Posted by admin on February 22, 2011 under Vietnam tour, Vietnam travel News | 
The fruitful tourism cooperation between the three northwestern provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Phu Tho during the past 6 years has contributed to the socio-economic development of each province and to the improvement of local people’s living standards.
The tourism infrastructure in the area has been much improved thanks to a large investment from these provinces. More hotels and other tourist facilities have been built in remote areas such as Nghia Lo in Yen Bai and Sapa in Lao Cai.
Hundreds of high standard restaurants have opened for visitors. These provinces have launched many new tours to historical sites, landscapes and explore local special cultural identities for tourists.
Last year, these provinces welcome more than 2 million visitors, earning more than 1,000 billion VND. Yen Bai Province alone earned 115 billion VND with more than 300,000 visitors.
This year, these provinces’ tourism sector targets to receive more than 5.5 million visitors including 400,000 international visitors and earn over 1,200 billion VND. Many special tourist programs and cultural activities are expected to be carried out to promote tourism. Incentive policies are also applied to attract investors in tourism projects.
Main activities of these provinces’ tourism cooperation program “Return to Roots 2011”:
- Au Co Temple festival from February 7th to 9th in Hien Luong Commune, Ha Hoa District, Phu Tho.
- The ceremony of the “Return to Roots 2011” program from February 26th to 28th in Nghia Lo Town, Yen Bai.
- Thuong Temple Festival from February 16th to 18th in Lao Cai City.
- Tren May – Sapa Festival 2011 from April 30th to May 4th in Sapa District, Lao Cai
- Hung Kings Festival from April 6th to 12th in Phu Tho
- Bac Ha Traditional Horse Race Open 2011 on June 27th to 28th at Bac Ha District’s stadium, Lao Cai.
- Thac Ba Festival in June in Yen Binh Commune, Yen Bai
- Fansipan Mountain Climbing Tournament from October 27th to 29th in Sapa
- Muong Lo Tourism and Culture Week in October in Nghia Lo Commune, Yen Bai
- Mu Cang Chai Tourism and Culture week in October in Yen Bai.
Source: qdnd.vn
Collected by vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on February 21, 2011 under Vietnam travel News |
Vietnam will display 18 traditional trong dong (bronze drums) at its embassies all over the world, local news website VnExpress reported Tuesday.
It is part of a project to make 37 drums announced Monday in Hanoi.
The project will officially be launched this Sunday, in the central province of Thanh Hoa, which is well-known for its drum craftsmen, the news source said.
The first drums will be delivered to the Hung Temple (a holy site dedicated to the founders of Vietnam in the Northern Province of Phu Tho) and President Ho Chi Minh’s Vestige Site in Hanoi by April 5.
Others will be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by August 28 for its 66th anniversary before being brought overseas.
VnExpress quoted Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai as saying that the project will help Vietnam bring its cultural symbols closer to other countries.
Bronze drums are revered as national treasures in Vietnam and are worshipped as a deity in Thanh Hoa.
The project was primarily funded by Kinh Do Investment and Communications Company, as well as AMC Investment and Development Joint-stock Company.
The drums will also be built using funds contributed by different organizations and individuals.
Source: Thanh Nien News
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Posted by admin on February 19, 2011 under Vietnam travel News |
New City Properties Development Company, the investor behind Vietnam’s largest tourism project, is feeling the heat from site clearance difficulties.
Frank Cheung, general manager of New City, said site clearance challenges were blocking construction of the $4.3 billion Phu Yen High Grade Tourism Complex project in central Phu Yen province.
The company had already cleared more than 80 per cent of the project site, which was licenced in 2008 and would cover 565 hectares, said Cheung.
According to government regulations, provincial authorities are in charge of clearing sites for investment projects. However, at present most local authorities ask investors to compensate and clear the site in advance. Then, the investor will claw back the costs through tax and land rental exemptions.
For New City, the site clearance is currently the biggest challenge to the project’s development.
“It is taking more time than we thought. A lot of difficulties surfaced in the process of compensation delaying different construction items,” said Cheung.
During 2010 New City started the first stage of the project with a road connecting the project site with National Road 1A already completed.
“This year, the company will continue with the compensation procedure and to clean up the ground surface as well as building some items such public transportation, infrastructure, recreation parks and vacation villages,” said Cheung.
However, he added the construction process depended on site clearance.
