Tourism vibrant

VietNamNet Bridge – 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, Sept 29, in HCM City.

Foreign tourists visit a forest in Buon Don District in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lac. Experts at the ASEAN Tourism Investment forum yesterday said Viet Nam could become one of the most-visited countries in Asia by 2020. (Photo: VNS)

“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.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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The 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Ha Noi

Hanoi will organise firework displays in 29 locations on October 10 to mark the grand ceremony of the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. The 15-minute fireworks will be set off following the end of an artistic fireworks programme at the My Dinh National Stadium in Tu Liem district on October 10.

Four locations for high-range display will include Hoan Kiem Lake (Hoan Kiem district), Ly Tu Trong Garden (Tay Ho district), Thong Nhat Park (Hai Ba Trung district), and Van Quan Lake (Ha Dong district).

The other 24 locations will be for low-range displays.

Some 31,000 people will participate in the march and parade at the Ba Dinh Square on October 10 to mark the event.

Over 12,000 army soldiers and officers, police and local security force with 10 helicopters will join the march.

The demonstration will be the largest in Vietnam to display forces and achievements of Hanoi and the country over the past 1,000 years, especially those in the national renewal process, the honour of civilised and heroic capital and the city of peace.

According to Le Tien Tho, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the event will begin with a torch procession from the Ho Chi Minh Museum to his mausoleum and light up at the torch tower. After the tower was light up, a ceremony to salute the national flag and shooting of 21 battery salvos will take place. Later, there will be an art performance on Hanoi .

The event which will be broadcast live by the Vietnam Television will conclude by pigeon and balloon release by 1,000 children.

On September 28, procession of Vietnam ’s largest embroidered picture to Hanoi completed.

Embroidery artisans held a ceremony to offer the picture as gift for Hanoi ’s birthday. Pham Quang Nghi, municipal Party Committee Secretary, on behalf of Hanoi received the gift.

The 4m-long and 3m-wide picture was made by nine artisans of XQ Da Lat embroidery painting company during 1000 days.

The embroidered picture features a brilliant lotus and the letter “S” for Vietnam in the lotus lake, with a temple, clouds, moon, cranes, and old villages.

Also on September 28, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) opened a photo exhibition on the 1,000 year-old capital city.

On display are 100 photos by VNA reporters and its freelance photographers. They depict Hanoi now and then, President Ho Chi Minh and Party and government leaders with Hanoi , as well as historical events of the capital city.

The exhibition will run until October 2.

For the same purpose, a ceramic statue of the old tortoise of Hoan Kiem Lake made by artisan Tran Do from Hanoi ’s Bat Trang Pottery Village was handed to the Hanoi Culture-Sports-Tourism Department on September 28.

The 4-tonne tortoise was made as a replica of the tortoise which is being displayed at the Ngoc Son temple.

The same day, the delegation of Hanoi’s Party’s and People’s Committees, People’s Council and Fatherland Front paid floral tributes to Kings Dinh and Le at their temples and King Ly Thai To stele in the northern province of Ninh Binh on the occasion of the capital’s birthday.

Hoa Lu is the first ancient capital of the feudal Vietnamese State and the firm military stronghold of the Dinh, pre-Le and Ly dynasties for 42 years. One year after ascending the throne, King Ly Thai To decided to move the capital city from Hoa Ly to Thang Long (now Hanoi) in 1010.
(Source: VNA)

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ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA focus on promoting Active Travel in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in 2011

Active travel refers to an approach to travel and transport that focuses on physical activity (walking and cycling) as opposed to motorized and carbon-dependent means. Doing so would have the multiple benefits of increasing levels of physical fitness and reducing rates of overweight and obesity, whilst reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and consequent Carbon emissions.

Why ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) focuses on active travel? Global climate change due to fossil fuel usage and the continued increase in obesity and overweight are amongst the most serious health and environmental problems the world is currently facing. A shift towards active travel is being increasingly presented as an effective approach to tackling both these challenges. ATA makes strong recommendations that promoting and facilitating cycling, walking, trekking and kayaking should become key components of an integrated anti-obesity strategy, as this would represent "...physical activity incorporated into the fabric of everyday life."

Sapa Terrace Field Vietnam

Studies have shown that the recent global increase in levels of overweight and obesity are in large part due to the decrease in physical activity by children and adults. Partly this is explicable through an increase in more sedentary forms of leisure (TV, video games) but to a large extent low levels of walking, cycling, trekking and kayaking are also implicated.

