VietNam Business: tourism

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

City explores new routes for river tourism

HCMC – The HCMC tourism authority will survey a new tourist route upstream the Saigon River to the neighboring province of Dong Nai early next month as the city government on Monday gave approval, an official said.

Nguyen Viet Anh, head of the Travel Division of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said the city’s vice chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Hong, had allowed the department to undertake the survey following a meeting on Monday about a plan to explore some river tourist routes to develop this kind of tourism for the city.

Officials at Monday’s meeting also discussed the possibility of opening another river tour linking the city’s center, neighboring Binh Duong Province, and Cu Chi District in the city’s outskirts.

A report prepared by the tourism department after a survey in July shows that this medium-length river tour is of high potential owing to the beautiful scenery and attractions along the route.

The route should start from Bach Dang Wharf, take in Thanh Da-Binh Quoi and then Binh Duong Province’s craft villages before ending in the historical Cu Chi Tunnels.

But at Monday’s meeting, some expressed concern that this tourist route could hardly be launched later this year as had been expected due to the lack of required infrastructure facilities.

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the tourism department, told the meeting that there were not enough berths along the route for boats to anchor, let alone the mobilization of other transport means along the route to cater to tourists.

Khanh also complained that several bridges along the route had a low vertical clearance, preventing bigger boats from navigating underneath.

So far, the tourism department and some tour operators have surveyed a short route from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 to District 7. “We will launch this tourism product by the year-end or early next year,” Anh of the city’s tourism department said.

The city is pining high hopes on river tourism as strong potential of the industry, which once brought into play will also help linking attractions in the city with those in other provinces.

The city government has asked the tourism authority to draft an action plan this year to develop a river tour taking tourists from HCMC to attractions in the city and to other places such as the Mekong Delta province of An Giang and Cambodia.

At Monday’s meeting, vice chairwoman Hong also agreed in principle to assign Saigontourist Holding Company to build a tourist wharf in District 1. Earlier, Hong also gave the company the go-ahead to build a tourism wharf in Nha Be District.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Southern metro set to welcome 3.3 million visitors

In the first nine months of 2010, the number of international arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City reached 2.2 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 13 percent.

The city expects to receive at least 3.3 million foreign visitors in 2011, earning VND48 trillion (US$2.4 billion), according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

At this growth rate, the southern economic hub hopes to welcome the 3 millionth visitor in mid-December this year.

HCMC targets 2.8 million foreign tourists this year but the real figure may exceed 3 million.

The city’s tourism sector accounts for 60 percent of international arrivals to Vietnam , 45 percent of the country’s tourism revenues and 5.5 percent of its GDP.

Vietnam has organised tourism promotion programmes and cultural exchanges in China, Japan, the RoK and Cambodia in addition to roadshows in Australia , Norway and West European countries, they added.

The nation has targeted 4.5-4.6 million foreign tourists this year, a year-on-year increase of more than 17 percent.

Travel agencies will continue with tourism promotion and sales discount programmes in August and September in a number of key tourism cities and provinces.

Hanoi plans to organise tours to a number of ancient Vietnamese capitals, museums and homestays to attract more tourists to the city.

The Vietnamese tourism authority said it expected about 1 million Chinese holidaymakers to visit the country this year, double last year's number.

VNAT attributed the rise to a series of promotional campaigns run in major Chinese cities over the last two years.

the number of Chinese holidaymakers visiting the south of the country was rising by 25 percent annually.

Travel firms have also reported significant growth in visitor numbers from China. Lien Bang Travelink said the number of tourists using the company's services had increased by 30 percent since the beginning of the year compared to the same period in 2009.

However Vietnam could not compete with regional countries such as Bangkok or Singapore in terms of shopping malls or medical facilities.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Nations co-operate to foster tourism

Tuan Chau Resort in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh. The three Indochinese countries have made efforts to boost co-operation on promoting tourism in the region. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Ha

HCM CITY — As part of the HCM City International Travel Expo 2010, a seminar was held recently, themed "Three Countries-One Destination".

This year marks the strong recovery of Viet Nam's tourism, with a 30 per cent growth of international tourist arrivals year-on-year, according to La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Tourism in Laos and Cambodia has also seen encouraging growth, Khanh added.

