Hanoi, Da Nang rank eighth among top tourist attractions

Da Nang City.

A leading online tourism magazine, Smart Travel Asia, has named Da Nang and Ha Noi among the Top 10 attractive destinations in the region this year.

This is the second consecutive year that Viet Nam's two cities have won spots on the list.

The criteria included the quality and responses to tourism products, trademarks and destinations. Da Nang, Ha Noi and Singapore all placed eighth on the list. Bali placed first.

About 70 per cent of the magazine's voters were based in Asia, 15 per cent in the UK and Europe, and 15 per cent in the US and North America.

Da Nang to build cruise centre in Son Tra District

Da Nang's Son Tra Peninsula and Beaches Managing Board will build a tourist reception centre in March at the second Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Son Tra District.

The existing port will host boat tours around the islet off Hai Van Pass and Son Tra peninsula, the managing board said. It will be the city's second cruise tour launching point, along with the Bach Dang Wharf on the Han River.

About 20,000 passengers take the peninsula's boat cruises every year.

The city has also started building its first cruise port and aquatic sport centre on the east bank of the Han River. First-stage investment for the project is VND203 billion (US$9.6 million).

The Tien Sa port in the central city – the only cruise port – served 120,000 tourists last year. 

Vietnam tourism promotion gala in New Delhi

“Vietnam – A paradise of Southeast Asia” was the theme of a tourism promotion gala in New Delhi, India, on November 26 that attracted the presence of many tour operators from both countries.

Vietnamese Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh, in his welcome speech, made it clear that Vietnam is a not-to-miss destination since it is home to an array of UNESCO-recognised world heritages, relic sties, stunning beaches and busy shopping malls.

Vietnam welcomed nearly 7.5 million foreign visitors last year and 6.6 million in the first ten months of 2014. However, only 30,000 Indians come to Vietnam annually, far fewer than the numbers of Indians who visit Thailand (1 million), Singapore (900,000) and Indonesia (200,000).

The ambassador said few Indian visitors come to Vietnam due to a lack of information on Vietnamese tourism market and direct air route from India to Vietnam.

He expressed hope that things will change after the recent launch of a direct flight route linking New Delhi and Ho Chi Minh City by India’s Jet Airways, and with the plans of more direct flights between the two countries next year by the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and budget airline VietJet Air.

Girish Shankar, Additional Secretary of Indian Tourism, said Vietnam is a pillar of India’s Look East policy.

India greeted over 12,300 Vietnamese visitors last year, and since 2011, it has applied visa-on-arrival procedures for Vietnamese citizens with the aim of encouraging more Vietnamese to visit the country, he said.

At the event, Vietnamese and Indian tour operators introduced their tour services to participants.

Hoi An to provide 2,000 more rooms for visitors

Hoi An city People’s Committee (Quang Nam province) has approved a plan to provide 2,000 more rooms for visitors, including hotel rooms, villas and homestay clusters by 2020 to meet the increasing demand of visitors.

Hoi An had 203 accommodations with a total of 4,967 rooms as of June 30, including 1,898 at four-star and five-star standards, and 956 three-star rooms. Thousands of rooms are being built, increasing the number of rooms in the city to 6,393 in 2015.

The city is expected to provide 8,046 rooms to serve more than three millions tourists per year by 2020.

The Hoi An People’s Commitee encourages the development of villas, garden houses and homestays to preserve the nature and landscapes of villages and allows the building of hotels meeting two-star and three-star standards with under 50 rooms.

The city will also establish Cua Dai tourism clusters in Cam Thanh, Cam An, Cam Chau and Cam Pho wards.

The increase of rooms contributes to developing more competitive establishments, which will promote the development of the city’s commercial services and tourism.