In response to this, in UK, Public Health and environmental had campaigns to advocate for stronger policies and practices that promote active travel, and make cycling and walking safer and more attractive. The intention being that these modes could in many instances replace car usage for everyday journeys to school, shops, public services etc. To facilitate this would require local planning and highway authorities to invest in ensuring safe routes are available to these destinations especially in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (danger from other road traffic is frequently cited as the primary reason for not cycling.) In many areas in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia, the current focus of development for cycle, trek and kayak provision are on isolated leisure trails, resulting in highly fragmented cycle routes and pavements/sidewalks, which do not link effectively to everyday destinations.

Actions on Active Travel
ATA have studied the itineraries in local areas for Active Travel which helps travelers have habits to increase in walking and cycling after holidays as well as effective response to the steadily increasing problem of overweight and obesity, and also help reduce carbon emissions.

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Hanoi hotels during celebrations: fully-booked or no?

VietNamNet Bridge – During its 1000^th anniversary, Hanoi will receive an estimated 800,000 domestic and international travelers. Some hotels in the capital city claim that there will be vacancies, others warn it will be difficult to find a room during the festivities.

Some hotel representatives pointed out that it’s the low season for tourism in the city and that, in the last few years, the number of clients has decreased considerably. Therefore, hotels have improved their ‘faces’ to prepare for great numbers of travelers during the celebration, including new wifi systems, free tourist maps, and updated room designs.

A Hoa Binh Hotel staff member commented that it is very difficult to guess how many travelers will come, but he does not think hotel rooms will be lacking. “We still have a lot of rooms,” he admitted.

A Melia Hotel representative some days ago met with officials from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on preparing rooms. “We affirmed that the hotel will not lack rooms for the occasion,” he claimed.

According to Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Head of the Marketing Division of Saigontourist, it is really difficult to book hotel rooms now. The travel firm has travelers who book tours late, just several days before the great festival. The solution has been to open tours to Ninh Binh and other areas to avoid “overloading” Hanoi.

“We have nearly 3000 international and domestic travelers, including 640 foreign travelers. They booked tours a long time ago, so we are not worried about room shortages,” Tra noted.

Duong Mai Lan, a senior executive of Vietravel Hanoi, maintained: “Though the great anniversary attracts a large number of travelers, we have not met any difficulties in booking hotel rooms and necessary services for travelers.”

“To date, 270 clients have booked tours with the firm so far. Everything is ready to provide travelers with the most attractive trips to Hanoi,” Lan maintained.

According to some travel firms, tourists will be affected because vehicles are banned on some routes. For example, people who want to visit President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum must walk a long distance, because of the ban in the area.

Meanwhile, tourists in the Old Quarter will also have to walk. The vehicle ban may also cause difficulties for people in traffic, causing congestion and affecting scheduled excursions.

The Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has forecast that the capital city will receive 700,000 - 800,000 tourists. Therefore, travel firms have not only designed tours in Hanoi, but also to neighbouring areas like Phu Tho, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Ha Long Bay, as well as Sapa. The tours are believed to help Hanoi avoid overcrowding and also create favourable conditions for travelers to visit beautiful the region’s most famous landscapes and tourist sites.

Source: Dan tri

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Coming round mountains to Tay Bac

VietNamNet Bridge – Tay Bac, the mountainous region in the northwest of Vietnam, is famous for beautiful terraced fields, colorful love markets, magnificent mountains and valleys. The terrain is fascinating for tourists who can discover many riddles of nature and indigenous cultures. The spectacular hillside-hugging road to the northern province of Ha Giang has a few hair-raising turns but the marvelous landscape is irresistible for nature lovers and adventurers.

Me Pi Leng pass through the limestone mountains in Ha Giang Province.

I came to Meo Vac, a mountainous district in Ha Giang Province where tourists can visit Khau Vai love market, in the late afternoon. The topography is limestone mountains that impose over the poetic Nho Que river running through.

The love market often opens on the nights of 26th and 27th days of the lunar month. Shops trade till after midnight and local residents also stay up late. Their life rhythm is slow; the market is busy but I still sense a tranquility of there that is different to the markets in lowland regions.

In contrast, Meo Vac market in the morning is rather quiet with dozens of ethnic women standing around with wooden packs, filled with vegetables and other agricultural products on their back. Buyers take a look and handle the produce before they start to bargain. The market doesn’t stay open long.

Ethnic kids carry water large distances in the dry season.

Leaving Meo Vac, I continued the journey to conquer Ma Pi Leng Mountain. I have traveled through many Highland passes, but I felt a bit giddy at Ma Pi Leng, the king of all mountain passes in Vietnam.

