Duty-free store reopens in Tan Son Nhat Airport

The duty-free store in Tan Son Nhat International Airport has officially reopened. Customers entering Vietnam through international airports are eligible to purchase items duty-free.

Each person can purchase a 1.5 liter bottle of wine above 22 percent or two-liter bottles under 22 percent and 400 cigarettes.  Travelers can buy other items with total cost below VND5 million (US$237.50).

The reopening of the store was met with high demand from consumers traveling in and out of the country.  It will also be a critical source of income and competition for the airport.

Currently it only has alcohol products, cigarettes and confectionaries.  The store is hoping to expand its stock to sell perfumes and cosmetics.

Quang Binh listed one of most attractive destinations

Quang Binh province was listed one of 52 most attractive destinations around the world by travel pages of The New York Times (United States), said Nguyen A Chau, Director of Oxalis Travel Company on January 13.

Currently, Quang Binh ranked eight positions in the list of the most attractive destinations around the world and the first attractive destinations in Asia.

According to the New York Times, huge shafts of light penetrate its vast caverns, allowing forests of 100-foot-tall trees to thrive in spaces big enough to accommodate 40-story skyscrapers. Colossal 260-foot stalactites are also present. Monkeys, hornbills and flying foxes have all been spotted in this surreal habitat, first fully explored in 2009 (by New York Times).

There is considered as a natural habitat for valuable plants as well as animals.

Mr. Tran Tien Dung, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Binh said that the province will have to increase ticket prices from US$ 3.000 to US$ 5.000 to design the top services as foreign visitors' demands.

Russian tourist arrivals to Vietnam see record growth

Vietnam welcomed 250,000 Russian visitors last year, an increase of 71 percent compared to 2012.

This is the second year in a row Russia has ranked among the top ten tourist markets of Vietnam, according to the figure released by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Russian tourists are attracted to Vietnam by its warm climate, charming beaches, beautiful landscapes, friendly people, and healthy food, said the Association of Tour Operators of Russia.

Vietnam-Russia air services have been strongly developed with opening of new direct flights such as Saint Petersburg – Nha Trang and Moscow – Nha Trang..

The Vietnam Airlines has doubled its flights on the Moscow – Nha Trang route just after six months of operation and will increase to three flights a week in early 2014.

The Vietnamese tourism authority, encouraged by the rapid growth in Russian tourist arrivals in the last two years, has drawn up an ambitious plan to increase the number of Russian visitors to 300,000 in 2014.

Source: SGT/VNA/VNS