"This achievement comes from efforts of each country, and from successful co-operation, co-promotion and formation of tourist products among the three countries," he said.

"There is a trend of overland tours through Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia," Cao Tri Dung, director of Vietnamtourism – Vitours, said. "Tourists want to experience new ways of travel."

However, this kind of travelling has met difficulties because of the high charge for the vehicle border pass, few services on the way, and no cooperation between local authorities.

"There is no rest stop from Viet Nam to Laos," Dung said.

He proposed that authorities lower border check fees, and invest in rest-stop shops along the routes as well as infrastructure.

At the seminar, Edouard George, chairman of Phoenix Voyages Company, presented information about vessels that would be used for cruises on the Mekong River from Viet Nam to Cambodia.

They include the three-deck L'Amant offering 12 wide cabins; three-deck Tonle Pandaw accommodating 66 guests; three wood cabin The Bassac; three-deck RV Indochine; three-deck Mekong Eyes; three-deck Mekong Feeling; and 46-room French colonial-style vessel RV La Marguerite.

In order to support tourism, Viet Nam Airlines has introduced an air network and new policy for flights from Viet Nam to Cambodia and Laos, as well as a new route to Myanmar.

The national carrier is expected to fly to 44 international destinations and 23 domestic destinations in 2020, said Hoang Viet Thang, deputy general manager of the passenger sales and marketing department of the Southern Regional Office of Vietnam Airlines.

The airline currently has flights to 26 international and 20 domestic destinations.

According to Thang, Europe is an important market for tourism in Indochina. The airline expects to open new routes and improve direct flights from HCM City and Ha Noi to the region.

"Indochina is the target tourism destination for Northeast Asia tourism, so new routes will be opened by 2015," Thang said.

The carrier intends to open direct flights to the US next year and wants to open new routes to the Southwest Pacific as well as increase the frequency of flights within Southeast Asia to attract tourists to new destinations in Indochina.

The carrier will also develop direct flights from Viet Nam's central Da Nang City to Indochinese countries, to increase tourism from the midlands of Viet Nam to the region, Thang added.

In addition, it will create a dense network throughout the country of 44 routes and 2,100 flights a week by 2015, making connecting times convenient for flights from Indochina.

The carrier also will improve cooperation with Cambodia Angkor Air, Lao Aviation, Myanmar carriers, Tourism Authorities in Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar to promote destinations in Indochina.

Ministers' conference

"We encourage national travel agencies to hold information exchanges, share experience in tourism master plans, promotions and product development," said Tran Chien Thang, deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Thang spoke at the conference of four Tourism Ministers on the opening day of HCM City's International Travel Expo from September 30 to October 2.

Among the attendees were Thong Khon, tourism minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia; Somphong Mongkhonvilay, chairman of Lao National Tourism Administration; and Aye Myint Kyu, deputy minister of Myanmar Hotels and Tourism.

The four countries should support each other in holding forums on tourism investment, Thang said, adding that the countries should create favourable conditions for others to join in international tourism events to increase the number of the tourists among the four countries.

At the meeting, countries unanimously approved the plan to strengthen cooperation in educating human resources for tourism by standardising jobs and teaching programmes, and by offering scholarships and information exchange, Thang said.

In addition, the four ministers agreed to create improved conditions for transportation among the countries, and called for more foreign investment in tourism.

Also, they decided to hold the Conference of Four Tourism Ministers every two years. — VNS

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Expo promotes regional tourism

Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam

A three-day annual International Travel Expo aimed at boosting 3CODE (Three Countries One Destination) tourism program covering Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia has wrapped up in Ho Chi Minh City.

Held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7, the event attracted 155 "buyers" from 35 countries and 173 sellers (enterprises and departments offering products and services).

Besides buyers from traditional markets, organizers aimed to explore new markets in North Europe, Spain, Italy and the US.

"This year's expo welcomes Myanmar, preparing to form the new 4CODE," said La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"We hope to see all the six countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region in the coming expo, to join hands and make the region more interesting in the eyes of international tourists," Khanh said.

Vietnam's national flag carrier as well as the official carrier of the event, Vietnam Airlines, offered up to 85 percent discounts on selected international routes.

The carrier also introduced its "Welcome Christmas in Europe" tour packages at attractive prices.