“Sometime they [local residents] ask us to compensate at a price, but sometimes yhey change their minds and require a different price. It is really hard to understand them,” he added.
He added complication is some of the remaining land to be cleared is a burial site.
Nguyen Chi Hien, director of Phu Yen Department of Planning and Investment, said it could take a long time to remove tombs.
New City expects the project to be operational in 2013. In the first stage, it plans to build three, four-star hotels with 900 rooms and four, five star-hotels with 2,250 rooms.
Source: VIR
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Posted by admin on February 17, 2011 under Vietnam tour, Vietnam travel News |
Russia is an important market for Vietnamese tourism and has high expectations, said Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Travel Association.
Over the past five years, tourists from Russia have always been among the leading groups of foreign visitors with the highest growth of 20-30 percent, according to statistics supplied by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
However, the number of Russian tourists was still low in 2010 with about 100,000 visitors due to the geographic distance and a lack of promotions.
Tourists from Russia like the coastal resorts and luxurious relaxing tourist destinations. On average they also stay longer and spend more, around 1,600-1,700 USD, an annual increase of 50-80 percent, according to estimates from Vietnam ’s travel agencies.
They are also interested in local products such as clothes, footwear, embroidery work, gemstones, handicrafts and silk.
Bui Nguyen Tam Dang, Director of Vietravel’s overseas market group, said that Russia has always been considered a market with huge potential. In 2010, the number of Russian tourists welcomed by Vietravel rose by 20 percent against the previous years figure.
In Vietnam , Phan Thiet and Nha Trang in the central coastal provinces of Binh Thuan and Khanh Hoa, are the leading destinations in terms of attracting Russian tourists, said Dang.
Russia ’s airline Vladivostok Air opened a direct route to Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa province in late 2010 and could increase the number of Russian visitors to the central coastal province by 50 percent in 2011, Dang estimated.
Travel agencies operating in the Russian market say that Winter time is the high season for Russian travellers. Their counterparts in Russia have also promoted tours to Southeast Asian nations like Thailand , Indonesia and Vietnam , instead of Egypt due to unstable political situation.
To make the most of the opportunity, Vietravel says it is working with service providers, especially hotels and resorts in Nha trang and Phan thiet to attract more visitors from this promising market.
Localities with the potential for maritime tourism like Da Nang City and Quang Nam province in central Vietnam , are looking at ways of attracting more Russian tourists.
Tran Chi Cuong, Head of the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Travel Management Division, said that along with the continued investment in coastal tourist sites, the city will focus on promotions in Russia in the future.
Vietnam’s tourism industry will attend the MITT international tourism fair in March in Russia, and is creating a project to develop key markets, including Russia.
Source: vietnamplus
Tags: hotel in phan thiet, Nha Trang hotel, nha trang resort, phan thiet hotel, resort in nha trang, resorts in nha trang, resorts in phan thiet, russia, travel to Vietnam, Vietnam tourism, vietnam travel
Posted by admin on February 15, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam travel News |
KPVI News 6, the local NBC (National Broadcasting Company) affiliated television station for Idaho, has advised Americans to tour Vietnam to get to know “Southeast Asia’s rising star”.
According to the TV station, as the world discovers more of Vietnam’s treasures, this Southeast Asian country is climbing higher on travellers’ must-see lists. A Vietnam tour is often the most effective way to take in the best of this fascinating country’s attractions including the highlands of the far north and the beaches of the south.
In its website, KPVI News 6 writes that travellers won’t want to miss Hanoi, Hue, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. In Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, its citizens are justifiably proud of that long history.
However, most visitors find that Hanoi isn’t just stuck in the past – it’s a forward-thinking metropolis even though it’s filled with the elegantly crumbling vestiges of French colonial architecture and dotted with ancient temples and pagodas. The best historic sights are the One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049 to resemble a lotus bud; and Hoa Lo Prison, which might be more recognizable by its other moniker, the Hanoi Hilton. One of the country’s delightful folk traditions with an evening at a water puppet theater performance, which have been held for centuries, is advisable.
Also according to the website, few visitors to the former imperial capital of Hue are disappointed. The city’s incomparable art and architecture make an impression with the grandeur of former imperial residences and temples. Ones should visit the Citadel and take part in Hue’s legendary cuisine, which is renowned throughout the country as being uniquely refined.
Danang is described as Vietnam’s appeal as a relaxing beach destination; a bustling, lively city, with ample opportunities to shop and play in the waves and a reputation for great food.
