Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has encouraged the
most-visited cities and provinces to launch a free wireless broadband
program to attract more tourists, especially those from abroad.
At a nationwide web conference on polishing the nation’s tourism
environment last week, Nhan said the tourist attractions of Ha Long and
Nha Trang had started offering free wifi after the ancient town of Hoi
An and the coast city of Danang.
Other tourism-reliant cities should do the same to enable visitors to
stay online while on the go and look for services and tourism
information on the web, he told the meeting.
The central province of Quang Nam started free wifi service in Hoi An
in March at a cost of some VND25 billion, funded by various sources.
After that, Danang did a similar scheme with 150 wifi hotspots set up
citywide.
HCM City appoints young volunteers to assist foreign tourists
The Communist Youth Union in Ho Chi Minh City introduced a new plan
on June 8 at 23/9 Park in District 1, to train young volunteers who will
in future assist foreign tourists with key and relevant information on
the City.
The teams will include young people who have good command of foreign
language skills and be able to help and guide tourists within the City,
especially in District 1 where most of the foreign holidaymakers
converge.
The volunteers will be mainly based in three locations such as the
T-Junction of Pham Ngu Lao-De Tham Streets, the crossroad of De Tham-Bui
Vien Streets, and in front of the Army Command Station in Pham Ngu Lao
Ward on De Tham Street in District 1.
The unique Bac Ha plateau horse race
Horsemen from ethnic groups on the Bac Ha plateau in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai gathered at the annual horse race festival on June 8.
The horse race has always existed in the mythology of the Bac Ha
people and was designed for “barefoot cavaliers”, who have been friends
with horses since they were born. It has now become part of the unique
traditional culture of the "white plateau” and a popular attraction for
both domestic and international tourists.
According to local resident Vang Van Hoang, in the old days, when the
immense forests were adorned with white plum and apricot flowers, local
people flocked to the Hoang A Tuong edifice to watch the horse race,
which usually took place at the foot of Ba Me Con Mountain.
The horsemen gathered at the starting line and, when a shot signaled
the start of the race, they galloped towards a specific point. When they
reached their goal, they jumped off their horses, fired five shots, and
grabbed a red ball before remounting their horses and returning to the
starting line.
The traditional race is run bareback, which makes it even more exciting with spectacular performances.
During wartime, the race was suspended for many years as the horsemen
went to the battlefield to fight for national independence.
The race was resumed in the spring of 1980 when the Bac Ha Military
Command gathered more than 50 jockeys and horses from villages across
the district to join the competition.
Twenty-seven years later, the race was officially restored as part of
the annual tourism programme in eight northwestern provinces.
Increasing numbers of visitors have come to Bac Ha to witness this
unique festival, with 30,000 watching the race in 2012, double the
figure in 2009.
The restoration of the festival aims to help preserve the special
cultural and spiritual values of local ethnic minority people, said
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Bac Ha People's Committee.
Vang Van Huynh, who won last year's race, said only when they are on
horseback, can he and his fellow riders show off the courage they
inherited from their ancestors.
Visitors at this year’s festival will be able to join the exciting
and animated atmosphere and enjoy a number of other activities including
traditional dances, a food festival, farmer’s market, and various
eco-tourism programmes.
Saigontourist opens office in Nha Trang
Saigontourist Travel Service Company last Saturday opened a branch in
Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa, its sixth transaction
office to be put into operation this year.
According to Saigontourist, in addition to introducing domestic and
outbound tourism products to local tourists, Saigontourist-Nha Trang
provides outbound tours departing from Cam Ranh International Airport
and welcome Russian tourists flying directly between Cam Ranh and
Russia. With this branch, tourism products concerning sea, islands,
leisure, events and golf can be boosted.
On the opening day, the branch granted Saigontourist vouchers worth
VND1 million each to the first ten customers buying package services.
Besides, Saigontourist-Nha Trang will offer many airfare and domestic
and outbound tour discounts from now until June 22.
Saigontourist Travel Service Company had over 450,000 domestic and
international tourists last year with total travel revenue amounting to
over VND2.085 trillion.
New hotel brand goes up in Hoi An
Thailand’s hotel investment and management firm Minor Hotel Group has
introduced Anantara Hoi An Resort in the central province of Quang Nam,
its second project in the country after the first in the south-central
province of Binh Thuan.
Situated next to the Thu Bon River, Anantara Hoi An is a boutique resort with 93 guest rooms and other services.
This is one of the two resorts Minor Hotel Group has acquired from
hotel management firm Life Resorts, including Life Heritage Resort Hoi
An and Life Wellness Resort Quy Nhon. Total capital for the two
properties and acquisition of the brand is US$16 million.
After turning the Life Heritage Resort Hoi An into Anantara Hoi An
Resort, the group plans to re-brand the Life Wellness Resort Quy Nhon as
Avani Quy Nhon Resort & Spa.
