ACTIVE TRAVEL VIETNAM UPDATES DISCOUNT POLICIES FOR LOYAL TRAVELERS 2011

Active Travel Vietnam ( www.activetravelvietnam.com ) has updated discount policies for travelers who plan to travel Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. ATV also offers special discount for loyal travelers and their relatives or friends in 2011

Book a private tour or more and take the advantage of our discounts to save the money. Get discount when travelers travel with their family and friends, get discount when travelers book more than one tour at the same time... Travelers can save up to 10% or more. Enjoy our discount now!

Kayaking tour in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Travel with Family and Friends and save money

6 or more – Save 3%: If a group of 5-8 people travels together, a discount of 3% per person applies to the LAND-only portion of their tour. So it pays to get together with their family and friends!

9 or more: If 9 or more people travel together, ATV offers attractive group discounts based on how many people travel. In a group of 9 passengers, 1 traveler qualifies for a 50% discount off the LAND-only portion of the tour. In a group of 16 passengers, 1 traveler qualifies for 100% discount off the LAND-only portion of the tour.

Important: All traveling passengers' names must be advised to ATV at the time of booking in order to qualify.

When travelers book a second tour

Book two ATV tours for a reduction of 5% off the LAND-only portion of the second tours.

Important: Tours must be booked at the same time. The discount is per person only. This discount is not combinable with the discount for Loyal customer.

Sapa, Vietnam

Loyal customer

Already made a trip with ATV and now come back to book another trip. 5% off the LAND-only portion.

Important: Applied only for booking of package tour. This discount is not combinable with the discount for When you book a second tour

Child discount

Children under 12 years is generally granted a reduction of 50% of the land tour, 25% of airfare, provided that they are accompanied by at least two full-paying adults and stays in the same room. An extra bed is fully charged as adult.

Get our interesting Travel Gift

Either travelers book the whole country package or a shorter set departure tour travelers will receive our Travel Gifts, which can be Water Puppet Show ticket or silk sleeping bag, airport transfer or private half-day city tour and more... ATV's travel consultant would advice travelers the available gifts at the time of booking and travelers can choose the one travelers like.

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Hoi An Town exempts entrance fee

The authorities of the ancient town of Hoi An, a world cultural heritage, announced the exemption of entrance fee to the town for Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, war invalids, handicapped people, journalists, children and students of less than 16.

The local authorities are also offering a 50 percent discount on entrance fee to students and soldiers.

Town authorities are also further considering reducing the entry fee for diplomatic delegations, scholars and researchers.

Hoi An is an ancient town located in the central province of Quang Nam and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants.

The city possessed the largest harbour in Southeast Asia in the 1st century and was known as Lam Ap Pho (Champa City). Between the seventh and 10th centuries, the Cham (people of Champa) controlled the strategic spice trade and with this came tremendous wealth.

Hoi An was an important trading centre in Vietnam in the 16th and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled.

During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. Originally, Hai Pho was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the "Japanese Bridge"(16th-17th century). The Chua Cau bridge is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.

In 1999, Hoi An was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.

PV

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Hanoi to host homeland spring programme

The Xuan Que Huong (Homeland Spring) programme is scheduled to take place in Thang Long Royal Citadel, Hanoi on January 28, 2011 to welcome the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, said the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) on December 14.
As part of a series to celebrate the successful hosting of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and the 11th National Party Congress, the programme is to be jointly organised by SCOV under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other related agencies.

The programme will see the presence of high-ranking leaders of the Party and State, ambassadors, chiefs of foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese, along with press agencies.

The “Xuan Que Huong” programme is held annually and attracts a large number of overseas Vietnamese, helping preserve national traditions and cultural identity as well as promoting national unity.

(Source: VNA)

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Provinces join hands to give tourism a boost

Two Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta localities and a Central Highland province are discussing the possibility of a co-operative tourism programme that will allow them to offer better quality tourism products at reasonable prices.

Tourism representatives of Can Tho City, and Kien Giang and Lam Dong provinces agreed at a recent meeting in Can Tho City that while each of the localities had their own strengths, these can be multiplied through effective joint action.

Diep Hoang Tung, deputy director of the Golf Viet Nam JSC in Can Tho, noted that the traditional Vietnamese adage "buon co ban, ban co phuong" (for trading friends are needed, for selling a community is needed) applied not only to business activities in general, but also to tourism services in particular.

Co-operation between the three provinces would support the creation of tourism products carrying characteristics particular to each province, avoiding the current phenomenon of different provinces coming up with identical products, Tung said.

Acting together would have the added advantage of regular prices, not to mention other tourism-related policies that would make visitors more comfortable with travelling in the region, he added.

Tung said that to establish such co-operative ties, it was necessary to draw up a master tourism development programme for the three provinces.

Le Van Men, deputy director of the Can Tho Trade and Investment Promotion Centre, said that inter-provincial co-operative ties was a strategic development policy that would promote sustainable development of Viet Nam's tourism industry.

It would generate more resources to promote tourism and better exploit the advantages and potentials of each locality to create a diverse range of products that can attract both domestic and foreign tourists, he said. It would also help develop the basic elements needed for tourism development – natural and human resources, infrastructure, and technology, Men said.

Even as a common tourism development plan was being discussed, several tourism promotion co-operation documents were signed at the meeting by travel agencies and tour operators. Operators also signed 14 contracts to open "One way – Three Destinations" tours for both domestic and foreign tourists.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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Lost in a land of Confucianism

Whenever I visit Hanoi, the first place I think of is the Temple of Literature, where the tree-shaded grounds and the buildings tell of the times that scholars studied there. The temple makes me reflect on my country’s history and I get lost in a land of Confucianism and traditional values.