Ma Pi Leng is located on the border of Ha Giang Township and Dong Van and Meo Vac districts. The road runs round the sides of black limestone mountains, which are typical features of Dong Van Plateau. Wall-like rocks of all shapes also beautify the pass between Dong Van Town and Lung Phin Commune. The Nho Que River adds the finishing touch to nature’s masterpiece.

In the dry season, ethnic people have to carry water large distances. I felt touched to see their hardship.

The next stop is conquering Lung Cu Mountain in Dong Van Plateau. It is in Lung Cu Commune, which is about 1,600 meters above sea level. On the peak of the mountain is a flagpole about 30 meters tall.

Women carry firewood to Dong Van District in late afternoon. (Photos: SGT)

From the top, tourists can see the terraced fields and lakes below. It was breath-taking. I felt a sense of awe that I cannot forget.

Then I arrived at Dong Van District near sunset. Dong Van, about 155 kilometers from Ha Giang Commune, is the most developed district among the ethnic districts in Ha Giang.

Dong Van is famous with old quarters, old markets, especially with its name meaning a plateau of limestone. Dong Van’s old quarter is different from Hoi An ancient town as most of houses here are built the Chinese way with 60-80-centimeter-thick clay walls and tiled roofs.

The market days in Dong Van left the biggest impression on me. Groups of H’Mong, Dao, Tay and other ethnic peoples in their colorful costumes walk from every corner of the mountains to the market to buy and sell. They arrive on foot with oxen, pigs, horses, chicken and every type of livestock and fowl. It’s exciting to watch the noisy bargaining at the trading area for animals and the tinkling sounds of spoons, pots and bowls when food sellers prepare for the market.

The market is a place where the Kinh people can meet and exchange culture with minority peoples.

VietNamNet/SGT

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SOS: foreign tourists are swindled by falsified websites

VietNamNet Bridge – Many Vietnamese individuals and institutions have assumed big travel firms’ names to cheat foreign tourists. Meanwhile, a real travel company is considering suing these impostors in court.

Sabine Lorenz and Karin Hildegard Dusold, two German tourists, heard about the beauty of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay from relatives and decided to make a trip to Vietnam. They booked a tour to visit with the five-star Paradise Cruise in August on http://www.halongparadisecruise.com/. However, after the tourists made their payments, they received a notice that the five-star Paradise Cruise ran out of rooms and they were asked to travel with another cruise service.

After that, they realized that a company located at No 68 Hang Bo Street, Hanoi had assumed Paradise Cruise’s name and cheated the two German tourists.

Another traveler, French Christian Prestaut, thought that he successfully booked a tour with Paradise Cruise for a trip to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. He paid a deposit worth $1500 through http://www.halongparadise-cruises.com/ (total expenses for the trip were $4986). However, after depositing the payment, the traveler realized that a man named Tony Bui created the false website. Mr. Bui lives at Room 514, F4, Trung Hoa Residential Quarter in Cau Giay District, Hanoi.

Nguyen Cao Son, Marketing and Sales Director for Tuan Chau Paradise Cruise, said that his company has received many complaints from clients. The clients said they paid for five-star cruise services, but they were then forced to travel with low-quality cruises.

“After learning about the facts, we realized that we are also victims. Some companies and individuals have assumed our names to cheat clients,” Son said.

According to Son, the address of his company’s website is www.paradisecruises.org and the company has a certificate on trademark registration from the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP). However, to date, at lease eight websites with similar names have been created, creating misunderstandings for travelers. A lot of foreign travelers book tours on these false websites, which explains why they receive such low-quality service.

“We believe that individuals and institutions deliberately create misunderstanding, because on the false websites, they provide information similar to the information on our official website, while changing the information about physical addresses to contact and emails to book seats,” Son said.

He went on to say that his company is considering bringing this case to court in order to protect the Vietnamese tourism industry’s image in the eyes of international tourists.

While talking to Dau tu newspaper, Lawyer Nguyen Hoan Thanh from Thanh and Associates Law Office, said that there are clear signs of intellectual property law violations, but it would be not easy to remove the addresses and domains of the websites that falsify Paradise Cruises’ name.

“If Paradise Cruises can point to the institutions and individuals who deliberately violated the laws, the company can take legal proceedings against these individuals and institutions and sue for damages,” Thanh said.

According to Thanh, if the domain of the websites is “ .vn”, the company will be able to sue the individuals and institutions and ask to remove the websites. However, if the domains are “.com” or “ .org,” the company will have to ask for the removal through ICANN, the institution that supervises domain names. The institution will make a decision on whether to stop the operation of domains that create such great misunderstandings.

