Five-star ship brings over 3,000 foreign visitors to Vietnam

Royal Caribbean International's Voyager of the Seas docked at Cai Mep international port, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, on October 12, bringing more than 3,000 foreign passengers and crew members to the southern province.

The visit was arranged by the country’s leading tour operator Saigontourist.

The guests visited a number of famous destinations in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and Ho Chi Minh City including Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, the Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City Hall, the Reunification Palace, the statue of Jesus Christ on Nho Mountain, the Niet Ban Buddhist Monastery, and Thang Tam Temple.

They had chance to see local people make wine and banh trang (dried rice paper sheets) and enjoy interesting tours to ancient houses.

Voyager of the Seas has a maximum capacity of 3,138 passengers and 1,181 seamen, and is equipped with international-standard restaurants, bars, out-door swimming pools, and golf courts.

Seaplanes Open Route Between Hanoi and Halong Bay

Vietnam’s first seaplane service launched last month, cutting the travel time from Hanoi to Halong Bay to 30 minutes wheels up to pontoons down.

To inaugurate the new, long-sought alternative to the four-hour, overland haul, Hai Au Aviation has launched a joint promotion with Emeraude Classic Cruises through Dec. 31.

The planes lift off at 10 am from the tarmac at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport and touch down on water at Tuan Chau Marina. From the marina, passengers then ferry to the Emeraude for a noon departure onto Halong Bay.

Hai Au’s maiden flight took place on Sept. 9. The airline flies Cessna Caravan C208 EX, manufactured in June 2014 in Wichita, Kansas in the United States. The 42-foot long aircraft seats 12 and cruises at 260 km/h under the command of two pilots. Hai Au notes on its Web site that the Caravan is the largest single-engine float plane.

“The Hai Au alternative opens up a whole new market segment for Halong Bay,” said Kurt Walter, the Emeraude’s general manager. “For many, the prospect of a three to four hour overland drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay is an insurmountable hurdle.”

The VND 11,697,000 per person package includes a one-way flight from Noi Bai to Halong, a private cabin for two, all meals, the cruise, onshore excursions and overland transportation back to Hanoi in a private vehicle. Those who’d prefer to return by plane can take a 4:30 pm flight for an additional charge.

InterContinental Da Nang clinches four awards

The InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort has been honoured with four awards in various categories at the World Travel Awards.

These include Asia's Leading Hotel Dining and Entertainment Experience, Leading Luxury Resort, Viet Nam's Leading Resort and Viet Nam's Leading Spa Resort.

The resort was also nominated for the World's Leading Hotel Dining and Entertainment Experience, along with La Cigale Hotel in Qatar; Le Meridien She Shan in Shanghai, China; MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada; Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth, Australia; Sun City Resort in South Africa; and the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.

Last year, the Da Nang-based facility was voted Best New Resort and Viet Nam's Leading Resort.

Architect Bill Bensley of Bensley Design Studios in Bangkok designed the iconic 197-room resort, located 600m above sea level on the Son Tra Peninsula. In 2012, Conde Nast Traveller chose the resort as one of the 154 best new hotels in the world.

Dak Nong strives to awaken ample tourism potential

Part of the Central Highlands region, Dak Nong province is proud of its distinct culture and history that is a melting pot of 40 different ethnic groups.

The land is home to imposing natural landscapes, vast green carpets, primitive forests, majestic lakes and unique waterfalls.

The province also features spacious nature reserves such as the 12,300ha Nam Nung and 22,100ha Ta Dung’s vast ecosystems, many of which recognised by scientific organisations worldwide.

Under the plan to effectively tap Dak Nong’s enormous tourism potential, over the past several years provincial authorities have issued a raft of policies that support businesses, both local and foreign, that are committed to realising the province’s tourism potential.

Over 10 years of development, Dak Nong has developed a fairly sufficient system of guest houses and hotels with more than 1,000 rooms and capable of handling big events. The province has also joined hands with localities throughout the country to design tours that focus on promoting distinctive local offerings such as waterfall, spiritual and adventure tours.

By tapping diverse capital sources, key tourism centres and resorts are taking shape in Dak Nong, such as the Dak Glun waterfall eco-tourism attraction, Nam Nung eco cultural and historical museum, and Dray Sap-Gia Long-Trinh Nu waterfall chain resort.