A tourist at the gate of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. (Photo: SGT)

Situated on Van Mieu Street, about two kilometers from Hoan Kiem Lake, the temple is on top of the list for historical sightseeing in Hanoi.

I love the temple as I love the nation’s history. So I know that in 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong built several important monuments, one of which was Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature). The organization of instruction and learning at the Quoc Tu Giam (National University) began in 1076 under the Ly dynasty and further developed in the 15th century under the Le dynasty. The university was established near the Temple of Literature, and during its more than 700 years of instruction (1076-1779), thousands of talented men in Vietnam were educated there. And hence the name of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam was born.

I have visited the temple many times, but I always enjoy looking at the ways it has been repaired and renovated in its 900 years. It is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture. The cultural relics include steles with inscriptions of the names of distinguished scholars, the Well of Heavenly Clarity (Thien Quang Tinh), the pavilion in dedication of the Constellation of Literature (Khue Van Cac), the statue of Confucius, the Great House of Ceremonies, the ancient wall, the old trees and the sanctuary, the stone dragons, and ink stone stands.

The history of the temple and how it has survived in such good condition to on Monday give me a sense of national pride.

VietNamNet/SGT

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Vietnam’s private airlines still learn to fly

Indochina Airlines has to stop its operation after one year of flying, Vietjet Air has delayed the launching of the first commercial flight for several times, while passengers of Air Mekong complain about the services. Experts say there are still many things private airlines need to learn in order to fly.

In 2007, the aviation market welcomed the establishment of a series of private airlines, namely Indochina Airlines, VietJet, Air Mekong, Trai Thien and Blue Sky. Except Blue Sky which has been rarely mentioned because it has not revealed the flight plan, all other air carriers have problems.

VietJet is the first private airline which got the flight license in December 2007. At first, the air carrier planned to launch its flight in late 2008. However, it then delayed the plan to March 2009, then to October 2001. After that, the air carrier decided to make another 5-month delay, but once again, it failed to implement the plan. Most recently, the air carrier has promised to take off in 2011.

As such, three years after getting the license , the first private airline still can only fly… on paper. VietJet has decided to sell 30 percent of its stakes to Air Asia to operate under the name of VietJet AirAsia.

Facing the same fate, Trai Thien Airline, which obtained the license in October 2009, may not be able to take off, as its staff accuse the air carrier of refusing to pay salaries, while key staff have left for other jobs

Indochina Airline is the name which was mentioned in most of discussions about the airlines. Taking off on November 25, 2008, the airline then had to stop operation just only one year and it is now awaiting the official registration for bankruptcy.

In 2010, people once put high hope on the rise of private airlines, when Air Mekong announced its flight plan in October. However, on November 3, the air carrier had to cancel the flights because there were only 10 passengers.

An aviation expert said that three most important factors for an airline are the qualified staff, financial capability and aviation experience.

It is now not easy to find the staff with experience and knowledge about aviation business in Vietnam. Meanwhile, only Vietnam Airlines, the national air flag carrier, has advantages in its human resources.

Regarding the financial capability, the initial chartered capital of every private airline is about 500-600 billion dong. Meanwhile, private airlines need huge capital to pay for fuel, chartered aircrafts and pilots

“All three factors are lacking at private airlines, which is a big problem. Airlines need to have big financial capability in order to overcome difficulties in the first 2-3 years of operation,” the expert said.

Meanwhile, airlines also need experience to set suitable business strategies. Jetstar Pacific, for example, has decided to turn into a budget airline in order to compete with the giant Vietnam Airlines, which has the big advantages of a state owned enterprise.

The expert related that the airlines in Cambodia could only fly for a short time before going bankrupt, or went bankrupt before taking off. Indonesia has tens of airlines established every year. Of these airlines, 50 percent have never taken off, while the majority of others do not operate effectively.

A representative from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has revealed that from 2012 to 2015, the agency will grant licenses to two air carriers which develop domestic and international air routes, one airline specializing in carry cargo, and two general airlines.

Source: VnExpress

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HCM City welcomes the 3 millionth visitor

HCM City’s 3 millionth foreign visitor arrived in Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 8.30 am, December 21, on a flight from Moscow.

More than 200 visitors on the flight were warmly welcomed. Three lucky visitors were presented a return ticket for the trip as the city’s gift to the 3 millionth visitor.

At the welcome gate, visitors were presented with flowers and enjoyed Vietnamese traditional dances.

“I’ve been to many countries. This welcome ceremony is very impressive. Vietnam has beautiful landscapes, long coast and warm weather so I decided Vietnam as the destination for my holiday. I’ll surely return here many times,” said Mrs. Nina Fedorova, the 3 first millionth visitor.

This is the first time HCM City holding a welcome ceremony to international tourists.

The city’s Tourism Department deputy director La Quoc Khanh said the ceremony marked the important development of the city’s tourism sector, with a 20 percent growth rate over 2009.

According to Khanh, the number of Russian visitors to Vietnam is rising. Their spending in Vietnam is also very high, which increases from 50-80 percent annually.

The city has also launched a promotional month for tourists from December 15 2010 to January 15 2011.

The 3 millionth visitor – Mrs. Nina Fedorova.

PV

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Tourism boom helps hotel developers earn more

The sharp increase in the number of tourists visiting Vietnam is good news for hotel developers. Real estate developers, anticipating the new wave of tourism development, have been rushing to build more hotels.

In the third quarter of 2010, the “gold inlaid” five-star hotel Grand Plaza with 400 rooms was put into operation. Two other three star hotels Oasis and Asean have also become operational, thus raising the total number of new hotel rooms to 560. The newly operational hotels increase the total number of rooms ready to serve tourists by seven percent in comparison with the same period last year and by 10 percent in comparison with the second quarter of 2010.