Meanwhile, analysts have called on institutions and relevant agencies to take the necessary actions to stop the falsification of tourism websites, saying that this is one of the reasons to explain why many foreign tourists do not intend to return to Vietnam after their first trip.

The eight falsified websites: http://www.vietnamadventurestravel.com/Home.aspx http://www.halongparadisecruises.org/ http://www.halongparadise-cruises.com/ http://www.halongparadisecruise.com/ http://www.paradisecruiseshalong.com/ http://www.paradisehalongcruise.com/ http://www.paradisecruise-halongbay.com/ http://www.paradisecruise.org/

Source: Dau tu

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Vietnam attends tourism exhibition in France

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamtourism, Saigontourist, Vietnam Airlines, and many prestigious companies such as La Palanche, Bai Tho Junks and Vietventures have taken part in the 32nd International French Travel Market Top Resa tourism exhibition being held in Paris, France from September 21-24.

Photo: VOV

This is a good opportunity for Vietnamese travel agencies to present Vietnam’s countryside in time for the capital’s 1,000^th birthday, said Pham Van Hoa, Director of Bai Tho Junks.

The event involves 600 groups and companies from across the world operating in tourism, transport, and hotels.

VietNamNet/VOV

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Child “pirates” make chaos on Saigon River

VietNamNet Bridge – A section of Saigon River near Dieu Phap Buddhist temple in Binh Thanh district, HCM City was overrun by dozens of kids who competed to “rob” the fish released by Buddhist followers.

Kids sit on boats to wait for people releasing fish. They use electric tools to catch fish.

Some people row boats to the middle of the river to release fish, but the kids follow closely.

Over ten kids from Thu Duc district caught all the fish to sell at market.

Hoang Men-Nhat Tan

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Hanoi - Old Streets and Traditional Trades

Hanoi has an old quarter of 36 streets, each being closely attached to a traditional trade that is clearly shown by its name, such as Hang Muoi (salt) Street selling salt, Hang Manh (curtain) Street selling bamboo curtains, Hang Bac (silver) Street selling silver jewellery, etc.

Mentioning the old streets of Hanoi, the essay “Notes taken on rainy days” by Pham Dinh Ho writes: “Dien Hung ward (present-day Hang Ngang) and Dong Lac ward (present-day Hang Dao) are places where many cloths and silk products are sold.” According to Hanoi researcher Nguyen Vinh Phuc, all kinds of papers, such as Giay ban (tissue paper), Giay moi (inferior tissue paper), Giay boi (coarse paper) and other popular papers made by people in Buoi and Cot Villages were sold on Hang Giay Street in the past. Some streets were named after a legend or special ana, such as Hang Chao (rice porridge) Street which was the place selling rice porridge to candidates who came to the capital to attend “Thi Hoi” (National Examination) and “Thi Dinh” (Court Examination) or Trang Tien Street near Hoan Kiem Lake where once existed a coin casting workshop of the Nguyen Dynasty (the 19th century).

At present, the number of old streets in Hanoi is a matter of controversy because someone said that 36 is only a symbolic number. However, it is correct to say that people on each old street engaged in a trade. In the past, people from all parts of the country flocked to the capital to set themselves up in business. Following the trade motto “It needs friends when trading and it needs to establish guilds when selling”, they lived together in one place and gradually established guilds specializing in trades and products.

Due to this unique feature, Hanoians usually think of one street where they can buy what they want. For example, the locals usually venture to Hang Manh Street to buy bamboo curtains, Thuoc Bac Street to buy medicinal herbs, Hang Chieu Street to buy mats, etc.

Hanoi is undergoing drastic changes daily and the old quarter with “Hang” streets are also affected by the process of development. Hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, etc., have mushroomed on these streets, so only a few streets with the traditional trades remain, such as Hang Bac, Hang Ma, Hang Manh, Hang Chieu, Hang Dong, etc. The others have engaged in other trades, for example, Hang Than Street now sells Banh com (green rice flake cakes), teas and cigarettes in service of wedding ceremonies; Hang Vai Street sells bamboo products; Hang Chao sells mechanical and electric products to meet the demand of customers in the modern life. In addition, many new streets with new trades have been established in Hanoi, such as Hai Ba Trung Street selling electronic products, Ly Nam De Street selling computers, Luong Van Can Street selling children toys, Hoang Hoa Tham Street selling ornamental trees and Dang Dung Street selling second-hand mobile telephones.

Strolling through the old quarter or “36 streets” of Hanoi one can perceive the beauty as well as typical feature of these streets which should be preserved by not only the authorities but also the locals.

