VN resort wins World Travel Award

The InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort has been named as Asia's Leading New Resort and Vietnam's Leading Resort at the World Travel Awards.

The awards ceremony was held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

The Da Nang-based resort overcome China's Anantara Sanya Resort&Spa and Indonesia's Sheraton Bali Kuta resort to claim both the awards.

The resort is located 600m above sea level on the Son Tra Peninsula and was designed by architect Bill Bensley from Bensley Design Studios Bangkok.

Last year, the resort was chosen by the Conde Nast Traveller as one of 154 best new hotels in the world.

Da Nang-Can Tho air route set to launch in Dec

The first direct flight between Central Da Nang and Can Tho city in the Mekong Delta will take off on December 24.

National flagship carrier Vietnam Airlines will offer three flights every week and increase that number to seven in 2015.

Budget airline VietJetAir also plans to offer a flight between Da Nang and Can Tho, vice chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee Phung Tan Viet said at a meeting last weekend.

The direct flight takes one hour and 15 minutes.

Vietnam Airlines offers big promotions for Tet

The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines will launch attractive promotional programs on local routes during the coming Tet holiday season.

Vietnam Airlines will launch promotional programs on local routes during the coming Tet holiday season. (Photo: KK)

Return tickets for flights from Hanoi, Vinh and Hai Phong to Ho Chi Minh City will be VND799,000; from Hue, Da Nang and Quy Nhon to HCMC will be VND599,000; from Buon Ma Thuot, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc to HCMC at VND399,000 (not including taxes).

These special prices will be applicable for flights to HCMC from January 25-30, 2014 and February 3-10, 2014 for flights departing from HCMC. The promotional program will kick off from October 8 to December 31.

The national carrier will give free tickets to children of passengers who buy tickets on routes from HCMC to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. From October 8 to December 15 flights departing from HCMC on January 17-24; and trips to HCMC on January 31-February 2 and February 11-16 will also receive discounts.

Hue on track to meet annual tourism target

Hue welcomed nearly 2 million visitors in the first nine months of this year, including 752,000 international tourists.

According to Thua Thien-Hue Province's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the 1.9 million visits accounted for 80 per cent of the province's annual local tourism target, delivering VND4.6 million in revenue to the local budget.

The achievement has been linked to promotional and discount programmes implemented by local authorities, it said.

Thai nationals contributed the most to the influx of tourists, with visitors also coming from France, Australia, the UK and Germany.

Experts predict the reopening of local Phu Bai Airport last month – after a six-month closure for maintenance – will boost tourism numbers in the last three months of the year.

A visit of 30 tour operators including Saigontourist, Viettravel, and Ben Thanh Tourist was organized to examine tourism sites in the province.

Operators were able to see Hue style garden houses in Kim Long and Phuoc Tich, natural springs in Thanh Tan and taste famous local cuisines.

The operators pledged to offer more tourism products to include the sites.

Thua Thien- Hue tourism sector earned VND4.6 billion

The total turnover of Thua Thien-Hue tourism sector reached VND4.6 billion (US$2.1 million) in the first nine months of this year, according to provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Hue attracted nearly 2 million of tourists including 752,000 foreign arrivals to the ancient capital in the last nine months of this year. The province is very optimistic that it will receive another 500, 000 visits between now and year end as the peak season falls in the last three months of the year.

The provincial tourism department has also launched many promotion programmes to lure tourists to Hue in the last three months of this year. Most include discounts on food, hotel rates and discount tickets to royal theater.

The reopening of Phu Bay airport will make visitors’ transportation to Hue fast and easy.

The revenue tourism services for 2013 is expected to account for 50 percent of provincial GDP.

Source: SGT/SGGP/VNA/VNS/VOV/ND