According to Savills Vietnam, a real estate service provider, to date, Hanoi has had 41 3-and-higher-star hotels with 6000 rooms, including 5-star hotels, seven 4-star and 24 3-star hotels.

Also according to Savills Vietnam, Hanoi expects to have 33 more hotels to be put into operation in the time to come. In the immediate time, three hotels will officially join the market, including Oriental Pearl Hotel on Phan Chu Trinh street, Hotel de L’Opera (which was once Dan Chu Hotel) on Trang Tien street and Crowne Plaza Hanoi located in the west of the city, which will provide 550 rooms.

Vu The Binh, Director of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said that in 2010, the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam may reach the record high of five million. These include 770,000 travelers from China, 400,000 from Japan, and 350,000 from the US. Besides, Vietnam also receives the tourists from Taiwan, Australia, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and France.

Robert Mcintosh, Managing Director of CBRE Asia Pacific, a real estate service provider, said that the increasing number of tourists to Vietnam should be seen as the good news for hotel business. However, he said that hotel developers should draw up clear business strategies right when they decide to do business in this field. They should point out who will be their target clients, so that they can have a suitable design, thus allowing to optimize profit. Every hotel should provide the kinds of services that fit their target clients. He also said that it is necessary to have specific services for domestic travelers – the clients with great potentials.

However, according to CBRE, the turnover of 5-star hotels has decreased by 10 percent in comparison with the same period last year, while the turnover of 4-star hotels has decreased more sharply, by 31 percent. The noteworthy thing is that the turnover has decreased even though the hotel room occupancy has increased. This can be explained by the fact that the hotel room rates have been decreasing in all market segments. Especially, the room rates of five star hotels have dropped most sharply, by 13 percent in comparison with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, according to Savills Vietnam, once new hotel rooms are available, the room capacity may decrease. However, five star hotels, with their big advantages, will still be able to attract businessmen and the clients who book room for conferences and workshops.

C.V

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Vietnam’s tourism focuses on four main markets

Vietnam’s tourism industry has singled out China, the Northeast Asian countries of Japan and South Korea, Europe, and ASEAN as its four main source markets for next year’s business plan and will boost marketing activities there, an official said.

Vu The Binh, head of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told the Daily that the agency pinned high hopes on these markets owing to the high numbers of visitors this year as well as arrivals in recent years, and the potentialities from these markets in the near future.

China and ASEAN are attached greater importance in terms of the number of visitors to Vietnam, while Europe and Northeast Asia supply more moneyed visitors.

The number of visitors from China this year is expected to hit a record of 900,000, while that from ASEAN, mostly Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia, has also been soaring in the past two years.

“We still focus more on China. We meet more difficulties in developing the market but no one can miss it because of the huge number of travelers,” Binh said.

The tourism agency said that arrivals from Japan and South Korea markets are increasing strongly this year, but Binh said the current tension between the two Koreas would pose more challenges to the tourism industry next year.

As for Europe, there is much room for development given the big potential and the increasing number of visitors this year. Vietnam expects to welcome up to 800,000 visitors from Europe this year.

“We don’t see Europe as separate markets. We see it as a whole when doing marketing activities there. Europe is very important for us in generating high revenue,” he said.

Asked by the Daily about marketing campaigns for these markets, Binh said the agency singled out the important markets first before making the action plans.

“We are planning all needed activities to develop the markets,” he said.

Binh said the tourism agency is mapping out other big plans for tourism development in the next five years.

“We have very high expectations to receive two million Chinese visitors, one million Japanese, 700,000 South Koreans and 500,000 Thais by that time,” Binh said.

More than 4.6 million international guests have visited Vietnam to date, up 36.5% year-on-year. The tourism agency had earlier expected to welcome around 4.5 to 4.6 million foreign visitors this year due to the downturn of the global travel industry, but the target has now been revised up to around five million.

Source: SGT

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Con Dao listed in top ten best islands

Viet Nam's Con Dao Island has been named as one of the top ten romantic destinations in the world for 2011 by the UK's Lonely Planet magazine.

Photo: Internet

Other islands on the list were Yemen's Socotra in Yemen, Australia's Torres Strait Islands, Japan's Yacyana, French Guiana's Iles du Salut, the Republic of Korea's Ulleungdo, Panama's San Blas archipelago, Chinese Taipei's Penghu, the Bay archipelago and Hog island off the coast of Honduras and Uganda's Ssese.

Con Dao Island has a strong political and cultural history. Under the French, Con Dao was used as a major prison for opponents of French colonialism.

Con Dao National Park, one of the country's top six biodiversity hotspots for both land and sea, contains thousands of plant and animal species, and provides a range of eco-tourism options.

The island is home to playful black and brown squirrels, many species of native and migratory birds, and even endangered marine animals like the sea cow, green turtle and hawk's bill turtle.

According to the Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist), in the wedding season this year Con Dao was one of the most popular honeymoon destinations for young couples.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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$4 bil tourist complex to break ground in Hoi An

Quang Nam Province is set to license a US$4 billion complex to the south of UNESCO heritage city Hoi An after scrapping a similar massive tourism project nearby.

Genting VinaCapital’s Nam Hoi An project will feature a five-star hotel, a resort, villas, 2,500 houses, and a casino, newswire VnExpress reported.

It has been approved in principle by the central government and its environmental-impact report and 1/2000 scale plan have been ratified.

Genting VinaCapital is a joint venture between Malaysian resort developer Genting and Vietnamese fund manager VinaCapital.

The central provincial authorities earlier canceled the license issued for the $4.15 billion Dragon Beach eco-resort in Dien Ban District after its US developer failed to pay the advance amount and carry out some other tasks as agreed.

It joined a list of big-ticket projects that have been called off around the country due to lack of funds or tardy progress.