(Source: Vietnam Pictorial)

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Vietnam tourism taps into eco-trend

VietNamNet Bridge – Sustainable community tourism has become a new trend in Vietnam, which is being advertised as “natural, adventure and ecologically-aware tours.”

Foreign visitors in a bicycle tour in Hue city.

“Tourism in the community and being close to nature is the future direction of specialized tourism in Vietnam,” said Hanoi-based Indochina Travelland Director Vu Ngoc Khiem, after attending a seminar on ASEAN ecological tourism.

When people are fed up with modern life, it becomes the golden time for adventure tours. The most popular form is traveling by bicycle, because it is suitable with Vietnam’s topography and landscapes. Trans-Vietnam tours and tours to the northwestern region (from Dien Bien Phu to Lao Cai) have been designed with this in mind.

Joining these tours, travelers have a chance to travel beautiful roads, challenge themselves at sloping mountain passes, including famous ones like Prenn, Hai Van and Tram Ton.

There are also trekking tours to remote and isolated villages in the mountains, plus kayaking, surfing and rock climbing tours in Ha Long bay. These forms of travel require tourists to have passion and good health, to adapt to new situations and to explore their abilities.

Unique tours

Vietnam attracts around 4-5 million international visitors annually. This is a modest number compared to the country’s potential and also when compared to its neighbors. A main reason is that tourism in Vietnam is still very simple.

Some travel firms have launched “special tours” to satisfy different categories of visitors, for example “bird watching” tours for people who love birds and also ornithologists. The destination is Cuc Phuong and Tam Dao national parks or even Xuan Thuy mangrove forest.

Some firms create eco-friendly tours that don’t focus on profit, like a tour to collect trash in Ha Long Bay set up by Noi Vong Tay company. Visitors travel the bay on kayak boats and collect rubbish on the sea.

Tam Nhin Moi Company has a team-building tour, which offers games and activities to build up harmony and sympathy among staff in a company. Indochina Travelland organizes tours for foreign students to enhance their life skills. Buffalo Tours is known for treatment tours for tourists who are doctors. They go to remote villages to examine and heal the residents.

Hoi An Travel has tours in which visitors can become fishermen and farmers for a day.

Some international organizations like Fauna and Flora International, Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), etc. have also developed community tours in Pu Luong (Thanh Hoa), Ta Van (Lao Cai), Quan Ba (Ha Giang), etc.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s Nguyen Anh Tuan maintained that the nature of community tourism is benefiting local communities. He explained that this is a vital factor in community-based tourism and cited Hoi An as an outstanding example.

PV

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Vinpearl autumn packages for families and honeymoons

VietNamNet Bridge – Newlyweds and families can ensconce in five-star luxury from September 25 to November 30 with special packages at the Vinpearl Resort & Spa in Nha Trang City.

Hotel guests ride jetskis and catamarans at Vinpearl Resort & Spa - Photo: Courtesy of the Vinpearl Resort & Spa

The “Honeymoon package” for US$399++ for three-days and two-nights or US$529++ for four-days-three-nights for two includes a welcome flower bouquet, five-star standard room decorated with fresh flowers and three free buffets a day. Vinpearl will pamper the happy couple with free massage vouchers at Vietspa, a romantic diner for two and a free tour to Nha Trang Bay or city tour.

The “Happy family” package for US$499++ for three-days and two-nights and US$669++ for four-day-three-night for a family of two adults and two children under 12 offers a five-star standard room with three free buffets a day, free tour to Nha Trang Bay or a city tour, a free cake with candles and shuttles to and from the airport/station.

The packages also provide Vinpearl souvenirs and free entertainment activities at Vinpearl Land Amusement Park including games, 3D movies, underwater world, music fountain stage and free facilities including swimming pool, gym and Vinpearl’s private beach.

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Ha Noi invests in developing trade villages

VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi will focus on training management skills and professionalism, constructing infrastructure, improving the environment and co-ordinating with tourism agencies to preserve and develop trade villages, Dao Thu Vinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said.

A tourist visits a shop specialising in cushions made from seagrass at Thuan Viet trade village in An Phu Commune, Cu Chi District, HCM City. The Government will help trade villages across the country to improve their businesses. (Photo: VNS)

"Besides renovating temples, pagodas and amusement parks, trade villages will develop traditional products which have great cultural and economic value," said Vinh.

Villagers will be taught about business management, marketing and product packaging to improve sales.

According to the Ha Noi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, it is providing vocational training for 5,000 labourers in rural areas and trade villages.