Thailand organized a conference introducing its Amazing Thailand campaign. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) targets 14 million arrivals by the end of this year, and 15.5 million international tourist arrivals next year.

TAT and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism have also held a working section.

Friday, December 31, 2010

Countries of CLMV join hands for tourism development

Vo Anh Tai (R ), director of Saigontourist Travel Service Co., talks with foreign partners at the International Travel Expo in HCMC’s District 7 - Photo: Dao Loan

HCMC - High-ranking tourism officials of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, often referred to as CLMV, on Thursday announced in HCMC that they had agreed to join hands in many activities to develop tourism in the four countries.

The four tourism ministers agreed on the cooperation on Wednesday in a meeting as part of the sixth International Travel Expo in HCMC, which kicked off in HCMC on Thursday.

Tran Chien Thang, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the four sides would join hands in marketing activities, in organizing tourism investment forums, and developing human resources.

The four ministers also agreed on concerted efforts to make transport easier for citizens and international tourists to travel to and from the countries, and would seek ways to links tours between the four destinations. Efforts would also be made to open air routes linking the region’s world heritage sites.

The four ministers also agreed to organize the ministerial meeting in every two years to further discussions about the cooperation.

“We want to use the tourism industry as a lever to reduce poverty,” said Somphong Mongkhonvilay, tourism minister of Laos.

Tourism cooperation among the three countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam was formally initiated in 2007, when the three tourism ministers signed an agreement to this effect. The cooperation is now further widened with the participation of Myanmar this year.

The Laos minister said that the three countries were doing well in joint promotion activities, in organizing caravan tours, and making transport easier for citizens and international tourists.

“The number of flights between the three destinations is increasing. Overland transportation is easier. We are talking with the Governments to open more border gates for tourists to travel through,” he said.

Tourism officials said transportation is very important to help develop the tourism industry.

“Making transport easier is very important especially for visitors from outside the region. We should help them get visas in international border gates. We are talking with Governments to build more highways for better transportation,” said Thong Khon, Cambodia’s tourism minister.

The tourism ministers of Laos and Cambodia said that international tourists to the two countries can make visa procedures at international gates. Meanwhile, for Vietnam, tourists can get visa at the embassy or at international gates, but in the second way local travel firms must be there to assist such visitors.

The travel expo kicked off on Thursday at the Saigon Convention and Exhibition Center in District 7. Along with the exhibition, buyers and sellers are continuing business meetings there.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Expo promotes regional tourism

A three-day annual International Travel Expo aimed at boosting 3CODE
(Three Countries One Destination) tourism programme covering Vietnam ,
Laos and Cambodia opened in HCM City on Sept. 30.

Held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, the
event attracted 155 "buyers" from 35 countries and 173 sellers
(enterprises and departments offering products and services).

Besides buyers from traditional markets, organisers aimed to explore
new markets in North Europe, Spain , Italy and the US .

"This year's expo welcomes Myanmar , preparing to form the new
4CODE," said La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCM City Department
of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"We hope to see all
the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion in the coming expo, to
join hands and make the region more interesting in the eyes of
international tourists," Khanh said.

Vietnam 's
national flag carrier as well as the official carrier of the event,
Vietnam Airlines, offered up to 85 percent discounts on selected
international routes.

The carrier also introduced its "Welcome Christmas in Europe " tour packages at attractive prices.

Thailand organised a conference introducing its Amazing Thailand
campaign. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) targets 14 million
arrivals by the end of this year, and 15.5 million international tourist
arrivals next year.

TAT and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will hold a working section on Sept. 10./.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Expo promotes regional tourism

HCM CITY — A three-day annual International Travel Expo aimed at boosting 3CODE (Three Countries One Destination) tourism programme covering Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia opened in HCM City yesterday.

Held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, the event attracted 155 "buyers" from 35 countries and 173 sellers (enterprises and departments offering products and services).

Besides buyers from traditional markets, organisers aimed to explore new markets in North Europe, Spain, Italy and the US.

"This year's expo welcomes Myanmar, preparing to form the new 4CODE," said La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"We hope to see all the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion in the coming expo, to join hands and make the region more interesting in the eyes of international tourists," Khanh said.