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is an essential stop. Its reputation is that of a pulsing, vibrant metropolis that is always on the go. It’s more modern than Hanoi, but there are still plenty of historic sights to see – like the History Museum, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and Giac Vien Pagoda - between stops at the city’s many shopping boutiques and great restaurants.
KPVI News 6 concludes that many travellers find that Vietnam fits well into a longer itinerary that also takes them to other popular Southeast Asian destinations like Cambodia and Thailand.
Source: VOVnews
Tags: danang, Giac Vien Pagoda, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hoa Lo Prison, Hue, One Pillar Pagoda, saigon, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, travel to Vietnam, travel vietnam, vietnam attractions, Vietnam tour, vietnam travel
Posted by admin on February 14, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam travel News |
The idea of Vietnam conjures strong images in the Western mind. Many come from a few iconic Vietnam War films. The country still features those lush rustic landscapes, peaceful now, of course, but modern Vietnam has grown beyond the definition of misty paddy fields and peeling houses, captivating as these certainly are.
Sapa Field, Vietnam
Remnants of war – the Cu Chi tunnels near Saigon, for example – have been preserved for visitors to witness. However, the Vietnamese have very much put hostilities behind them, staying cheerfully focused on the future. These days, most Vietnam tours take in sights that range from pristine French architecture in Hanoi to jungle riverways in the Mekong Delta.
So, when you visit Vietnam, how can you encounter its complete personality? A good start is by leaving your preconceptions at home. Arrive in any country with a fixed idea of what it’s about and you risk overlooking things that don’t fit into your theory. Land in Vietnam with a clear head and you’ll begin to perceive the superb layers of culture that tint, obscure and highlight each other throughout this remarkable country.
Just over 1,000 years ago, long before the French colonised Vietnam, the Vietnamese secured independence from China and flourished, for hundreds of years, under their own dynasties. The emperors considered themselves divine, creating huge ornate palaces, and tombs designed for comfort in the afterlife. Many of these were destroyed by subsequent warfare and colonial development.
Luckily, Hue, on the coast, where the border between North & South once divided the country, has been preserved. Its fortified citadel is enormous: four square miles of forbidden city, once home to emperors and their concubines and inaccessible – on pain of death – to anyone else. This is one of the few places in the country where this era of dynastic Vietnam is still visible.
In 1885 the whole of Vietnam became part of the French Indochina colony. Both Hanoi and Saigon (now officially known as Ho Chi Minh City) are full of astonishing French architecture, from a post office designed by M. Eiffel in Saigon to the ornate Presidential Palace and French Quarter in Hanoi. When the Vietnamese leaders finally re-secured their country’s independence in the 1970s, they began using the old French government buildings as their own. The power symbolized by these imposing foreign structures suddenly belonged to the nation.
Hanoi is also home to the tomb of “Uncle” Ho Chi Minh himself, whose embalmed body is revered and on display for visitors to see. Expect to queue, here, but this somewhat macabre exhibition really transmits the magnitude of relief and gratitude the Vietnamese must have felt when Uncle Ho finally negotiated independence after centuries of occupation and war.
And yet, behind the triumphant modern bustle, along mountain passes and misty valleys, lies another remarkable achievement. Despite all the turmoil, a number of indigenous tribes still lead traditional lives, coming into villages to trade and greet visitors. They’re very friendly – you may be surprised by how well they speak English – and their existing at all demonstrates Vietnam’s determined pride in survival.
Posted by admin on January 27, 2011 under Vietnam tour, Vietnam travel News |
National Tourism Year 2011 which highlights the southern central coastal region will kick off in Phu Yen province on April 1.
The organising board said at a Jan. 25 press briefing that an artistic programme to celebrate the 400th founding anniversary of Phu Yen province will also take place on the same day with People’s Artist Le Ngoc Cuong, former Head of the Performance Arts Agency, as the programme director.
Accordingly, over 30 special events will be organised in eight southern central coastal cities and provinces of Danang , Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Phu Yen during the event.
Highlights for the event will include the International Yacht Festival in Mui Ne beach, Binh Thuan province from March 17-20, an International Firework Display in Danang city on April 29-30, the ASEAN Traditional Music Festival on June 1-7 in Phu Yen, the Nha Trang Sea Festival on June 11-15 and the cultural, sports and tourism festival of ethnic groups in the central and Central Highlands region in Phu Yen in July.