Developing trade villages in groups will also be a focus, Vinh said. Hoai Duc, the processing agricultural group, proves the model is a success. Tapioca processing enterprises throughout Duong Lieu, Cat Que and Minh Khai communes bring an annual production value of VND211.5 billion (US$10.8 million) and provide jobs for 15,650 labourers.

Statistics show that each labourer makes an average of VND13.5 million ($692) per year, improving living conditions in rural areas. The proportion of poor households in trade villages stands at only 3.7 per cent, much lower than the national average of 10.4 per cent.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ho Xuan Hung recognised the great contribution of trade villages in the economic and social development of the city. On average, the villages attract more than 600,000 labourers, making VND7,650 billion ($392 million) per year. The money accounts for 26 per cent of the city’s non-state industrial production and 8.4 per cent of industrial production.

Trade villages have a 15 per cent annual development rate, 5 per cent higher than in 2000, and contribute VND19.5 billion ($1 billion) to national export turnover each year, said Hung.

There are 1,350 trade villages within the city and out of the 224 traditional villages, 54 are more than 100 years old.

But a study by Ha Noi University of Culture shows that few trade villagers are considered appealing to visitors and that, in fact, numbers have even started to decline.

The study found that some, including Chuong My village (rattan and bamboo), Quat Dong (embroidery), and Ha Thai (lacquerwork) are rarely visited by tourists despite being promoted for several years.

Artisan Nguyen Huu Chinh from Van Phuc silk village in Ha Dong town said that villagers did not have essential knowledge about marketing, welcoming visitors or how to produce low-price products to meet their demands.

Falling numbers

The study found that tourism agencies had difficulty in introducing trade village tours to tourists.

Luong Xuan Hong, manager of A Chau Tourism Agency on Ma May Street, said that about 35 per cent of its customers once booked tours to Ha Noi trade villages, but the number had fallen in the past two years.

"Around Ha Noi, tourists want to see the Old Quarter or places of natural beauty, such as the Huong pagoda," he said. "They consider that the trade villages are not attractive enough."

"There’s no need to go to villages because we can buy those products anywhere, in the Old Quarter, for example," said Adrian Brookes, an English tourist. "We have little time to spend and visits to trade village are time-consuming and offer few services."

The Ha Noi Department of Tourism analysis shows that the more creative the villagers, the more attractive they are to visitors.

Van Phuc creates made-to-measure clothing. The village delights tourists with high-quality dresses and hand-made clothing.

The renowned Bat Trang pottery village uses buffalo carriages to take visitors around the kilns, showrooms and local temples and pagodas. They even encourage tourists to make their own pottery - and paint it.

"Visitors are happy taking home products they make with their own hands," said one villager.

Bat Trang welcomes hundreds of visitors during the tourist season.

Vinh is adamant that, properly managed, the potential of traditional trade villages is enormous.

"If we could organise tours professionally, Ha Noi would not only receive economic and cultural profits, but also help keep alive its 1,000-year-old heritage," she said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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Is Vietnam the Right Destination For Adventure Travel?

An exciting experience from any dangerous situation is called “Adventure”. It may cause physical dangers, financial or psychological risks. Adventure experience creates physical or mental arousal. It can be positive or sometime negative. Most of the travelers are interested to explore adventurous areas. They love to be the adventurers. The adventure traveling activity includes skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, skiing and any kind of extreme sports.