Viet Nam's national flag carrier as well as the official carrier of the event, Vietnam Airlines, offered up to 85 per cent discounts on selected international routes.

The carrier also introduced its "Welcome Christmas in Europe" tour packages at attractive prices.

Thailand organised a conference introducing its Amazing Thailand campaign. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) targets 14 million arrivals by the end of this year, and 15.5 million international tourist arrivals next year.

TAT and the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism will hold a working section on Sunday. — VNS

Friday, December 24, 2010

Tourism vibrant

by Hoang Ha

Foreign tourists visit a forest in Buon Don District in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Experts at the ASEAN Tourism Investment forum yesterday said Viet Nam could become one of the most-visited countries in Asia by 2020.—VNA/VNS Photo Hong Ky

HCM CITY — Viet Nam tourism has great potential for sustainable development, and the country could become one of the most-visited countries in Asia by 2020, according to experts who spoke at an ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum held yesterday in HCM City.

"The number of tourists to Viet Nam shows a consecutive increase with an average of 10.1 per cent a year for international tourists, and 4.8 per cent for domestic tourists," said Professor Pham Trung Luong, deputy director of Institute for Tourism Development Research.

The forum discussed tourism investment opportunities and investment in ASEAN-member countries

Last year, international tourists to Viet Nam decreased by 10 per cent year-on-year due to the economic crisis. However, the number of domestic tourists increased from 20 million of 2008 to 25 million.

The development of tourism had contributed positively to socio-economic development, Luong said.

Earnings from tourism increased from VND20.5 trillion (US$1.1 billion) in 2001 to VND70 trillion ($3.6 billion) in 2009, with an annual growth rate of 16.6 per cent.

According to the General Statistics Office, foreign currency earnings from tourism reached $4.02 billion in 2008, making tourism the fifth highest field in foreign currency earnings (following exports of crude oil, garments, shoes and aquatic products).

Tourism created 450,000 direct jobs and 1 million indirect jobs by 2009, contributing to poverty alleviation.

The development of tourism has played a part in the growth of other sectors, including airlines, construction and handicraft villages.

Total investment capital from the national budget in tourism was VND3.516 trillion ($1.8 billion) in the 2001-07 period. This was focused on provinces with national tourist areas, Luong said.

In addition, enterprises have invested an average of VND800 billion ($48 million) yearly into resorts and hotels.

Viet Nam has seen success in attracting foreign investment, especially FDI, based on the advantages of political and socio-economic stability and brisk and steady economic growth. Also, the country is a transport hub for Southeast Asia, and has membership in the World Trade Organisation, Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC), ASEAN and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

In 2008, Viet Nam's FDI capital flow increased to $64 billion, three times higher than the 2007 investment pledge.

Tourism was ranked fourth in sectors that attract FDI investment in Viet Nam, Luong said.

Foreign investment in Viet Nam tourism began in 1988 with a $7.765 million project, he added.

There were 431 FDI projects totalling $18 billion in the period of 1988-2008.

These projects were in the fields of resorts and hotel construction, golf, entertainment, transportation, travel and tourism services.

The explosion of foreign investment into Viet Nam tourism can be seen clearly during the period of 2002-08, with 307 projects and total registered capital of $15.454 billion.

According to statistics, most of the FDI projects were resorts and hotels in all seven central coastal provinces and southern islands of the country.

"This trend is likely to continue," Luong said.

FDI projects in Viet Nam tourism all produced the desired effect, he added.

Annual turnover from FDI companies were around $800 million. Of the number, $100 million contributed to the national budget.

FDI companies also created 40,000 direct jobs and tens of thousands of indirect jobs.

Investment lure

Nguyen The Hung, acting director of the Southern Investment Promotion Centre under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said the country should continue to review investment and business laws and policies to ease cumbersome procedures and attract more investors.

It should also maximise all resource mobilisation for infrastructure development, give priority to the water supply and drainage areas and to environmental protection.

Other areas that need more attention include roads, railways, bridges, power production, solar power, wind power and the information technology industry.

The country should create policies on promotion and FDI attraction, and set up investment promotion representatives in key markets abroad, Hung said.

In general, in order to foster the ASEAN Tourism Investment Environment, ASEAN needs to internalise economic returns through tourism cluster growth, according to Professor Dr Wong Kong Yew, director and tourism economist of Malaysian Tourism Research Institute for Policy Studies.