The Thai firm entered Vietnam in 1998 via a joint venture in Harbour
View Hotel in Haiphong City. It launched the first project, Anantara Mui
Ne Resort & Spa, in Binh Thuan Province two years ago.
The group now has 85 properties in operation across 12 countries, including Vietnam.
Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort and Spa’s stunning promotions
Phu Quoc Island, a peaceful tropical paradise in the warm turquoise
waters, is known for its stunning beaches, untouched natural
environment, splendid surroundings, and fantastic scuba diving,
snorkeling and squid fishing as well as seafood specialties.
However, visiting this magical place does give you a bit of a
dilemma. Where to stay? For accommodation, the Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort
and Spa is recommended as an ideal spot. The resort has 98 bungalows and
villas overlooking the sea and offers many entertainment services. The
resort has two restaurants with a capacity of 300 guests, a conference
hall with 200 seats and a spa together with many relaxing and
entertainment services.
The resort is offering many attractive promotions. For a twin
Panorama room, tourists just pay VND1.66 million per night from Monday
to Thursday until July 31 and VND1.5 million for two nights at a twin
room of Star Cruise level and up, available until October 31. The
program is not applied for package services and other promotions. Guests
will be also given a voucher for a sauna and massage.
Travelers can also pay from VND2.67 million for a package price to
stay one night at Panorama room for two guests, inclusive of airport
transfer, breakfast, 90-minute massage and sauna. Moreover, just pay
from around VND2.6 million for a package price for two guests to stay at
Panorama room for one night, inclusive of breakfast, airport transfer
and main meal.
The resort also offers 36 free services including sauna, massage,
airport transfer, wifi, swimming pool, tea, coffee, doctor on call,
billiards, gym, kids’ playground, tennis (from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), golf
course, bicycle, Chinese chess, table tennis and kayaking. The resort
also has other services such as a bistro at President Villa, room
service 24/7, an office selling air tickets, tours to travel around the
island, scuba diving and squid fishing.
The resort has two new conference rooms with the capacity of 10 to
250 seats. The Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort and Spa is located at 62 Tran Hung
Dao Street on Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province, tel: (077) 3846
999, email: sgphuquocresorts@hcm.vnn.vn, web: www.vietnamphuquoc.com.
Phu Yen is looking for its place in the sun
Central Phu Yen province is angling to become Vietnam’s another new
attractive tourism destination, following Danang, Quang Nam and Nha
Trang, as the province’s transport infrastructure is improved.
In September, the province will inaugurate a new terminal at Tuy Hoa
airport that has throughput capacity of 550,000 people per year. This
new terminal will bring Phu Yen closer to tourists, who used to feel
difficult in travelling to the province.
In addition, a tunnel through Cu Mong mountain pass is under the
construction, making transportation from Khanh Hoa province, home to Nha
Trang Bay, to Phu Yen more convenient.
“The biggest challenge for tourism development in Phu Yen is poor
transportation network. But this problem is going to be removed. We are
now calling for investors in the tourism sector,” said Tran Quang Nhat,
Vice Chairman of Phu Yen Provincial People’s Committee. “We consider
tourism a priority for provincial economic growth.”
Bordering with Binh Dinh in the north and Khanh Hoa in the south, Phu
Yen owns a wealth of wild, sandy beaches, including Bai Xep, Bai Tram,
Bai Mon-Mui Dien, Xuan Dai Bay, Vung Ro Bay and O Loan Lagoon. It could
be described as the last long stretch of undeveloped sandy beaches in
Vietnam.
The beauty of Phu Yen could explain why Sama Dubai, a member and a
subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates’s Dubai Holding, considered
investing billions of dollar to build luxury resorts in Xuan Dai Bay and
O Loan Lagoon a few years ago. The developer discussed the project with
the local authorities for about three years before Sama Dubai withdrew
because of the global financial crisis.
“In three years negotiating with Sama Dubai, we could not call for
other foreign investors to develop these beautiful sites,” said Nhat.
But now, Nhat revealed, a famous domestic hospitality and property
developer is studying the opportunity to invest in O Loan Lagoon, which
could be a break-through for the development of Phu Yen.
Brunei-headquartered New City Vietnam Company, in 2008, gained an
investment certificate for a $4.3 billion project that would cover 565
hectares of land along a sandy, wild beach in Bai Xep area, comprising
of three 4-star hotels with 900 rooms and four 5 star-hotels with 2,250
rooms. In addition to that, the investor will build other facilities
like villas, residential areas, a diving zone, a sport centre, a water
park, a commercial area, office buildings, a golf course, electronic
gaming services and a healthcare centre.
Although the developer has not started the construction yet because
of slow pace of site clearance, it is committed to pursuing this
project.
In developing its tourism sector, Phu Yen maps out a plan for luring around 900,000 tourists by 2015.
Bright prospects for Lao Cai tourism
Typical tourism products of the northern mountainous province of Lao
Cai have drawn increasing attention from foreign travel publications, a
senior official of the provincial tourism sector has said.