They include a $9.8-billion Malaysian-owned steel plant in Ninh Thuan Province, a cluster of properties worth $1 billion by Korean company AJ Vietstar in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province, and the $500-million Korean STX Vina Industrial Complex in Nha Trang.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment recently warned about foreign investors who are not committed but enter Vietnam merely to enjoy investment incentives and illegally sell off their projects for profit.

Source: Tuoi Tre

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Coastal provinces to launch new islands tour

The tourism authorities of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces plan to launch a tour combining islands and inland destinations to further build on their reputation as the land of heritage sites.

Do Tan Cuong, deputy director of Quang Nam Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told the Daily that the tour would likely be launched next year. Tourists will start the tour in the ancient town of Hoi An to explore Cu Lao Cham, or Cham Islets, before getting on board speed boats to ply the waters for two hours to Quang Ngai’s Re Island on the island district of Ly Son.

The two tourism departments will explore the route between Cu Lao Cham and Re Island to develop new tourism products before opening the new tour late next year, Cuong said.

The new tour will likely attract many tourists due to the good combination between sightseeing in the ancient town of Hoi An and Cu Lao Cham biosphere reserve, and exploration of the neglected beauty of Re Island as well as beautiful beaches along the route.

“We will make the survey trip next summer in the hope of launching the new tour late next year,” he said.

The tourism industry in the central coastal province of Quang Nam is growing rapidly with the total number of tourists expected at around 2.45 million this year, with half being foreigners. In Quang Ngai Province nearby, the hospitality sector is much less developed, with just over 300,000 tourists expected for this year.

Cuong said Quang Nam’s tourism industry has been enjoying strong development in recent years.

“More and more tourists are coming, and we are trying to enrich tourism services for them,” he said.

Cuong said the room occupancy rate was high in Hoi An, with the current rate hovering around 73%.

Along with preparations for the new tour, the province’s tourism sector has decided to replace the Heritage Itinerary Festival next year by an international music festival. The Heritage Itinerary Festival, which was organized every two years, has become less attractive.

“We need to end the ten-year old festival to make the new and exciting festival for tourists. We need to refresh the image of Quang Nam’s tourism,” Cuong said.

He added Lung Lo 5 Company had asked the province for approval to map out a scheme to turn Cu Lao Cham into a high-end tourist area in the biosphere reserve.

Source: SGT

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Vietnam twinkles in foreign visitors

- Vietnam’s tourism industry is witnessing its golden age.

Vietnam is emerging as one of the top tourism spots for visitors from Thailand, Australia, Japan and Singapore for their next vacations, according to a recent tourism survey conducted by Visa, a global payments technology company, and the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

The Asia-Pacific Travel Intentions Survey 2010 included 6,714 respondents from 13 countries and territories. It said that among future inbound tourists who were most likely to visit Vietnam in the next two years, 17 per cent were from Thailand, 16 per cent were from Australia and 11 per cent were from Japan and Singapore.

These countries are Vietnam’s key tourism markets, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s (MCST) Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

According to Vietnam’s General Statistics Office, Vietnam received over 4.6 million foreign tourists during this year’s first 11 months, up 36.5 per cent against the same period last year.

Tourists from Thailand to Vietnam augmented by 42.6 per cent, Australia 31 per cent, Japan 22 per cent, China 76.7 per cent and South Korea 38 per cent against 2009’s corresponding period.

Foreign visitors most likely to visit Vietnam in the next two years ranked natural scenery, new places and affordability as their top attractions. They are also likely to be single and preferred to stay at four-star hotels compared with other types of accommodation. They would budget more than $1,200 for their next vacation and pay more for good food and the opportunity to experience new cultures, according to the survey.

“The survey can partly help tourism companies devise their future tourism plans, and help local authorities continue turning Vietnam into a more attractive tourism destination,” said Do Thi Hong Thoa, director of the Hanoi-based Viet Traditions-Travel Services Joint Stock Company.

Truong Minh Ha, Visa’s country manager in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, said that with tourism emerging as one of Vietnam’s key economic drivers, the survey showed where visitors to Vietnam were coming from, their plans and what motivated them.

“This information is very useful for the Vietnamese tourism industry to help identify opportunities and create promotional activities based on their preferences and to attract more tourists,” Ha said.

MCST Minister Hoang Tuan Anh recently reported that in 2010 Vietnam would be visited by over five million foreign tourists, and the number of local tourists would be over 28 million. The industry expects total revenue this year would be over VND85 trillion ($4.47 billion).

This means that the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam will augment by 76 per cent against last year. Meanwhile, the World Tourism Organization forecast that world tourism would grow by only 5-10 per cent this year.

Source: VIR

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Tourism to boom during Christmas, New Year

Two tourists prepares for kite surfing on a beach of the coastal resort town of Phan Thiet. The tourism industry is projected to generate US$4.6 billion this year, according to local tourist authorities.

Travel firms reported an increasing demand for domestic and outbound tours on Christmas and New Year holidays this year. Many cited the fact that the holidays fall on weekends, which is a motivating factor for the enthusiasm.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing manager of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigontourist, said most domestic air tours during the holidays were sold out by mid-November.

Meanwhile, the number of bookings for outbound tours increased 17 percent from last year, she said.

Lai Huu Phuong, a senior official at the HCMC-based Ben Thanh Tourist claimed that although few have booked holiday tours, he remains very optimistic.

Last-minute bookings have become a popular trend and business is booming, he said.

“Normally, few people travel in October and November,” Phuong said. “But this year, the situation was different. Our company had 3,000 guests in November - the highest ever.”

Moreover, the number of local travelers heading abroad went up this year, too, despite the US dollar rising against the dong.

This Christmas and New Year’s, domestic tourists continue to favor popular spots like Da Lat, Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Da Nang, and Phan Thiet. Outbound tourists, meanwhile, are packing their bags for Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, tour operators said.

