep said tourism needs more money for promoting brand names, products and sites.

  She said that last year VND35 billion (US$1.6 million) was spent on tourism promotion. However, the amount was only VND30 billion in 2012. ”Due to the current fierce competition, tourism promotion is really crucial,” said Mrs Diep “However, the lack of State funds is preventing tourism from developing.”

  In 2012, tourism has earned VND98 trillion (US$4.6 billion) so far, a 15% increase compared against the same period 0f 2011.

(Source: VNA)

Asiana Airlines stops Incheon – Cam Ranh service

Asiana Airlines, one of South Korea’s two major carriers, has stopped offering services between Seoul-based Incheon Int’l Airport and Cam Ranh In’l Airport in Vietnam’s coastal province of Khanh Hoa, its representative office in HCM City confirmed on August 29th.

  The direct air route had been running under a pilot period, which has ended as scheduled, the representative said.

  Asiana Airlines has yet to decide if it will resume the Incheon – Cam Ranh service in the future.

  The first Asiana Airlines flight arrived in Cam Ranh on the evening of July 12th, with 131 Korean passengers aboard.

  “Opening a direct flight route from Incheon to Cam Ranh was seen as a significant step forward in bringing foreign tourists in general, and South Korean tourists in particular, to visit, live and work in Vietnam,” said Mr Truong Dang Tuyen, director of the provincial Department of Culture – Sports and Tourism, in the ceremony held to receive the first flight from Incheon to Khanh Hoa province.

  The Korean airliner has since offered two flights a week, on Tuesdays and Sundays, with A321 planes, each carrying about 140-150 passengers.

  As of the end of August, Asiana Airlines had offered a total of 15 flights, carrying 1,778 passengers, to the central part of Vietnam.

(Source: tuoitre)

Travel down during National Day holiday

Many tourist destinations have not faced any overload or sharp price hikes during the National Day holiday (September 2nd) this year.

  In certain areas, the number of tourists has picked up, but slightly. Some tour operators have even recorded a decline in tourist numbers on this occasion, and one of the main reasons is that people are cutting spending on travel.

  According to several travel firms in Ho Chi Minh City, hotels in key tourist attractions such as Nha Trang city and Da Lat city were often full in previous years. However, right before and even during the holiday this year, tourists could still book rooms on arrival in Nha Trang city and Da Lat city.

  A few days before the holiday, the tourism promotion center of Khanh Hoa Province said the average occupancy of one-star hotels was about 40 per cent, two-star hotels 55 per cent, and 3-to-5-star hotels 60 per cent. During the holiday, more rooms are booked, but occupancy isn’t as high as in the previous occasions.

  Similarly, in Da Lat, hotels are not as crowded as in the previous years. A group of overseas Vietnamese traveling from Nha Trang city to Da Lat city on September 2nd happily said they could book rooms in this hilly resort town with prices a little higher than on normal days.

  On the other hand, the numbers of visitors to Binh Thuan province and Danang city on this occasion are still high.

  A representative of the Binh Thuan tourism authority said resorts in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet were fully booked and the hotels achieved high occupancy as many holidaymakers came to the Binh Thuan province to attend the first Vietnam Int’l Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.

  The Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism estimated from August 29th to September 3rd, around 180,000 tourists would come to Ham Tien-Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City, and Hon Rom camp site, including 61,000 int’l visitors.

  Although hotels and resorts at some destinations are still fully occupied, travel agencies report lower-than-expected results in this holiday season. Many large tour operators offered discounts and kept prices of certain tours unchanged, but bookings inched up insignificantly.

  As for small travel firms, tourists does not increase. Some companies in Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi even recorded a drop in tourist numbers.

  Saigontourist Travel Service Company said it had launched more than 100 domestic and outbound tours since early August. Most of these are short tours, lasting two to five days, meeting the vacation needs of customers.

  Still, bookings are up by 8 per cent against last year with a total of over 10,000 travelers during the National Day holiday. On holidays, the number of tourists served by Saigontourist often grows 10-15 per cent year-on-year.

  Meanwhile, Mr Tran The Dung, deputy director of the The He Tre Travel Company, said the company’s business performance wasn’t good this holiday. The number of its customers is down 40 per cent compared to last year.

  For fear of loss, the company didn’t arrange tours for individuals so that it could focus on group tours. “But the situation isn’t good either, with the number of tourists down significantly,” Mr Dung said.