In preparation for the national promotion, the cities and provinces have worked with the National Tourism Administration to conduct two surveys in tourism destinations to create inter-regional tourism products.
Phu Yen province, as the host of the event, has also built up several cultural, sports and tourism establishments and stepped up the development of infrastructure and transport to meet visitors’ demands.
With the theme, “Exotic Beach and Island”, National Tourism Year is an opportunity to promote the country’s sea and island tourism, effectively exploit tourism potential and boost investment promotion.
Source: VietnamPlus
Collected by vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on January 25, 2011 under Vietnam travel News |
The Ministry of Planning and Investment will carry out inspections of tourism and recreational-property projects in the central city of Da nang and five other provinces to determine their feasibility, according to the Ministry’s plan for this yean
The provinces of Thua Thien Hue, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, Lam Dong and Binh Thuan, as well as Danang, are considered “hotspots” because many licences have been issued for property developing projects.
But most of those projects, especially in Thua Thien Hue and Lam Dong, either remain on paper or have been delayed.
Lang Co Bay in central Thua Thien-Hue Province is a natural attraction for tourists. An inspection on tourism and recreational projects in the central city of Danang and five other areas has been called for to determine their feasibility. — VNA/VNS
In the 2001-04 period, many investors quickly registered projects to occupy land, but construction has not begun.According to the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone, 35 registered projects exist, but only nine are operating.
Projects still on paper include Lap An Resort and Golf Course, an infrastructure project for Saigon-Chan May Industrial and Non-Tariff Zone, and Bai Chuoi Tourism Area. They were issued licenses in the 2006-08 period.
Construction on some projects has been sparse. For example, the Diana Resort project was issued a license in 2007 but only the fence and watchman’s house have been built.
A resort project along Lang Co beach worth US$4.8 million was issued a license in 2006, but only wave-breakers have been built since that time.
Nguyen Que, deputy head of management board of Chan May-Lang Co economic zone, said slow implementation and delays were caused by a lack of capital.
Moreover, because of the banks’ high interest rate, the investors were reluctant to take out loans.
The People’s Committee of the Central Highland province of Lam Dong said for the 2006-10 period, a total of 236 tourism and resort projects in Dalat and the neighbouring region were registered, with registered capital totalling about VND46,500 billion ($2.3 billion).
Of those, 142 projects have been issued licenses, but only 65 projects have begun construction. Nineteen out of 65 projects have begun to operate.
For the Tuyen Lam Lake tourist zone alone, there are 30 registered projects with total investment capital of more than VND7,500 billion ($375 million). But only14 of that number are under construction. While the Ministry of Planning and Investment has asked local authorities to examine the feasibility of tourism property projects, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has organised conferences to call for investment in tourism and resort projects.
They include the Hoi Dua resort tourist area covering an area of 100ha, a resort tourist area along the Dien Loc beach in Phong Dien District with an area of 200ha, and the Quang Cong – Quang Ngan eco-tourism area in Quang Dien District covering an area of 100ha.
Truong Van Thu, vice chairman of Lam Dong Province People’s Committee, said inspections of these areas would help local authorities examine and review the construction progress of projects.
The province issued a list of key projects that seek investment for the 2010-20 period. One of those was the Prenn Lake tourist zone project with a large scale of 1,000ha.
Source: VNS
Posted by admin on January 20, 2011 under Vietnam travel News |
By Johanna Jainchill
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — It’s not always easy to tell, but Vietnam’s tourist sector has been in a nonstop boom over the last decade.
Last year, several luxury Vietnam hotels pledged to develop new properties in the country, adding to a hotel surge that began 10 years ago.
The development contributed to a 36% boost in visitors in the first half of 2010, making Vietnam fourth in the world in tourism growth, according to the World Tourism Organization.
Meanwhile, several river cruise operators say that demand for Mekong River trips is pushing them to develop or rapidly expand cruise programs there.
While those sectors have only recently discovered Vietnam, the upscale and expedition sector of the cruise industry was on the forefront of travel to the country, with several first visiting Vietnam in the early 1990s.
Even back then, when its inland tourism infrastructure was lacking, Vietnam’s 2,140-mile coastline made it geographically suited to cruise exploration.
Recent tourism development has benefited the cruise industry, bringing needed infrastructure and excursion opportunities. But the same development also threatens to change much of what visitors find so charming about Vietnam.