In respect to Dak Glun eco tourism attraction, with more than VND11 billion ($524,000) in total investment the project has now completed a coffee shop chain, internal roads and a lighting system. The site is regarded by the local tourism sector to be of foremost importance in spurring tourism development in southwestern areas, as well as tours connecting Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Ta Dung and Dak Glun.

In joining with the Central Highlands-Da Lat National Tourism Year 2014, Dak Nong has tailored diverse programmes to promote its image, including a cultural event at the Drap Say waterfall eco-tourism site that enchanted the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The tourism sector’s efforts to restore traditional festivals, resurrect traditional culture and open waterfall tours have helped visitors gain exposure to the province’s diverse culture and history.

Since tourism is regarded as a spearhead sector in promoting socio-economic development this year and in the time to come, Dak Nong envisages calling for investment into 12 resorts and 15 tourism complexes (see list).

During 2010-2015 Dak Nong has sourced investment into four projects: a resort chain along the Serepok River bank, the Nam Nung mountain eco-cultural tourism attraction, the Len Gun waterfall tourism attraction, and Ta Dung eco-cultural tourism attraction. These projects are valued at more than VND3 trillion ($143 million) in total investment capital.

Apart from enjoying government preferences, investors in these projects are also entitled to receive incentives offered by a resolution issued by Dak Nong People’s Council that contained specific policies to support industry, trade, tourism and services development in the province.

Travel companies sponge off Central Highlands

Many travel companies have been taking advantage of the natural and cultural beauty of the Central Highlands region without giving back by investing in the area's infrastructure.

The Central Highlands – Dalat National Tourism Year 2014 is expected to feature 17 events, 13 of which to be organised in Dalat and the rest to be hosted by regional provinces. This in some way proves the attractiveness of Dalat, but at the expense of community-based tourism in the region.

The situation is a result of the fact that many travel firms have taken advantage of the tourism potential in the region and have not invested in the development of food, accommodation and entertainment services. They also do not create typical tourism products for the region. As a result, several regional tourism areas now fail to attract visitors.

Trinh Nu Waterfall in Dak Nong Province was once a locally famous landscape. It was managed by Dak Nong Tourism and Trade Co., Ltd but has been deserted since 2012, and tourism there has been dwindling.

The company has filed for bankruptcy due to large losses. Although it is expected that new investors will take over, it is impossible to tell when, and to date none have shown interest.

Ngo Lam, head of Cu Jut District Office for Culture and Information, said, “As Trinh Nu Waterfall stopped welcoming visitors, it has affected the operations of other sites in the surrounding area.”

Other sites in the region are experiencing similar trends, including Thuy Tien Waterfall in Tam Giang Commune of Dak Lak Province and the Ban Don cultural and ecological tourism site in Buon Don District.

Vu Minh Thoai, head of Buon Don District Office for Culture and Information, said, “The Buon Don cultural and ecological site was initially managed by Dak Lak Rubber Co., Ltd but their activities began to decrease after the company's privatisation.”

Thoai went on to say that several other tour companies just take advantages of the Buon Don highlands villages and do not put money back into developing the service infrastructure or work out long-term development plans.

“Travel services at the site are rather boring and fail to meet demand due to lack of proper investment,” said Nguyen Duc, head of Buon Don Tourism Centre.

Vietnam Airlines to add 1,200 flights during Tet holiday

Vietnam Airlines has announced it will add 1,200 flights on domestic and international routes in the peak season on Tet holiday from January 28 to March 18, 2015, the Saigon Times Daily reported.

According to Vietnam Airlines, Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi service will have 260 more flights, while HCM City-Da Nang run will be added with 340 flights.

The national flag carrier will also increase flights on other local routes from HCM City to Vinh, Hai Phong, Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot, Quy Nhon, Cam Ranh, Hue, Thanh Hoa, Phu Quoc, and from Hanoi to Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Vinh.

Besides, some 36 flights will be added on international routes connecting Vietnam and Taiwan’s Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung, Bangkok of Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong, among others.

In the peak period the airline expects to have 18,900 flights, up 12 percent compared to normal days.

Vietnam Airlines has advised passengers to book tickets as soon as possible as they might find it hard to buy in the high season of Tet, or the Lunar New Year. The carrier will continue to gauge demand, and assess resources to add more flights.

Jetstar Pacific and VietJetAir are also planning to add flights on this occasion and going to publish their schedules soon, according to representatives of the two low-cost carriers.

VIR/VNS/VNA