(Source: SGT)

Vietnamese aviation – chances and competition

Different airlines in Vietnam are working hard to finance their fleet expansion as increasing passenger demand presents a positive outlook for the industry.

  However, with increasing competition, more astute management will be required to reap the benefits.
Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, revealed its fleet development plan by recently putting a new A321-200 aircraft into operation.

  The aircraft, leased from Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Company (VALC), is the first in a deal of ten new A321-200 aircraft purchased by VALC from Airbus Airline.

  The carrier plan to buy 26 new Airbus aircraft during the 2011-2014 time, with seven expected to be delivered in 2012.

  The carrier conducts over 300 flights a day on 80 routes, to 20 domestic and 26 int’l destinations. Its fleet is expected to increase from 115 to 170 aircraft between 2015 and 2020.

  Following the same trend, low-cost airline Jetstar Pacific on Aug-22nd launched a new A320, the third of its kind in the fleet.

  Jetstar Pacific with a current capacity of 240 flights a week is expected to receive three more A320s before the end of 2012.

  Its General Director Le Hong Ha said that the operation of the new A320 fleet will help reduce the cost of operation and technical maintenance.

  The trend of fleet expansion can also be seen at Air Mekong – a private airline planning to rent two more A321 aircraft to serve the growing demand of domestic routes. In recent years, the Vietnam aviation market has seen robust growth.

  Over the past three years, Vietnam’s carriers have served about 30 million passengers and transported 500,000 tonnes of cargo, a four-fold increase of both number of passengers and cargo compared with the figures recorded before 2005.

(Source: VNA)

Despite the lean year, travel firms still expand their business

Travel firms all complain that 2012 is a very difficult year for them. However, despite the decline, the firms still have been trying to scale up their business.

  After the unsatisfactory summer tourism season, travel firms are now facing a quiet September holiday. VnMedia has quoted an executive of Hanoitourism as saying that the tourist sector is experiencing a period of serious crisis. The number of travelers has dropped by 30-50% so far in comparison with the same period of 2011, the sharpest decline in the last many years.

  Dau tu has quoted its sources as saying that the revenue of the summer tourism season increased by 10% only, despite a series of sales promotion campaigns.

  Mr Luong Duy Ngan, Director of Newstar Tour said unlike the previous years, travel firms are not busy these days, because the tours designed for the National Day holiday have not been sold. Ngan said the number of travelers booking tours for September holiday has dropped dramatically by 30%.

  In 2011, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Phu Quoc islands were overloaded with too many travelers on September holiday. Meanwhile, the tourist sites are believed to be deserted this year.

  Though the holiday would come just in some more days, travel firms are still ready to receive the travelers who book tours just before the departure time. It seems that travel firms feel they would be better to set up more branches to expand their business scale at this moment, when they do not have too much work to do.

  In late August 2012, Vietravel opened a transaction office in district 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, while it is now planning to set up one more in Thu Duc district. Earlier this month, Du Lich Viet also opened its new office in district 10, according to Thoi bao Kinh te Saigon.

  One month ago, Saigontourist put the Saigontourist Travel Center in district 5 in Ho Chi Minh City and opened a branch in Dong Nai province.

  As such, in the first six months of the year alone, the firm set up one more branch, two more branches and one travel centers in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi and Long Xuyen. It is now moving ahead with the plan to open some more offices in Ha Noi and the southern region.

  Every travel firm has its own reason to decide to set up more branches and offices. However, there is a common reason that travel firms want to approach clients more easily and better polish their images. With more branches opened, consumers would be more easily recognize the brands of the service providers.

  Mr Tran Van Long, Director of Du Lich Viet Company, said while the transactions would be still conducted at the headquarters in district 1 and via Internet, the company would continue enlarging its network.

  It is expected that Du Lich Viet would have more offices in Ho Chi Minh City and in the central region. The main task of the branches is to take care for customers and make the tourism brands more familiar to travelers.

  “When the brand recognition system is present in many places, customers would feel more secure to choose our services,” he said.

  Mr Nguyen Minh Man, a senior executive of Vietravel, said the firm has 10 offices in Ho Chi Minh City which are in charge of receiving individual travelers, while it plans to develop transaction offices in the suburb areas of the city.

  According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the city saw the number of travel firms increasing rapidly in the first half of the year. There are now 784 operational travel firms in the city, an increase of 45 firms over the end of 2011. Meanwhile, the number of sales agents has increased from 14 to 18.