“Air tourism is developing very fast,” said Tu Quy Thanh, director of Travelink. “As long as we have air tickets, we can sell the tour.”

The government said economic recovery has spurred tourism. But the tourism boom appears to have outpaced economic growth.

Officials expect the economy to grow 6.7 percent this year. Meanwhile, the tourism industry is projected to generate US$4.6 billion for the country, a sharp increase from last year’s $3 billion.

Prices unchanged

Representatives from many travel agencies such as Saigontourist, Travelink, Ben Thanh Tourist said tour prices for Christmas and New Year holidays have not changed.

“The tour price for the holidays this year is relatively stable,” said Nguyen Ngoc An, head of Fiditourist’s domestic travel department.

“Only a few tours have experienced a slight increase in prices as local service providers raised their fees,” he said. “Tours to Con Dao have seen the highest hike - more than 10 percent.”

On the other hand, tours for the New Lunar Year, which falls in early February, will cost much more as suppliers are expected to raise prices for travel, food and hotel rooms, tour operators said.

A supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City is crowded with shoppers. Vietnam’s retail industry has grown 25 percent so far this year.

Inbound markets

Vietnam’s tourism industry has plans to increase advertising activities throughout Asia and Europe, an official said.

Vu The Binh, head of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said his agency has pinned high hopes on these markets owing to high traffic from these regions over the past several years.

China and ASEAN are considered the largest per capita suppliers of tourists while Europe, Japan, and Korea supply more moneyed visitors, he said.

Vietnam received 4.6 million foreign tourists in the first 11 months of this year, a 36.5 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office.

The 11-month figure has exceeded the target of 4.5 million visitors for the whole of 2010 set by the National Administration of Tourism.

According to the government, Vietnam may be able to attract more than five million tourists by the end of this year - surpassing the record of 4.23 million in 2008.

Source: Thanh Nien/TBKTSG

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Saigontourist seeks Japanese investment for new hotel projects

Continental Hotel in Ho Chi Minh, which is operated by Saigontourist

Vietnam’s leading tourism company Saigontourist said it is looking for Japanese partners to invest in the development of 12 new hotels and tourism complexes.

General Director Nguyen Huu Tho said the company announced details of the projects to around 70 Japanese companies at a real estate conference in Tokyo late last month.

He said Saigontourist is looking for both capital investment and management cooperation.

“Many investors have made appointments for further discussion and the first meeting will be held in Ho Chi Minh City this month,” Tho said, noting that Japanese investors are, in general, very interested in business opportunities in Vietnam.

He said Saigontourist also plans to buy hotels in Japan as an attempt to expand its operation.

The tourism firm now operates around 100 hotels, resorts and restaurants around the country. It posted revenues of VND8.2 trillion (US$420.6 million) last year and planned to boost the figure to $1 billion in 2015.

The company plans to add 4,000 new rooms to its hotel system in the next five years.

Source: TBKTSG Online/Thanh Nien

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Con Dao Island Vietnam

Con Dao Island has been voted as one of best ten islands of the world for a romantic holiday in 2011 by Lonely Planet Magazine (England).

Con Dao comprises 16 islands and islets and was known worldwide for the political prisons during the French colonial time and American war time. At present, it is considered as a heaven for tourism with smooth beaches shaded by evergreen trees, fresh air, clear blue waters, primitive forests and abundant wildlife. White sand dunes slope gently to the sea, luring tourists not only to swim, play with the waves and discover the beauty of the coral reefs with scuba diving, but also to fish or squid.

Apart from Con Dao Island, the list of top ten islands includes: Socotra (Yemen), Torres Strait (Australia), Yaeyama (Japan), Iles du Salut (Guyana), Ulleungdo (Korea), San Blas Archipelago (Panama), Penghu (Taipei, China), Bay Archipelago and Hog Island (Honduras), Ssese (Uganda).

The Lonely Planet Magazine has also chosen Halong Bay Vietnam among the top ten destinations by boat. Other destinations in the list include Fjords (Norway), Amazon River (South America), Franklin River (Australia), Quetico Provincial Park (Canada), Backwaters of Kerala (India), Milford Sound (New Zealand), Greek islands and Disko Bay (Greenland), Galapágos Islands (Ecuador).

Thuy Hang (Edited)
(Source: TITC)

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Travel firm hires airplanes for Vietnamese football fans

Immediately after Vietnam beat Singapore 1-0 to enter the semi-finals of AFF Cup 2010, hundreds of fans called travel agents to book trips to Malaysia, where Vietnam and Malaysia will meet in the first semi final game on December 15.

A local tourism company, Vietravel, hired two Vietnam Airlines airplanes, totaling 360 seats, which will both depart from Hanoi and HCM City to Kuala Lumpur and return from Kuala Lumpur to Vietnam on December 15, to serve football fans.

The trip from HCM City is priced at VND8.9 million and VND9.9 million for the trip from Hanoi.

The firm also offers 2-4 day tours to Malaysia, including ticket for the game between Vietnam and the host.

Hanoi Redtour booked 40 seats on Vietnam Airlines flights to Malaysia. Its four-day tours to Malaysia, plus a ticket to the semifinal match, are priced $469. Nearly 20 tourists booked the tour on December 9 morning.

Hanoi Tourist said travel firms are worrying about the shortage of air tickets to Malaysia. This company only received a booking for a group of 16 people to Malaysia on December 15.

On online forums, members called on each other to self organize tours to Malaysia to watch football.

PV

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Rival for old ceramics village

A new craft village site, the Minh Hai ceramic village, which has been built near the Bat Trang ceramic village, began welcoming tourists on October, and offers more choice for tourists looking for a day out from Hanoi.

Bat Trang village is a well-known half-day tour from Hanoi, but the new site will offer travellers more choices in exploring a large natural site with folk performances and a backdrop modelled in the typical style of craft villages in the northern delta region.