"In the medium term to long term, this strategy encourages physical infrastructure development and promotes connectivity of resources," he added.

Creating a business-friendly tourism investment environment would also increase growth.

Focusing on increasing opportunities to develop human capital would help develop the manpower to support that growth, he said.

He proposed the creation of the ASEAN Tourism Investment Fund and suggested that the Government encourage the participation of commercial banks and financial institutions in providing loans for tourism projects.

Last year, there were 65 million international tourists travelling to ASEAN countries, 1 per cent higher than the previous year, and 59.7 per cent higher than in 2000, in spite of the global economic crisis. — VNS

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Annual travel expo to move to new venue in HCM City

HCM CITY — The sixth edition of the International Travel Expo (ITE) in HCM City, the largest tourism event in Viet Nam, will be held September 30-October 2.

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the expo would be held at the new, modern Sai Gon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in the Phu My Hung area in District 7.

Yesterday, the organisers of ITE 2010 announced the participation of 155 buyers from 35 countries and regions, nine tourism promotional organisations including those from India, Turkey, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and 15 newspapers and magazines from 13 countries, including Sweden, Italy, Thailand, Australia, Canada, Germany, China, Russia and France.

During the event, several networking opportunities will be available, including the ASEAN Tourism Investment Forum; a conference with four ministers from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Viet Nam; 2010 Tourism Alliance Awards; Viet Nam Night; Cambodia Night; and a lunch party hosted by the Thailand Ministry of Tourism.

ITE 2010 is open only to trade visitors and buyers on the first day and a half of the event. It is open to the public for a half day on October 1 and 2.

"ITE 2010, with the theme Three Countries One Destination, offers business opportunities for both inbound and outbound travel all at one event," said Nguyen Van Tan, the department director and manager of the city representative office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"Besides offering a channel for Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam to promote themselves, the event is an opportunity for our tourism to look back and improve so that it can be better."

The previous ITE 2009 held last year at the Phu Tho stadium in District 11 attracted 186 exhibiting organisations and companies from 16 countries and regions, 109 buyers from 21 countries and regions, and 14,242 visitors (4,939 trade and 9,303 public visitors). — VNS

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Vietnam looks to five million int’l arrivals this year

Foreign travelers take a diving tour off the coast of the central coast city of Nha Trang - Photo: Dao Loan

HCMC – Vietnam’s tourism authority is pinning hopes on a strong recovery of the inbound sector and aiming for a record high of five million foreign visitor arrivals in the country this year.

Vu The Binh, head of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told the Daily on Thursday that the high expectation was based on the sector’s encouraging growth rate of over 30% in the year to date. Positive feedback from overseas partners for the high inbound tourism season by the year-end is another factor for optimism, Binh added.

The country welcome over 3.8 million international visitors last year, down 11% from the previous year, but international arrivals in the first eight months of this year reached 3.35 million, up 35.2% year-on-year.

In an original plan, the tourism authority expected 4.5 to 4.6 million international visitors to come to the country this year.

The tourism sector has been active in promoting the country’s image abroad, with promotions carried out in Germany, France and Belgium from late August to early this month. The country also plans to bring a tourism promotion program to some Chinese provinces next month.

In the promotion program for Europe, Binh said, the tourism sector found a good channel able to help Vietnam promote and sell tourism products to hundreds of thousands of overseas Vietnamese there.

Along with the promotions, the tourism authority is asking for policy incentives to spur foreign arrivals in the country, he said. “We’ve received approval from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to extend visa-fee exemptions to international travelers.”

But the incentive for package tour takers will need a final decision by the Government, and might take effect next month, he said.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has put Vietnam in the list of Asian countries with strong tourism performance in the first half of this year.

The organization said Asia had once again shown a strong capacity for recovery with 14% growth in the period. Vietnam and Myanmar had the same growth of 35%, just behind Sri Lanka and Japan.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

EATOF members show strengths in tourism

The strength of the connectivity among East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF) members is vital for the tourism sector’s developments in the context of global economic difficulties, said Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee.

Addressing the EATOF mayors’ meeting in Ha Long City in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on Wednesday, vice chairwoman Nhu Thi Hong Lien suggested EATOF increase the exchange of information through fairs and major events of each country and promote bilateral cooperation among EATOF member provinces.