Sapa Vietnam
I would like to watch only adventurous sports. It creates an excitement and makes us to avoid moving. It was the initial stage when I attracted towards this adventure. My first adventure started traveling on mountainous areas for mountain walking. Slowly I moved to the next step of trekking. Now, my interest includes mountain walking, hiking, trekking and mountain climbing.
I found Vietnam is a wonderful destination for your trekking. Vietnam is surrounded by beautiful mountains. They are feasible for trekking or hiking or mountain walking. The queen of the mountains in Vietnam is Sapa. It is a wonderful destination for the beginners as well as for the experienced trekkers.
Sapa looks spectacular with lofty mountains. The fabulous scenery surrounding sapa attracts more trekkers into Vietnam. It is easy to undertake hikes through the valleys around Sapa. It has endless places for hiking. The nearest village within walking distance is Cat Cat. It is steep and wonderful place for hiking. Another popular trekking area is Phin village.
You can enjoy adventurous hiking experience on the Hoang Lien Mountain range which is surrounding the sapa. It is called as Tonkinese Alps by the French. It is at the tail end of Himalaya.
Sapa is accessible in all the season. Trekkers should be fit and well equipped to face the challenges. The walking space is very wet and can be slippery. The climate is cold on the mountains. Travelers should be prepared to travel to Sapa.
Black Virgin Mountain is also a wonderful place for your mountain walking in Vietnam. The mountain has some historical story. It is called as the center of a myth about Ba Den, a Vietnamese woman. This mountain has theme park. Study their weather and start your trekking trip.
Thinks you should consider before your hiking trip:
1. It is essential to be fit before taking any trip. It is better to do a medical fitness check up done. It is good to have a vaccination for malaria, cholera, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis according to your travel destination. It is advisable to carry medicines related to ailments from which you are previously suffering.
2. Dehydration is a common issue when you go for trekking. Keep enough fluid items to keep you rehydrate.
3. Choose proper shoes for trekking. Rough pair of shoes can severely hurt your feet while trekking.
4. Remember to carry food items that made up of carbohydrates. It will help you to hike with enough energy.
5. Always take important medicine and first aid box with you.
6. It is important to cover your neck area, mainly in frequently changing weather.It can lead to serious neck problems and pains.
7. Do not forget to wear stockings or thick woolen socks while trekking. You can also use Synthetic blended socks as these socks are especially designed to prevent feet moisture.Get things ready before going for trekking. Enjoy your hiking in the majestic mountains of Vietnam.
Best Vietnam Adventure travel Website

Active Travel Vietnam is a website dedicated to profesional adventure travel in Vietnam. This is a professionally designed website where you can easily find useful travel information on popular adventure destinations in the country, the different and unique available tours include trekking, biking, kayaking, motorcycling, and about the country itself. The website also has informative articles about the Vietnamese culture, its history, and its holidays. There is also a page advising you what you can do and what you should not do in Vietnam in order to have a pleasant journey.
Motorcycle Vietnam is a website dedicated to motorcycling travel in Vietnam. This is a professionally designed website where you can easily find useful information on popular motorcycle trails or dirt road in the country, the different and unique available motorcycle tours, and about the country itself. The website also has informative stories about the Vietnamese culture, its history, and its holidays from travel motorcyclists. There is also a page advising you what you can do and what you should not do on roads in Vietnam in order to have a memorial journey.
Source: booshnews

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Airlines seek right to adjust high-season airfares

VietNamNet Bridge – Air carriers want to raise airfares by 20 percent during high seasons such as Tet or long holidays.

Domestic airlines want to raise airfares in the high seasons. They say if they are allowed to set up higher airfares for departure flights, can lower airfares for return flights to stimulate travel demand.

Air carriers hope to increase airfares by some 20 percent in high-fly seasons. The “imbalance” in passenger numbers during these times overloads departure flights, while return flights have few passengers. As a result, the more flights an air carrier provides in these seasons, the bigger their losses.

This explains why air carriers do not want to offer more flights in high seasons, despite higher demand. During Tet 2009, Vietnam Airlines increased its number of flights, to even 135 percent on some air routes, but it still could not meet all the demand. Tickets are specially rare on short distance air routes. Passengers flying HCM City-Quy Nhon, for example, must book flights for the next Tet when they finish celebrating this Tet.

Representatives of some airlines remarked that total airfares on two-way flights in high seasons won’t be much higher than on normal days, but there are big changes in supply and demand. Many northerners living and working in HCM City tend to bring family members to HCM City to celebrate Tet. If so, they will not have to buy air tickets at high prices for flights from HCM City to Hanoi, while they can sometimes book tickets at low prices during promotional campaigns.

In this case, air carriers will be able to increase revenue and have the ability to increase the number of high season flights. It is estimated that at Tet and during long holidays, the demand for air travel increases by 20 percent.

Over the last several years, many tickets have not been sold through official channels, instead appearing on the black market.

In Vietnam, air tickets are sold by agents. When supply becomes short and cannot meet demand, booking agents turn into speculators. The agents spend hundreds of millions of dong to book tickets and then force passengers to buy them at higher rates.

In 2009, when the ceiling one-way ticket for a HCM City-Hanoi flight was 1.7 million dong, a lot of passengers had to buy tickets at 2-3 million. Some reported even paying four million dong for a ticket they purchased at the airport.

Other black market tickets appeared when Jetstar Pacific applied a policy allowing free ticket changes. A representative of the airline explained that they had aimed to create the most favourable conditions for passengers, because many cannot take flights they booked for many reasons. Now that the policy has been exploited, the air carrier will collect fees on ticket changes.

