VietNamNet Bridge – About 1,500 Vietnamese, including overseas Vietnamese, have booked Lunar New Year or Tet tours with Saigontourist Travel Service Co. to take a closer look at pre-Tet activities around the country.

The tours, which take in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and the central and northern regions, allow holiday makers to learn about Tet traditions in these regions.

Saigontourist has introduced some 20 tours to rural areas around the country to witness traditional Tet preparations such as flower farming and get a taste of villages making Tet specialities. The tour will end on January 22, New Year's Eve.

The tour operator has also sold Tet tours to some 500 foreign tourists.

* Hoi An to host traditional events for Lunar New Year

Photo: VNA
Hoi An will host traditional festival and cultural activities from January 17 to February 6 for Lunar New Year.

The highlights include a flower festival on Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Hue Streets, a New Year cake-making competition at 1 Nguyen Truong To Street, lantern competition at An Hoi Statue Garden, fireworks, traditional and modern dance performances, and a photo exhibition.

* Viet Nam emerges as a magnet for Asian tourists

Viet Nam has emerged as one of the top destinations for travellers from Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and South Korea, according to a recent Visa Global Travel Intentions Survey released in Ha Noi last week.

Natural scenery, good deals, and political stability were cited as the key factors for visiting Viet Nam in the next two years.

Prospective travellers who were polled said they planned to enjoy outdoor activities, take food tours to explore the country's cuisine, and experience local night life.

The survey spoke to over 11,000 travellers in 23 countries about their travel plans and preferences in the coming years. A large number said they would be willing to pay a premium for food (64 per cent), want to visit exotic destinations (65 per cent), and experience local culture (63 per cent).

Forecasts about the nation's tourism sector predict that Singapore and Thailand will each account for 12 per cent of travellers coming to Viet Nam, followed by Australian with 10 per cent.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News