(Source: vietnamnet)

Many tourist sites lack public toilet facilities

The number of public restrooms at tourist destinations in Viet Nam only meets about 30% of demand, which is believed to leave a bad impression on tourists and cause environmental problems.

Public toilet

  The issue was raised once again at a video conference among tourism officials and experts from Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang held on Aug-28th.

  They were strongly in favor of creating a detailed plan to build enough public rest-rooms to serve tourists.

  Minister of Cultural, Sport and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said that investment in public rest-rooms would be one of the major tasks for Viet Nam’s tourism sector this year.

  Previously, last May, the ministry asked the People’s Committees of centrally-governed cities and provinces including Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang to design plans for and boost the construction of public restrooms.

  Accordingly, by the end of this year, at least 50% of tourist destinations are expected to have public rest-rooms of proper quality for tourists to use. In the next 2 years, all tourist destinations across the country are expected to have qualifying rest-rooms.

  At present, a majority of international and domestic tourists complain about the poor quality of such rest-rooms in addition to the shortage.

  Mr Nguyen Ngoc, an experienced tour guide, said that visitors usually paid much attention to the quality of public toilets.

  An unhygienic toilet could not only bring down the quality of service at a particular tourist attraction but also damage the image of Vietnamese tourism in general, she said.

  The conference also provided a forum to address other problems facing Viet Nam’s tourism sector. A few examples: degrading tourism infrastructure, improper conservation of historical cultural sites, and a shortage of staff working in the sector in terms of both quality and quantity.

  Restaurants, accommodations, and souvenirs have yet to meet demand while Vietnamese tourism’s brand promotion has yet to be as effective as expected.

  Mr Nguyen Van Tuan, director of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, said that regional tourist co-operation was crucial to boost the national tourism industry.

  The ministry and administration would help localities to invest and develop key tourism products, he said, adding that they were developing projects to boost marine tourism and border tourism among Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia.

  He also urged enterprises to prepare for tougher competition.

(Source: vietnamnet)

Occupancy up for Danang hotels

Furama Danang Resort

  The Danang hotel industry is looking up in terms of number of rooms available and occupancy rates.

  In the second quarter, the number of rooms increased by 7% from the first quarter to 3,100 rooms at 29 hotels and resorts. Besides, the average room rent by 14% to VND2.06 million/one night (around US$99.5), according to a survey by property consultancy Savills Viet Nam.

  In the time, Danang city welcomed 736,000 arrivals, an increase of 24% from the previous quarter. However, foreign tourists decreased by a whopping 30% with 146,000 arrivals, while domestic tourist numbers were up by more than half.

  In 2012, there are six new hotels are expected to open with around 900 rooms.

(Source: VNS)

Quang Nam province’s tourism booms

  Quang Nam province hosted a record 2.3 million tourists in the first 8 months of 2012, earning VND3 trillion (US$143 million).
The figure was announced on Aug-29th at a conference in Hoi An city to sum up 15 years of Quang Nam tourism.
The province, home to world heritage sites Hoi An ancient town, My Son sanctuary, and Cham Island biosphere reserve, hosted 2.5 million tourists in last year.
In 1997, the province earned around VND47 billion (US$2.2 million).

(Source: VNS)

Clamp down on HaLong Bay tours

HaLong Bay

  Quang Ninh People’s Committee has ordered all HaLong Bay tours to publish their service charges in the local media.

  This follows many complaints from travelers about disorganised tours and the lack of transparency in fees charged.

  To improve quality services and prevent losses to the industry and provincial budget, the people’s committee told all boat-tour agents to publicise their prices in the media.

  Besides, the committee also asked relevant agencies to conduct a market survey and recommend prices for tours and overnight stays on HaLong Bay.

  These rates will be fixed for at least 3 months and published on the provincial website and Quang Ninh online newspaper.

(Source: VNS)

International balloon festival opens in Binh Thuan province

  The first event Vietnamese International Hot Air Balloon Festival opened in the southern Binh Thuan province on Aug-31st.

  The event attracted nearly 60 pilots and aerial experts from 12 countries, including the The U.S, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Malaysia, India and the host country Viet Nam.

  21 balloons of various shapes and sizes will fly up to 100m-200m above the round in a radius of 25kilometers.

  Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tam, head of the Steering Committee, Vice Chairman of Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee, said the festival has become a prominent cultural event in Vietnam, attracting large crowds of both domestics and foreign tourists.

  The event includes various activities such as hang-gliding, aircraft and traditional kite demonstrations and performances as well as a marine tourism trade fair as part of the 4 day festival.

(Source: VOV)

Vietnam ready to celebrate National Day

Vietnam is now ready to celebrate the 67th anniversary of National Day on Sep-2nd. A variety of entertainment activities in big cities promises to bring many choices to nationals and tourists over the holiday.

Fireworks will lighten up the skies of hanoi and HCMC on the night of Sep-2nd

  The world’s largest film network, Future Shorts, will kick off a series of cultural events in Ha Noi during the holiday with its screening from 7 – 11.pm on Aug-31st at the Boombox Lounge at 1 Nguyen Khac Can Street. The event will showcase numerous short films by directors from around the world including Grant Orchard’s “A Morning Stroll”, Mihai Grecu’s experimental documentary “We’ll Become Oil”, and Will Madden’s stop-motion animated “Notes on Biology.” Tickets cost VND100,000 (US$5) and include one free drink.

  A highlight to mark the national holiday is a concert titled “Dieu Con Mai” (Everlasting Things). At the show to be held at 2.pm on Sep-2nd at the Ha Noi Opera House, well-known singers including Thanh Lam, Hong Nhung, My Linh, and Trong Tan will join together to perform with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Le Phi Phi. “Dieu Con Mai” will be broadcast live on VTV1 channel.

  Also that day, the Ho Chi Minh City Circus Troupe will perform at Hai Ba Trung District’s Central Circus as part of its tour around northern provinces, which began Aug-24th. In their shows, artists will perform routines that have been included at international circus festivals. Tickets costing from VND120,000 to VND 300,00 are available at the venue.

  For fans of fine art, galleries and exhibitions in the capital will be good destinations for their holiday. An exhibition featuring 3D photos and videos depicting Hanoi at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century is taking place at 45 Trang Tien Street. “Hanoi through The Lens of Time” displays around 100 3D works divided into three topics: Hanoi’s ancient streets, Hanoi’s architectural heritage, and Hanoians’ lifestyle. The exhibition will run until Sep-4th.

  An indispensable activity for the holiday is a fireworks display. A performance will take place on the night of Sep-2nd in four of Hanoi’s districts, including Hoan Kiem, Tay Ho, Hai Ba Trung and Ha Dong.

  For those who like to enjoy an outdoor atmosphere, the Hang Bong night market, which will take place from Friday to Sunday, is probably a good choice. Besides offering many kinds of goods, the market near Sword Lake will also showcase a variety of local street foods, promising to bring visitors an interesting experience in local cuisine culture.

  Meanwhile, Vietnam’s most populous city, Ho Chi Minh City, will also welcome the holiday in its own way.

  104 of the best photos chosen from 1,594 entries of the 37th Ho Chi Minh City Art Photograph Festival 2012 will be displayed at the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association at 122 Suong Nguyet Anh Street starting Sep-1st. The photos depict the country and its people as well as outstanding construction works across the country under the themes of “Freedom” and “New Rural Area.”

  French photographer Yan Lerval’s ongoing exhibition featuring 24 photos about Saigon kids is also a nice consideration. Themed “Saigon Kids”, the exhibition is in honor of the work of KOTO, a not-for-profit hospitality training organization that is changing the lives of street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam. Pictures are on sale until Sep-16th at My Place restaurant, 195 Dien Bien Phu, District 3 and all profits will be donated to KOTO.

  Dong Lan, a talented contestant from the current popular reality show “The Voice of Vietnam”, will add more colors to the holiday through her show titled “Je t’aime” at We Lounge on District 3’s Le Quy Don Street on Sep-1st. The performer, who has impressed The Voice’s jury and audiences with her bohemian style and unique voice, will sing original tracks including “Chú Cừu Nhỏ” (Little Sheep), “Sợ Chết” (Scared of Death) and other songs from her upcoming album. Tickets cost VND300,000 and are available at the venue.

  One day later, September’s live show of the Vietnamese Billboard chart “Bai Hat Yeu Thich”(Favorite Songs) will be held at Lan Anh Stage at 291 Cach Mang Thang 8 Street, offering more choices for locals. The show will feature numerous well-known young voices like Uyen Linh, Van Mai Huong, Quoc Thien, Noo Phuoc Thinh and Dinh Manh Ninh. It will take place at 9.pm and be broadcast live on VTV3 channel.