“The demand for Vietnam is very high among sophisticated travelers because the destination offers a glimpse into ‘old Asia,’” said Mark Conroy, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which began operating in Vietnam when the country’s ports opened in 1992.
Vietnam is not as developed as many Asian cruise destinations, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and, increasingly, Shanghai and Beijing.
This has traditionally made Vietnam challenging to travel to by land, but it also enabled it to retain a pristine, old-Asia ambience that one well-traveled passenger on a recent Silversea Cruises itinerary likened to “China in the 1970s.”
Silversea has been offering cruises to Vietnam since 1996. It is among several cruise lines that say Vietnam’s overall tourism infrastructure had greatly improved.
Steve Tucker, Silversea’s vice president of field sales, said the country was doing an “excellent job cultivating cruise business.”
“Every year we notice significant improvements,” Tucker said. “When we first started visiting Vietnam, tour buses were of very poor quality and had no air conditioning. Currently, buses are much more modern and significantly more efficient. Roads leading to popular tourist spots are now newly paved and in better condition. Public restrooms are more plentiful and in better condition.”
Tucker also noted that the language skills of Vietnamese guides have greatly improved.
“It’s not uncommon now to find guides speaking multiple languages,” he said. “In the past, we were hard pressed to find even an English-speaking guide. Having guides that are multilingual is extremely important to our international clientele looking for private tour arrangements.”
Another improvement Tucker cited is faster port clearance times and customs procedures, which enable passengers to disembark soon after arriving.
“Years ago, it would take some time before our guests were allowed to go ashore,” he recalled.
Travel agents say cruise ships exposed people to Vietnam, and now they want to go back for land stays.
“Cruises have helped give more awareness to the destination,” said Susan Reder of Frosch Classic Cruise and Travel in California, who herself first visited Vietnam many years ago on a cruise. Today, she said, the destination is “definitely hot.”
“There are so many new properties opening up in Vietnam,” Reder said. “It’s a fabulous country, so interesting; wonderful people and the best food.”
Cruise lines say demand for Vietnam is as strong as ever and, in fact, still growing.
Silversea said interest in Vietnam has grown even as demand for other Asian destinations has diminished.
“Indonesia used to be the hot Asia destination,” Tucker said. “Now it’s Vietnam.”
Adam Snitzer, vice president of marketing for Seabourn Cruises, said Vietnam was one of the line’s most popular destinations not only in Asia but worldwide. He also noted that Seabourn cruises go to Vietnamese destinations that can be “challenging if done by land.”
Seabourn, which has been calling in Vietnam since the early 1990s, recently added Sihanoukville in Cambodia to the line’s 2012 Vietnam/Thailand cruises in order to offer access to Angkor in Cambodia, Snitzer said, noting that its passengers “do seek new and more exotic destinations.”
Despite continuing developments, the lines also cite some challenges there.
Conroy noted there were “some bureaucratic issues with the government” that passengers rarely see. He added that Regent’s main challenge can be getting people to Vietnam.
“The biggest challenge in the area are the distances and the cost to get there,” Conroy said, noting that with flight time up to 24 hours, many people want to travel in business class, which, depending on capacity and demand, “can be expensive.”
He also said that unlike in Europe, Regent can’t depend on the local market to fill a portion of the ship.
“In Asia, for luxury we have not seen the demand,” Conroy said, adding that Regent’s Asian guests mostly travel in Europe or Alaska.
Source: www.travelweekly.com
Posted by admin on January 19, 2011 under Vietnam travel News |
The Saigon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) welcomed 300 overseas tourists and crew sailing aboard the cruise liner Princess Daphne, which docked at Saigon port in Ho Chi Minh City on Jan. 15.
This is the first second time the Portuguese luxury cruise liner has visited Vietnam .
The visitors, mostly from Australia , will explore popular tourism destinations in HCM City and the Mekong delta city of My Tho , including Ben Thanh market and Cu Chi tunnel.
Princess Dahne is scheduled to leave Vietnam on Jan. 16 and come back the country on Feb. 9 to make five-day a tour of Nha Trang, Ha Long and Da Nang .
In January, Saigontourist received 2,200 arrivals traveling on the cruise liner Costa Classica for a tour of HCM City-Da Nang-Ha Long from Jan. 22-26.
Source: Vietnam Plus