The 10-ha Vietnamese art village displays different traditional handicraft trades, such as ceramics, silk, woodwork and bamboo.

A lake stage has been set up at the site to feature traditional Vietnamese folk performances such as “cheo” (traditional opera), “chau van” (spiritual music), “quan ho” (love duet), “ca tru” (ceremonial singing), and water puppetry twice a day every Saturday and Sunday.

Visits cost from 150,000 VND (7.5 USD) to 300,000 VND (15 USD) for a day-time tour.

The cost includes pottery practices, cultural performances, lunch and fishing from the lake.

The site is a 20-minute bus journey from the city centre. The No 47 bus leaves from Long Bien station to Bat Trang village every 15 minutes from 5.30am to 8.20pm daily.

The bus route winds the 12km river dyke from Chuong Duong bridge to the east and runs across the site gate, which is 300m from Bat Trang.

Visitors can explore both the site and Bat Trang village over a few hours.

Hanoian Nghiem Huyen Trang and her friends visited the site as soon as it opened last month.

The 19-year-old student, who grew up in the Old Quarter, said she enjoyed the peace and quiet of the place, just 20-minutes from the crowded city centre.

Nguyen Minh Hai, the owner of the Minh Hai craft village, designed the gate of the site in the shape of a pottery-kiln, while pavilions and stilt houses surround a big lake.

The passageway imitates a stream with dotted stepping-bricks in the middle.

Hai, 40, who has 20 years of experience in the tourism and pottery industries, wanted the site to offer a new look at traditional ceramic villages.

"Bat Trang village has been long-known as a pottery centre, but it's not easy to promote it as a charming destination due to its polluted environment. Although villagers have introduced gas furnaces to replace coal-fired kilns," said Hai.

"I launched the cart-buffalo service 10 years ago, but I want to lure tourists with a new tourist product," he added.

The site has different galleries showcasing silks from Van Phuc Village in Ha Dong town; brocade weaving from Sa Pa ; wooden furniture, rattan and bamboo products, terracotta from Bau Truc in Ninh Thuan central province and precious stone from Yen Bai northern province .

"It's like a miniature centre for Vietnamese craft villages. I even made myself a flower pot with the help of a craftsman in the ceramic workshop," said Tran Thanh Van.

Van, 28, a shop assistant from Hanoi , said she was glad to make the clay pot within half an hour.

Craftsman Nguyen Van Doanh, 36, instructs visitors in practising with porcelain clay.

"I teach them how to form thing with hands and a slab-roller. It lets them do a bit of handicraft," Doanh said.

"Tourists can take home unfinished things that they make themselves. We want to let visitors have a bit of fun for a few hours."

The tour closes with cultural performances.
Source: VNA

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Many airlines increase frequencies, open new routes

Many foreign and domestic airlines are managing to cash in on the strong recovery of Vietnam’s aviation market after the 2008-2009 global financial meltdown by increasing their frequencies and opening air routes to the country.

Recent statistics released by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) showed a significant increase in the number of both international passenger and cargo flights in the winter schedule compared to the summer schedule, which often ended in October.

Vietnam Airlines topped the list of international flight operators for network expansion from October to late March in terms of increasing frequencies and launching new routes, particularly in Asia.

Vo Huy Cuong, director of CAAV’s Air Transport Department, told the Daily that his agency had approved Vietnam Airlines to operate four more flights on the Hanoi-Shanghai route and three more for the HCMC-Shanghai, and three more flights on each of the HCMC-Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi-Busan directions.

The national air carrier also has more flights to Paris, Moscow, Tokyo and Nagoya, and Korea. In addition to offering more Hanoi-Yangon services, the airline started to fly between HCMC and the city of Myanmar in mid-November.

The SkyTeam member uses many types of its 70 aircraft for the international routes, including Airbus A320s, A321s and A330s, and the Boeing B777s for medium- and long-haul routes to Asian and European destinations.

The list of carriers expanding their frequencies to Vietnam includes Dragon Air, which flies 10 times a week between Hanoi and Hong Kong, or three more flights over the summertime. Eva Air, Aeroflot and Lao Airlines offer one to two more services to the capital city of Vietnam.

The winter schedule also sees foreign budget carriers in the expansion move. CAAV has granted Tiger Airways the ticket to raise weekly Singapore-HCMC frequencies up to 21 from 14, and Cebu Pacific to conduct seven Manila-HCMC flights from four a week.

Tran Vinh Loc, executive director of Lac Hong Voyages Co., told the Daily that the demand of both leisure and business guests for air travel between HCMC and the Philippines was picking up remarkably in the run up to Christmas and New Year holidays.

Airlines also launch new flights in and out of Vietnam to cater to demand. LOT Polish Airlines began its non-stop Warsaw-Hanoi service in mid-November while Turkish Airlines will fly on the Istanbul-Bangkok-HCMC route from late December.

In November, the five-star, award-winning Qatar Airways opened its new air route to Hanoi and increased its frequencies to HCMC, bringing the total number of its weekly flights between Doha and Vietnam to 11. Lao Airlines has commenced its new air link to this economic hub of Vietnam.

The wintertime also registers a significant rise in the number of cargo flights to and from Vietnam. According to CAAV, foreign cargo carriers operate 58 flights per week to Vietnam, or 17 more than the summer schedule.

Currently, 51 carriers operate passenger and cargo flights in the Vietnamese market, including four domestic airlines, namely Vietnam Airlines and its subsidiary Vietnam Air Service Co. (Vasco), Jetstar Pacific and the start-up private Air Mekong.