  Like Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City will also have fireworks performances at 9.pm on Sep-2rd at the Thu Thiem Tunnel area in District 2 and Dam Sen Park in District 11.

  In addition, Dam Sen theme park will offer many programs for its visitors on Sep-1st and 2nd, including comedic shows, music performances, and drama plays for children.

  Elsewhere, the central coastal province of Binh Thuan is also hosting the International Hot Air Balloon Festival, which is being organized in Vietnam for the first time ever. Besides hot-air balloon performances, the event, themed “Bien Xanh – Cat Trang – Nang Vang” (Blue Sea, White Sand and Yellow Sunlight), will consist of multiple activities including a trade fair, cuisine festival, flower garlands and colored lanterns festival, photo exhibition, kite surfing performances, dragon dances and street music shows.

  Moreover, many blockbusters including “Painted Skin 2,” “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” “Paranormal” and “The Lucky One” are being screened at cinemas across the country and will bring relaxing and joyous moments to movie fans.

(Source: tuoitre)

What’s behind the cheap air tickets…

…is the big worry about the market decline not only of fledgling air carriers like Air Mekong or Vietjet Air, but also of the national air flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA), which is holding more than 70% of the market share.

 Big sale promotion campaigns launched

  Over the last three years, passengers have been regularly enjoying big airfare discounts offered VNA.

  The national air carrier has reported that hundreds of thousands of air tickets with the price discounts of up to 50% are sold every year.

  The big sales promotion campaigns run by VNA have helped stimulate the demand, but they have put big difficulties for other air carriers, which also had to follow the move by lowering their airfares, and for VNA itself.

  Indochina Airlines, which had to stop operation just after one year of providing commercial flights, once complained that it couldn’t sell tickets at higher prices to make profit, because of the cutthroat competition in the aviation market.

  VNA is now holding more than 70% of the domestic market share, considered the “eldest brother” among the air carriers. This explains why VNA announces air discount campaigns; other airlines also have to launch sales promotion programs.

  Jetstar Pacific, known as a budget airline, which always tries to cut down expenses, also admitted that it couldn’t bear the air ticket price reductions in a large scale offered by the eldest brother.

  Since the airline sold tickets at low prices, the turnover wasn’t high enough to cover expenses. This, plus the management problems, both have made the airline take loss continuously in the last few years. Meanwhile, the air carrier has anticipated that the loss wouldn’t be less than US$9 million in 2012.

  Vietjet Air, a new comer on the market, also had to attract more passengers by launching a series of sales promotion campaigns, offering the air tickets with surprisingly low prices of VND19,000 or VND350,000 – VND900,000 for domestic flights.

  Right after Vietjet Air raised the flight frequency, VNA also launched a sales promotion campaign for the autumn season, under which 300,000 air tickets were sold at the prices of VND550,000 – VND950,000 (one way), not including taxes and fees.

  However, in fact, passengers can still fly at “reasonable costs,” even if they don’t book tickets in August. Obtaining the tickets for the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City flights at just VND1.2 million, including taxes and fees is within reach of passengers.

  Especially, passengers can fly with the national flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines instead of a budget airline, with just VND1.3-1.5 million on the same route.

  Air Mekong and Jetstar Pacific have not run sales promotion campaigns noisily, but they have adjusted the airfares to make the air tickets reasonably cheap to passengers, with the gaps between the airlines’ ticket prices and VNA’ lowest airfare rates hovering around VND300,000 – VND600,000.

Continued loss anticipated

  Explaining the currently applied flexible airfare pricing policy, an executive of VNA said the competition has become fiercer and stiffer on both the international and domestic routes.

  The executive said that its international air routes have been influenced by the global political and economic changes and the appearance of new competitors. Therefore, instead of expecting high profits from international flights to offset the loss in domestic flights, VNA needs to improve the exploitation efficiency of the flights on domestic routes.

  In a recent report, VNA said its domestic transport output would be 7.5% lower than the targeted output set up in the yearly business plan.

  With Vietjet Air’s more aircrafts put into operation and the market decline of 2.6% in the first six months of 2012, VNA’ number of passengers was 5.8 million only, just fulfilling 96% of the plan.

(Source: vietnamnet)