EATOF member nations should select typical programs of each locality for exchanging experiences, she said.

For his part, Vice mayor of South Korea’s Gangwon Province Kang Ki-Chang, suggested changing tourism environments, upgrading tourism infrastructure and increasing coordination among EATOF member countries as solutions to developing tourism.

EATOF member countries should preserve and bring into play cultural and tourism values with a focus on green tourism and tourism for the community’s interest while updating tourism information and advertising tourism on the Internet, he said.

The participants also put forward recommendations to boost connectivity and cooperation within EATOF.

At the meeting, the mayors voted for Ha Long Bay as a world natural wonder and signed a joint declaration for sustainable development in East Asia.

EATOF bilateral meetings between member provinces also took place on the same day.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Sustainable tourism development discussed

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Delegates from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, Mongolia and Vietnam discussed sustainable tourism development at a workshop in Ha Long City of the northern coastal Quang Ninh Province on Tuesday.

At the workshop held within the framework East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF), Asso. Prof. Tran Thi Minh Hoa from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Tourism Faculty spoke of advantages for the development of sea, sports, cultural and ecological tourism models in Quang Ninh province.

Quang Ninh is one of the country’s four tourism centers and the home of world-famous Ha Long Bay, twice recognized by the UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values, said Hoa.

The delegates suggested Quang Ninh could zone off deluxe tourism areas, invest in clean energy, develop tourism products and engage in human resources training.

Meanwhile, Dr Milagros C. Espina from the San Jose University of the Philippines introduced a waste management and natural resources program called Winning over Waste (WOW).

The success of WOW will encourage similar activities in EATOF and reduce the threat of climate change, he said, emphasizing the necessity for the exchange of information among cultures on WOW and other initiatives.

EATOF must have a comprehensive policy on environmental protection from climate change and develop a program for its members to assist one another, he said.

The workshop also heard speeches on rural tourism development in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta province, tourism education in Mongolia, tourism under the ocean and a new change in adventurous tourism development in Sarawak in Malaysia.

An EATOF travel fair opened in Ha Long city on teh same day as one of the forum’s first activities.

The two-day fair saw the participation of travel agencies from eight provinces, namely Cebu (the Philippines), Gangwon (South Korea), Luang Prabang (Laos), Sarawak (Malaysia), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Tottori (Japan), Tuv (Mongolia) and Yogyakarta (Indonesia).

Vietnamese travel agencies from Hanoi, Quang Ninh and the northern port city of Hai Phong also introduced their tourism products at the event.

The second sea tourism and flight route committee was reestablished at a conference held by the EATOF organizing board on the same day.

Quang Ninh seeks to draw more tourists

Tourists visit Ha Long Bay, the leading attraction in the northern province of Quang Ninh. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dan

HA NOI — The northern province of Quang Ninh needs to tailor plans for luxury and mass tourism, invest in clean energy, develop tourism products and engage in human resource training to attract more tourists, a conference heard yesterday.

At a workshop held by the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF), the Viet Nam National University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities' Tourism faculty director, Tran Thi Minh Hoa said that just 500,000 tourists had visited Quang Ninh Province in 2000.

In 2009, the figure had grown to 2.7 million tourists or 71.9 per cent of the country's visitors and the province was now one of Viet Nam's four major tourism centres, she said.

Quang Ninh was one of the country's four tourism centres and home to world-famous Ha Long Bay, twice recognised by UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values, said Hoa.

Environment

Philippine delegate Dr Milagros C. Espina of the University of San Jose Recoletos and a member of the Cebu City Tourism Commission addressed the forum on the War on Waste (WOW) programme designed to manage and protect natural resources.

Dr Espina emphasised that a destination with a well-protected environment would attract more tourists.

The success of the WOW programme would encourage other EATOF member countries to participate in similar activities to reduce the threat of climate change, he said.

Dr Espina said EATOF must have a strong and comprehensive policy to protect the environment while it also needed a programme to support countries or people affected by climate change.

The forum also discussed rural tourism in Indonesia; tourism education in Mongolia to match demographic change; a heightened role in local communities in developing sustainable tourism; the feasibility of combining education and tourism and underwater tourism.

