Hoi An enters Top 17 most stunning places

Hoi An ancient town has earned the third place in the 17 most stunning places in the world to take a selfie thanks to its combination of traditional and modern features, according to BuzzFeed Travel.  

According to the US-based social news and entertainment website, formerly a major port, the common pains of 21st century modern living, like traffic and pollution, are notably absent from the historic city of Hội An. Old-town character combined with grand architecture and bucolic scenery make the city a cosmopolitan melting pot.

The other destinations included Trolltunga (Norway), Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe); Mineral Beach the Dead Sea (Israel), Chittorgarh Fort (India), Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana);Cape Town (South Africa); Zion National Park (Utah); Dog sledding (Ontario); and Antelope Canyon (Arizona).

Vietnam attends Moscow Travel Exhibition

Vietnam’s tourism appeal is taking center stage at the 21st Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition which opened in Moscow on March 19.

“This year’s event is generating a great amount of interest and experiencing an impressive number of visitors,” said Nguyen Quoc Hung, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

The number of Russians travelling to Vietnam over the past few years has been steadily increasing and by 2020 the country expects to welcome over one million Russian arrivals, he added.

Hung said that at this year’s event, Vietnamese tourism companies have cooperated to participate in the event, focusing on advertising various aspects of the travel in Vietnam such as resorts, the tourism garden in the Mekong River Delta, medical tourism, and shopping tourism.

During the event, the Vietnamese delegation is also organising cultural and arts activities to provide exhibition goers with a better insight into Vietnam’s cultural identity.

A number of Vietnamese travel companies have expanded activities and established permanent offices in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, the Far East and Russia and recruited foreign staff to promote growth of Vietnam’s tourism sector.

Gunzada, a representative from Victoria Tour in Astana, Kazakhstan, said there is a great potential for tourism in Vietnam as Kazakhstani people enjoy travelling to Vietnam and the beautiful sightseeing.

Vietnam is a new and appealing destination for many tourists, she said.

The event will run until March 22.

Phu Tho invests VND5,800 billion to develop tourism

Northern Phu Tho province will spend over VND5,800 billion to invest in developing its tourism sector from now to 2020 targeting to turn the sector into the leading industry in the region.

The investment is expected to increase to VND13,000 billion by 2030, aiming to invest in building infrastructure, developing human resource for the tourism sector, create tourism products of the province.

The province will focus on completing and putting five major projects into operation by 2020 including Hung King Temple National Tourism Site, the eco-tourism site of the Xuan Son National Garden (Tan Son district), Thanh Thuy Mineral Water Resort (Thanh Thuy district), Van Lang Tourism Site, Bach Hac-Ben Got tourism site in Viet Tri city.

It will also strengthen investment in building vocational training systems for the tourism sector to ensure the supply of highly qualified staff with a good command of foreign languages and communications skills as well as expanding international cooperation in training and research.

Provincial authorities hope to attract 6,000 international arrivals and 7.2 million local visitors by 2015, 10,000 foreign tourists and 8.2 million local visitors by 2020 and 25,000 foreign arrivals and 10.7 million domestic visitors by 2030.

The province is expected to earn over VND564 billion in revenue by 2015 and over VND3,813 billion by 2030.

HCM City tourism fair fetes decade of growth

The 10th HCM City Tourism Fair themed "Ten years of growth and development" will be held from March 27-30 at the 23 September Park in District 1. The aim of the fair is to promote the domestic travel industry.

The Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 39 cities and provinces, along with 45 travel agents, hotels and restaurants, will be showcasing what Viet Nam has to offer at 160 booths, according to organisers.

The highlight of the event will be Travel Mart, a series of tourism promotion products and special tours, but it will also feature a ceremony to honour prestigious tourist trademarks alongside a photography exhibition featuring some of the country's most spectacular natural landscapes.The event is expecting to attract 300,000 visitors..

Beautiful Mai Chau on the go

Mai Chau valley in the northern upland province of Hoa Binh is a must-see place for visitors to the province. From Hanoi, tourists are advised to take Highway 6 to Xuan Mai Town and then Hoa Binh City. They should pass the 12-km Cun slope to get to Cao Phong and Tan Lac districts before arriving in Mai Chau Valley.

On the way to Mai Chau, people can admire local people’s daily activities and beautiful landscapes in mist.

Mai Chau is a small town with no luxury accommodation. Tourists who come in groups of 40 to 60 people should rent a stilt house with blankets, mattress, fan, TV and karaoke. They can order meals with the house’s owner. Some recommended dishes are sticky rice cooked in bamboo sticks served with chicken, local pork, steamed fish and can wine.

For leisure activities, travelers can try camping by a fire with a bamboo dance and take photos in brocade costumes of ethnic people.