Source: Nguoi lao dong

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Eight East Asian nations attend travel fair in Quang Ninh

VietNamNet Bridge – A travel fair under the framework of the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum 2010 (EATOF) opened at the Tuan Chau International Resort, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on September 14.

The fair has attracted the participation of representatives of eight countries in the region including CEBU (the Philippines), Gangwon (the Republic of Korea), Luang Prabang (Lao), Sarawak (Malaysia), Siem Riep (Cambodia), Tottori (Japan), Tuv (Mongolia), Yohyakarta (Indonesia) and tourism agencies in major cities such as Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong.

The event presents a diversified picture of popular tourism destinations within the EATOF community. It also offers an opportunity for member provinces to promote their trademarks, products and services and help experts to expand cooperative relations to penetrate new markets.

The fair will continue until September 15.

East Asia Inter-regional Tourism Forum opens

The 2010 East Asia Inter-regional Tourism Forum (EATOF) opened at the international tourism resort of Tuan Chau in the northern province of Quang Ninh on September 14.

The event has attracted travel agencies from countries across the region, including the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Japan, Mongolia and Indonesia.

It provides a good opportunity for tourism managers and businesses to promote tourism trade names, products and services.

The forum will conclude on September 15.

VietNamNet/VOV

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Viajes Indochina Introduce New Viajes Camboya Website

Viajes Camboya and travel guide with tips, advice and useful information on travel activities on tours provided direct from Cambodia tour operators. This guide helps traveler find out what to see and do and plan the travel itinerary.

Angkor Temples, Cambodia

Viajes Indochina is pleased to announce the launch of a new website section that features Viajes Camboya (http://www.camboyaviajes.net) which are supplied direct from tour operators based in Cambodia. Take no chances with the next vacation, travel with those who know the destination by experience.

Cambodia is a great travel destination in Indochina, offering many beautiful sightseeing, UNESCO’s Heritages such as Angkor Wat to explore, and cultural depth unlike anything else seen on earth. The Natural sights and culture tours complemented with modern amenities makes Cambodia becomes an ideal vacation destination on several levels.

Cambodia is a country most people have heard of but until recently few have had the opportunity to visit. It was not until the early 1990s that the first intrepid travelers started arriving. Things have come a long way in the past decade and visitors from all over the world are now discovering what a hidden gem of a country Cambodia is. Brilliant green rice fields, exotic temples and pagodas, grand colonial buildings, bustling city streets, thatched coconut huts, grand colonial buildings, exotic temples and pagodas, , conical straw hats, colorful ethnic minorities, delicious cuisine, great outdoor activities luxurious hotels, much more, it’s all here in Cambodia.

The great metropolises of the country is the elegant Siem Reap city with Angkor Wat, one of The World Wonders in Cambodia.

A Cambodia tours should combine with Vietnam itinerary to Indochina. The sightseeings systems are beautiful, the unique culture is unmatched anywhere on earth, all without giving up the comfort of civilization, with hotels and other amenities located nearby.

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Without the Old Quarter, visitors would not linger

VietNamNet Bridge – “One of Hanoi’s attractions is its old streets, not its high-rise buildings. Without the Old Quarter, foreign visitors would not stay in Hanoi more than one day because they have nothing to see. The Old Quarter makes Hanoi different from other cities,” remarked an Italian diplomat.

At a seminar on how to preserve Hanoi’s Old Quarter on September 10, Cesara Bieller from the Italian Embassy in Hanoi shared that he was very sad whenever he returned to Hanoi and saw old buildings had been ruined. If Hanoians don’t preserve these ancient houses, the city will have to build ancient-style houses in the next 20 years in the suburbs.

Dao Ngoc Nghiem, former director of Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture, observed that 15 countries were willing to help Hanoi’s Old Quarter, but it seemed that Hanoi authorities and the people had neglected these expressions of goodwill.

After many years, only four out of 200 old houses in Hanoi have been restored with State and foreign assistance, including houses at 38 Hang Dao, 51 Hang Bac, 87 Ma May and 28 Hang Buom. These houses have become attractive destinations.

Many houses in the Old Quarter are disappearing because of repairs by owners. Nguyen Thi Hanh, who lives at 116 Hang Gai street, noted that many well-educated residents have moved to other places or lease their homes for others to do business. The new residents don’t have an awareness of preserving old houses. Some even tore down the old houses to build modern hotels.

Hanoi Old Quarter management board has issued regulations on architecture in case residents want to repair their houses.

PV

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Seductive terraced fields in Lao Cai

VietNamNet Bridge – The rice harvesting season has come to terraced fields in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, creating fascinating pictures.

Source: Dan Tri

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