Regional links

The forum's Chartered Flight and Cruise Committee established to foster regional tourism through the strengthening of air and sea links between member countries also met yesterday.

It is also tasked with collating flight and cruise schedules.

Its 40 members are drawn from tourist, airline and transport company offices and State agencies.

World Tourism Organisation representative Garry Kingshott described the trend and prospects for low-cost transport in Asia, and how it could be used to support regional tourism.

Participants also discussed the promotion and advertising of chartered flights and cruises and committee regulations and operations.

The East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF)'s members are Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, Mongolia and Viet Nam. — VNS

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

UNWTO: Vietnam a top growth tourist destination

International tourists visit a perfume store at a commercial center in HCMC - Photo: Dao Loan

HCMC - The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has put Vietnam in the list of the top Asian countries with strong tourism performance in the first half of this year.

UNWTO said in a statement about global tourism that international tourist arrivals are estimated to have grown by 7% in the first six months. Asia Pacific with the growth of 14% and the Middle East with 20% led growth in the global tourism industry in the period.

The organization said Vietnam and Myanmar had the same growth of 35%, ranking the two countries as particular countries which had strong results in the period, behind Sri Lanka and Japan.

“Asia in particular is experiencing a very dynamic rebound, with strong results from Sri Lanka (49%), Japan (36%), Vietnam (35%), Myanmar (35%), Hong Kong (China) (23%), Macao (China) (23%) and Singapore (23%),” says the report.

UNWTO said Asia had once again shown a strong capacity for recovery. International tourism has been a driving force in the region, currently the second most visited region in the world with 181 million international tourist arrivals, or 21% of the world total.

However, the organization still maintained its forecast that the global tourism sees continued growth but risks remain. “Although we are witnessing a clear recovery in international tourism, we must remain cautious,” UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said in the statement.

Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, earlier told the Daily that local travel remained a key pillar for the country’s tourism, with up to 17 million Vietnamese people traveling in the first half, representing over two-thirds of the figure for all of 2009.

Growth in international visitor arrivals was 32.6% in the first half, with more than 2.51 million foreign visitors coming to the country. The number reached nearly 3.35 million in the first eight months, up 35.2% year-on-year.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Vietnam looks for more Belgian tourists

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium Saturday co-organized a program to promote the country’s image as an attractive and safe tourism destination.

As part of activities in the “Vietnamese Days in Belgium”, the program, titled “ Vietnam , your destination”, also aimed to offer Belgian and Vietnamese businesses operating in tourism industry an opportunity to exchange and seek out partners.

At the meeting, VNAT’s deputy head Nguyen Manh Cuong introduced tourism potentials of Vietnam, a country with 54 ethnic groups that boast a diverse cultural asset, and a thousand-year history.

Especially, the country is home to ten world natural and cultural heritages recodnised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), he said.

The Vietnamese tourism industry has also organised a wide range of special activities on the celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of the capital city of Thang Long-Hanoi, Cuong added.

On the occasion, he called on Belgian tourist businesses to increase their investment in Vietnam.

Vietnam looks for more Belgian tourists

At the meeting, VNAT’s deputy head Nguyen Manh Cuong introduced tourism potentials of Vietnam, a country with 54 ethnic groups that boast a diverse cultural asset, and a thousand-year history.

Especially, the country is home to ten world natural and cultural heritages recodnised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), he said.

The Vietnamese tourism industry has also organised a wide range of special activities on the celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of the capital city of Thang Long-Hanoi, Cuong added.

On the occasion, he called on Belgian tourist businesses to increase their investment in Vietnam.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Vietnam looks for more Belgian tourists

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and Vietnamese
Embassy in Belgium on September 4 co-organised a programme to
promote the country’s image as an attractive and safe tourism
destination.

As part of activities in the
“Vietnamese Days in Belgium ”, the programme, titled “ Vietnam , your
destination”, also aimed to offer Belgian and Vietnamese businesses
operating in tourism industry an opportunity to exchange and seek out
partners.

At the meeting, VNAT’s deputy head Nguyen
Manh Cuong introduced tourism potentials of Vietnam , a country with
54 ethnic groups that boast a diverse cultural asset, and a
thousand-year history. Especially, the country is home to ten world
natural and cultural heritages recodnised by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), he said.

