Ban Gioc waterfall to become key tourism site

The PM has agreed to research the building of Ban Gioc waterfall tourism site and convert it into a key tourist destination in northern mountainous Cao Bang province.

The move aims to promote socio-economic development in the locality and safeguard national defense.

The tourism site would cover 1,000 hectares and is expected to welcome 350,000 tourists per year by 2015 and around 1 million guests per year by 2020.  

The draft planning for Ban Gioc waterfall tourism site must take into consideration the role and position of Ban Gioc waterfall and the connection with inter-provincial tourism routes (Cao Bang-Bac Kan-Thai Nguyen-Red River Delta and Lang Son-Cao Bang-Ha Giang).

Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Quy Xuan River is located in Cao Bang Province, nearing the Chinese-Vietnamese border. The waterfall falls thirty meters. It is separated into three falls by rocks and trees.

Ban Gioc Waterfall area has a poetic, fresh and tranquil beauty, which is a combination of water, forests, mountainous landscapes and villages of mountainous ethnic minorities.

Foreign arrivals up 10% in 11 months

The number of international visitors to Vietnam over the last eleven months is estimated at 6.85 million, a year-on-year rise of 10.2%, according to the General Statistics Office.

Of the total, 4.2 million visited for travel and leisure purposes, up 12.1% , and 1.15 million came to work, up 8.3%. The remaining 1.14 million visited their relatives, up 8.7%.

In terms of mode of transport, the number of foreign tourists travelling by air was 5.413 million, (up 7%), and by land, 1.252 million (up 38.7%).

They predominantly came from China (up 34%) followed by the Republic of Korea (7.4%), Japan (5.5%), Cambodia (3.6%) and Australia (10.9%).

Vietnamese residents in France support flood victims

Therese Nguyen Van Ky – former president of the Vietnamese Association in France – has handed over EUR2,000 to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) to support victims of floods in the central region.

Therese said despite their own difficulties in daily life and business, Vietnamese repatriates always turn their mind to the homeland and the Vietnamese community will continue raising funds for victims of natural disasters back home.

Tran Cong Thinh, Chief Representative of COVA, sincerely thanked them for their timely support and promised to send the money to the flood victims soon as possible.

Asiana adds Hanoi-Incheon flights

Asiana Airlines has announced it will add four more weekly flights to its Hanoi-Incheon route as of December 9.

Asiana will expand the route’s current seven to 11 flights per week departing Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Asiana’s Chief Hanoi Representative Seon Jong RoK said the new flights coincide with the beginning of a two-week tourism promotion starting on December 9.

Passengers will have the rare chance to experience VIP level service at reasonable prices.

If Asiana follows through on its plans to add another three weekly flights in early 2014, Hanoi and Incheon will be served by two flights every day.

The number of Vietnamese visiting the Republic of Korea (RoK) has increased significantly in recent years, up 30% in July this year alone. Approximately 108,000 Vietnamese tourists will have visited the country by the end of November 2013.

Asiana’s decision seeks to meet the increasing travel demands of both peoples.

Conference promotes tourism cooperation with Argentina

Domestic travel agencies joined a conference on promoting tourism cooperation with Argentina held in Ho Chi Minh City last week, as part of the activities to mark the 40 th anniversary of Vietnam-Argentina diplomatic ties.

Argentinean Ambassador to Vietnam Claudio R. Gutierrez said the conference aims to introduce the image of his country and its people to Vietnam, enhance the exchange of information between the two sides’ tourist companies on each nation’s potential, and promote the friendship between the two countries.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairwoman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hong affirmed the great tourism potential of the Argentinean market, adding that it is vital to foster tourism promotion and create links for the sector’s development.

The workshop helps bring about various new tourism cooperation opportunities between HCM City and Argentina and its localities in particular, added Hong.

It also enables domestic tourists to better understand the cultural and historical characteristics of the South American country.

Source: SGT/VNA/VNS/VGP