Tran Huu Son, head of Lao Cai’s Department of Culture, Sports and
Tourism, cited that Australia’s travel magazine Lonely Planet has listed
Sa Pa as one of the 10 best walking sites in the world for tourists,
while Sri Lanka’s Serendib has described Bac Ha minority cultural market
as one of the 10 most attractive markets in Southeast Asia .
Besides, US-based Travel and Leisure Magazine has named Sa Pa’s
terraced rice fields as one of seven most magnificent examples in the
world, he added.
Defining tourism as the key sector in the province’s economic
development strategy, Lao Cai has exerted efforts to actively promote
its tourism products through various events such as the Fansipan
conquering programme and Bac Ha traditional horse racing, Son said.
Besides, Lao Cai has also taken part in many international tourism
fairs to introduce its tourism information and its tourism cooperation
programmes with seven other northwestern provinces to domestic and
foreign visitors, added Son.
Nguyen Thanh Duong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s
Committee emphasised the unique identity of Lao Cai and economic
potential from the tourism sector. He underscored the necessity to
maintain and develop the local cultural identity and artisans’
skillfulness and improve the quality of tourism facilities and services.
Lao Cai has implemented measures to better its tourism environment to
attract more visitors. In the 2011-2013 period, the total number of
tourists to the province totalled over 3.1 million. The tourism sector
helped the province earn more than 5,600 billion VND and employs 8,150
locals.
Festival promotes Vietnamese cuisine in Bangkok
A month-long Vietnam food festival opened in Thailand's capital city
of Bangkok on June 6, as one of meaningful activities to promote
cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Thailand.
The opening event was attended by Vietnam’s Ambassador to Thailand
Ngo Duc Thang and representatives of the Embassy of Vietnam in Thailand,
the Thailand-Vietnam Culture Association, along with hundreds of
overseas Vietnamese in Thailand and international friends.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to Thailand Ngo Duc Thang (in the middle) at the opening ceremony
The festival gives visitors a chance to experience unique and typical
cuisines of Vietnam, while creating opportunities to strengthen
cultural exchange and understanding among ASEAN countries in general and
between Vietnam and Thailand in particular
A series of art works on the Vietnamese people and landscape by
Vietnamese and Thai painters are also on display during the festival.
The festival runs until June 28.
ASEAN ministers committed to stronger tourism growth
Tourism ministers from ASEAN member countries have pledged to
establish standards for tourism in the region as well asa common
regional visa to boost tourism growth by up to 20%.
The tourism ministers were attending the 2013 World Economic Forum
(WEF) on East Asiain Myanmar and issued apress release announcing they
are committed to promotingASEAN countries as desirable
touristdestinations.
Myanmar alsohopesto boost intra-regional trade and support a common visa for ASEAN nationals to be available by next year.
At the forum, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines agreed
to work on a Common ASEAN Smart Visa and signed aStatement of Intent to
develop the visa.
The four countries said they hope to work with government agencies
and relevant sectors to facilitate travel within the region througha
common visa system.
This year’s WEF was entitled "Courageous Transformation for Inclusion
and Integration”and brought together more than900 delegates, including a
Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and over
500 business executives from 55 countries across the world.
Ha Long Bay to get clean public toilets
Tourist cruises, floating houseboats and onshore restrooms in
northern Quang Ninh Province's Ha Long Bay will be equipped with
bio-toilets and composting systems to keep the local water clean.
A pilot project, run by the provincial People's Committee and Japan's
Chodai Co Ltd, will help prevent leakage of waste water to the sea,
thus, reducing breakouts of dangerous bacteria.
The technology is said to be cheaper to install and operate than normal waste treatment plants.
Luxury Travel comes closer to home
Luxury Travel has just launched tours between
Vietnam and
Cambodia to run every month.
The 12-day Vietnam package leaves on the first day of each month from
Ho Chi Minh City, while the 14-day Cambodian journey leaves Hanoi on
the 15th of each month.
Both journeys will take in the “finest food, nature and culture” according to a statement from the company.
Luxury Travel CEO Pham Ha said: “In response to market demand, our
set departure offering will enable our travel partners and their clients
the opportunity to book luxury tours on a predictable and affordable
basis. If you book, we guarantee you will enjoy it.”
“The beauty of our luxury tours is the first hand knowledge and
excellent service of local travel experts. Our trips have been carefully
designed to capture the creme de la creme, and allow you to really
experience the culture, flow smoothly from place to place, and allow
time for relaxation and personal discovery. You will stay at hotels with
great character and we ensure that you will have unique, high end
experiences,” added Ha.
Luxury Travel is a long
established Asian specialist in luxury privately guided and fully
bespoke holidays in Vietnam and the Indochinese Peninsula.
While Thailand is geared more toward mass market tourism, Vietnam is a
destination that is attractive to a more selective class of travellers.
Vietnam is becoming more recognised as a safe and favoured
destination for high-end Australian tourists, thanks to direct and
convenient flights and improvements in the tourism infrastructure.
Source: Vietnamtours