The Vietnamese tourism industry has also organised a
wide range of special activities on the celebration of the 1,000 th
anniversary of the capital city of Thang Long-Hanoi , Cuong added.

On the occasion, he called on Belgian tourist businesses to increase their investment in Vietnam./.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Vietnam seeks more German tourists

The Vietnamese government has invested VND4 trillion in building infrastructure for the tourism industry, a Vietnamese tourism senior official said at a talk to promote Vietnam's image in Germany.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Chief of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, met with representatives of travel companies owned by Germans and Vietnamese expats in Germany on August 29 and 30.

Introducing the country’s tourism potential, sightseeing wonders, and prominent tangible and intangible cultural heritages, Cuong also presented special programmes that the tourism industry launched on Hanoi’s 1,000 th founding anniversary.

He expressed his hope that tourism cooperation between German and Vietnamese travel companies would be boosted so Germany can eclipse France in terms of the number of tourists coming to Vietnam .

Present at the talks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Do Hoa Binh noted that the growing ties between the two countries have provided conditions for the development of bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, including tourism.

He pledged to create improved conditions for German travel companies to do business with Vietnam .

For their part, many participants urged the Vietnamese tourism industry to equip more tour guides with the German language, along with professional skills and rich cultural knowledge, in order to lure more German visitors.

In 2009, the Vietnamese tourism industry contributed US$5 billion to the State budget, generating jobs for 1.3 million people and helping to eradicate poverty.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Vietnam seeks more German tourists

The Vietnamese government has invested 4 trillion VND in building
infrastructure for the tourism industry, a Vietnamese tourism senior
official said at a talk to promote Vietnam ’s image in Germany .

Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Chief of the Vietnam National Administration
of Tourism, met with representatives of travel companies owned by
Germans and Vietnamese expats in Germany on August 29 and 30.

Introducing
the country’s tourism potential, sightseeing wonders, and prominent
tangible and intangible cultural heritages, Cuong also presented special
programmes that the tourism industry launched on Hanoi ’s 1,000 th
founding anniversary.

He expressed his hope that tourism
cooperation between German and Vietnamese travel companies would be
boosted so Germany can eclipse France in terms of the number of
tourists coming to Vietnam .

Present at the talks, Vietnamese
Ambassador to Germany Do Hoa Binh noted that the growing ties between
the two countries have provided conditions for the development of
bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, including tourism.

He pledged to create improved conditions for German travel companies to do business with Vietnam .

For
their part, many participants urged the Vietnamese tourism industry to
equip more tour guides with the German language, along with professional
skills and rich cultural knowledge, in order to lure more German
visitors.

In 2009, the Vietnamese tourism industry contributed 5
billion USD to the State budget, generating jobs for 1.3 million people
and helping to eradicate poverty./.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Local tour operators honored in Thailand

HCMC – The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s HCMC Office has announced five Vietnam travel agencies that have won The Friends of Thailand awards.

The five are Saigontourist Travel Service, Vietravel Marketing and Tourist Company, Tan Dinh Trade and Travel Service Company (known as Fiditourist), Ben Thanh Tourist, and TST Tourist.

The Thai tourism authority has also presented a personal award to Duong Thi Thu Thuy, reporter of Travel & Entertainment magazine, and an international press award to Doanh Nhan Sai Gon newspaper.

The Friends of Thailand awards are designed to honor individuals, organizations and tourism companies in recognition of their contributions to the tourism development of the “Land of Smile”. The international press award is for articles that introduce and promote images, country, people and new tourist destinations in Thailand.

The Friends of Thailand was launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand in 1996 and every two years, the awards are presented to contributors to Thai tourism. The 2010 award ceremony will be held in Bangkok in late September.

Vietravel, one of the five award winners, says that over the past ten years, the number of tourists traveling to Thailand under its arrangement has leapt over 20 times. Its average tourism growth for the Thailand sector is 25-35%.

In the first six months of the year, the number of people booking Thailand tours at Vietravel was nearly 15,000, and the tour operator expects to arrange tours to Thailand for a total of 25,000 tourists, up 20% from last year.

Every year, Thailand welcomes around 14 million international tourists, including 30,000 from Vietnam, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

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Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam

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