Source: SGT

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How to travel Phu Quoc Island Vietnam - Travel guide & tips

So you’ve got your motorbike, and you’re ready to explore Phú Quốc. While few travelers to Vietnam run into any problems on the island, keep in mind that much of the land is still undeveloped. Here are a few tips:



1. Bring at least 2 liters of water. It gets quite hot during the day, and snack stands are sometimes hard to find. Dehydration can be a serious issue, so come prepared.

2. Keep off military property. The Vietnamese government is very protective of Phú Quốc, and there are military bases (marked by signs) around the island. Although some travelers to Vietnam claim they’ve slipped through unnoticed, it is unwise to intrude upon military property. Irate officers can make your life unpleasant.

3. Take a map. Although Phú Quốc seems relatively small, its many winding paths aren’talways easy to find. Bring a map with the major roads and landmarks.

4. Give yourself enough time. Poor (or practically non-existent) roads take time to navigate; it can take a whole day to explore half the island.

5. Be prepared for dust. Sunglasses are good protection, unless you’re already wearing a helmet with a faceshield. Wear dark clothing.

6. Bring raingear. It can turn from pretty paradise into monster monsoon in minutes. Be ready.


Source:letsgo.com

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Mekong Delta to greet 19 million visitors

The Mekong River Delta expects to receive 19 million visitors this year, 200,000 more than last year, according to the regional tourism agency, the Mekong Delta Tourism Association.

Of this figure, the number of foreign visitors is estimated to increase by 20 percent over last year, reaching 1.46 million.

An Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and Can Tho City will top the list of most visited provinces in the delta, the association said.

The tourism sector in the region has attracted increasing numbers of visitors since many tourism companies have introduced different kinds of tours.

Travel companies in Can Tho, An Giang, Kien Giang and Hau Giang, for instance, have strengthened the development of waterway tours and festival tourism, among other products.

Meanwhile, companies in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang provinces have promoted eco-tourism to mangrove forests, and tours that include festivals and other cultural activities of the Khmer people.

In Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long and Tra Vinh, waterway tourism, visiting orchards and traditional villages, historical vestiges and other community-based tourism have been strongly developed in the past time.

Provinces in the delta have also invested in upgrading infrastructure including airports, roads and bridges, making it more comfortable for visitors.

To further promote tourism, the delta plans to set up a center for tourism promotion and build a tourism portal to provide updated and accurate tourism information.

Travel companies will strive to launch more tourism products and improve the quality of their services.

The region is famous for its diverse ecosystems.

Its major attractions include: orchards on the Thoi Son Island in Tien Giang province; coconut gardens in Ben Tre province; the ecosystem in flooded cajeput forests of the Dong Thap Muoi area, Tra Su cajeput forests in An Giang Province; and coastal mangrove forests (bird sanctuaries, nature reserves, national parks, biosphere reserves) in Can Tho, Dong Thap, Bac Lieu and Kien Giang provinces.
Source: VNA

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Ha Giang receives UNESCO certification on Dong Van Plateau

A ceremony to receive UNESCO recognition of Dong Van Stone Plateau as a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN) was held in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang on December 1.

The chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Hanoi, Katherine Muller Marin and Secretary General of UNESCO Vietnam National Committee Pham Sanh Chau, handed over the UNESCO certificate to Ha Giang Province.

Addressing the ceremony, Secretary General of UNESCO Vietnam National Committee Chau said that the success of Dong Van Stone Plateau Geological Park is the result of pure determination to create Vietnam ’s first geological park in Ha Giang.

Chau also highlighted the selection of a geological park development model by Ha Giang People’s Committee to eradicate hunger, reduce poverty and step up socio-economic development.

The plateau is Vietnam ’s first pilot model of a geological park for the future and this will promote Vietnam ’s image around the world, said Chau.

It will help eliminate hunger and reduce poverty for more than 250,000 local people on the plateau, he added.

Dong Van Stone Plateau was recognised as GGN member on October 3, 2010. The plateau has now become Vietnam ’s first geological park and only the second geological park in Southeast Asia, after the Langkawi Geological Park in Malaysia .

Dong Van, which has remained untouched for hundreds of millions of years, has mammoth rocks spread over the four districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac, and Dong Van, and is 1,000m above sea level.

The plateau is 80 percent limestone and has the fossils of thousands of species of prehistoric creatures from 400-600 million years ago.

It is also home to several cultures that have sprung up over the centuries. The 574 sq.km plateau now houses 250,000 people belonging to 17 different ethnic groups.

(Source: VNA)

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Festivals of Con Son Pagoda honour ‘Great Man of Culture'

Two festival seasons have been held annually in Con Son Pagoda in the Chi Linh District of the northern province of Hai Duong.

Repository: Con Son Pagoda is known for its historic relics associated with the lives of many Vietnamese heroes. (Photos: VNS)

The spring festival season originated on the 22nd day of the first lunar month in 1334 and marks the anniversary of the death of monk Huyen Quang, one of the founders of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism.

The autumn festival season begins on the 16th day of the eight lunar month, to mark the anniversary of the death of Nguyen Trai, a famous poet and politician during the Le Loi King in the 15th century. He wrote Binh Ngo Dai Cao, a declaration of freedom for the country.

The autumn festival was first held in 1962 and became an official national event in 1980 when Nguyen Trai was honoured as the Great Man of Culture by UNESCO.

Located 80km away from Ha Noi, Con Son Pagoda is known for its historic relics associated with the lives of many Vietnamese heroes and famous persons.

Tourists will be attracted to the charming mountains, rivers and forests that form the poetic and beautiful landscape.

Make a wish: The water from Pearl Well is offered during rituals at the Con Son Pagoda.

Con Son Pagoda is one of three centres, Con Son, Yen Tu and Quynh Lam of Truc Lam Zen of the Tran dynasty in the 13th century. The pagoda was built between two mountain ranges, Phuong Hoang and Ky Lan, before the Tran dynasty and was restored and expanded under the Le dynasty in the 15th century.

Over the years Con Son Pagoda has become small and hidden under green trees. If tourists visit out of the festival seasons, they will find a very peaceful atmosphere.

Visitors will see many pine trees as they pass through the three-door gate and be fascinated by the old stone steles in the pagoda's ground. The one on the right was autographed by King Tran Due Tong (1337-77) when he visited in 1373.

There are about 385 statues in the pagoda. Buddhist nun Tue Tam said that "some statues were created according to the portrait of famous monks and mandarins".

During the French resistance war, the small statues and many objects for worship were hidden in the mountain.

According to the story, one night during a thunderstorm, the pagoda's master monk could not sleep and decided to visit the statues in the next morning. When he arrived, he saw that the two unknown statues had been broken open to reveal two life-preserving amulets. They were identified as the great national hero Nguyen Trai and his concubine Nguyen Thi Lo.

The pagoda was recognised as a national heritage in 1962 and was then recorded as an important relic worth preserving 32 years later in 1994.

Dang Minh Tower, built with blue stones at the grave site of Huyen Quang monk, stands behind the pagoda. At the foot of the tower rests Pearl Well.

A wide path with ancient pine trees growing on both sides and footsteps leading to the peak of Ky Lan Mountain lies behind the grave tower.

Walk this way: Tourists attend Kiep Bac Temple Festival every year on the 15th to 20th day of the eighth lunar month. — File Photo

Legends say that on the full moon night of the seventh lunar month, monk Huyen Quang received an omen about a water source. He went to the mountain and found a well containing fresh, cool water. Since then, the water in Pearl Well has been offered during rituals at the pagoda.

From Con Son Pagoda, it's a 600-step climb up to the peak of Ky Lan Mountain. Bach Van (White Cloud) Shrine, where Nguyen Trai lived at the end of his life, is at the peak.

Next to the shrine is Ban Co Tien (fairy chessboard) and several other large flat stones called "immortal chessboards" by local residents. Local people were believed to have been travelling along the misty path to the peak when suddenly they heard human voices and laughter.

But all they found was a never-ending chessboard. They decided heavenly deities must have ridden clouds to Ky Lan Mountain to play chess.

The stone path down to the base of the mountain leads to Thach Ban (stone table), two large, smooth and flat rocks that sit beside the Con Son Spring. It is said that Nguyen Trai used to sit on these rocks to think and write poetry.

Next to Con Son Spring is a temple dedicated to Nguyen Trai that was built in 2000 and inaugurated in 2002 in celebration of his 600th birthday.

About 7km west of Con Son Pagoda in the valley of Rong Mountain is Kiep Bac Temple, the estate and garrisoning camp of Tran Hung Dao (1228-1300) after the first victory over the Yuan invaders in 1258. He was a brave general whose army defeated 500,000 Mongol invaders in the mid-1280s and he is now a revered Vietnamese folk hero.

Every year from the 15th to 20th day of the eighth lunar month, tens of thousands of people throughout the country attend the Kiep Bac Temple Festival.

The beautiful temple was built in 1300 where Tran Hung Dao is said to have died. It was built not only for the general, but also to honour other notabe members of his family.

Within the temple complex there's a small exhibition on Tran Hung Dao's exploits. The Tran Hung Dao Festival is held every year from the 18th to the 20th day of the eighth lunar month, which usually falls in October.

Con Son Pagoda and Kiep Bac Temple are two of three areas to be protected as special preserved areas in Hai Duong Province because of their cultural and historical significance, according to the chairwoman of the province, Nguyen Thi Minh.

The preservation plan needs an investment capital of VND1,600 billion, which will be mobilised from the local budget, tourism and economic sectors, Minh said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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Tourism sector surpasses yearly goal

After welcoming over 4.6 million foreign arrivals in the first 11 months of this year, the tourism sector has overtaken its yearly target by 400,000 visitors.

The figures showed a year-on-year increase of 36.5 percent, reported the General Statistics Office.

In the reviewed period, the number of visitors to Vietnam has increased sharply over the same period last year. Noteworthy was the number of tourists from China with 833,000 arrivals, up by 76.7 percent, followed by those from the Republic of Korea and Japan, up 38 and nearly 23 percent, respectively.

The number of visitors from ASEAN countries also increased markedly with 234,000 arrivals from Cambodia, double the figure in the same period last year.

According to experts, the increase is attributed to the tourism sector’s policies of promoting tourism in key markets, especially visa exemptions for visitors in the last three months of the year.

In addition, in 2010, Vietnam, as Chair of ASEAN organised many cultural and art activities for Hanoi’s 1,000 th birthday which attracted numerous tourists to Vietnam.

The tourism sector is now planning to welcome 5.5 million foreign visitors and about 31 million domestic tourists in 2011.
Source: VNA

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Thua Thien-Hue among top tourism provinces

Thua Thien-Hue ranks among the provinces most popular with tourists an about-to-be-published report reveals.

Thua Thien-Hue is known for its historic royal sites. (Photo: Internet)

The report was the first complied by tourism-industry experts, managers and researchers to evaluate the popularity of each of Viet Nam's provinces, said Thua Thien-Hue Culture, Spots and Tourism Department director Phan Tien Dung.

It would be published this month.

The director Thua Thien-Hue said the province had welcomed almost 1.4 million tourists as of November, an increase of 11.7 per cent against the first 11 months of last year.

The number of foreign tourists had increased 7.9 per cent and the number of foreign deluxe cruise ships docking at the province's Chan May Port had also risen.

Tourism revenue was VND774 billion (US$38.7 million), 20.4 per cent higher than last year.

Thua Thien-Hue is known for its historic royal sites; cultural festivals and more than 1,700 dishes ranging from food for the people to aristocrats.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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