General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong on January 23 presented a decision to Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Son, promoting his rank from Lieutenant General to Colonel General.

Some provinces have elected new chairs and Party secretaries.

Le Thi Thuy, Secretary of the 19th Ha Nam Party Committee in the 2015-2020 tenure, was reelected for the post at the first session of the new provincial Party Committee for the 2020-2025 tenure, held on September 21 afternoon.

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City’s Department of Tourism will focus on developing and marketing destinations to help increase the number of foreign arrivals to the city to six million this year,

 Foreign geologists survey Dong Van Karst Plateau; First five-star hotel in north central region recognised; Smartphone app offers new options to last-minute travellers; Saigon Railways offers 50% discount on ticket price

   Tourism authorities in the country have been told to roll up their sleeves in preparing tourism promotions now to attract tourists, especially those from key visitor-generating markets.

 The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports will set up a Tourism Coordinating Office for the Mekong Delta, said Vice Minister Ho Anh Tuan.

Since the beginning of the year, nearly 111,000 tourists have crossed into Vietnam through Huu Nghi (Friendship) bordergate in northern Lang Son province.

 The hotel management company Marriott International is preparing to open what will be the first hotel to be managed by Marriot in Hanoi.

In 2012, the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam reached over 6.8 million, with revenues of $ 6.61 billion. "Tourism in our country was born from the '60s, but since then we have not built a national tourism brand,” said Dr. Pham Trung Luong.

 Luxury Travel kicks off helicopter services for visit to old battle fields; La Vang Pilgrimage Festival opens; 30 Russian firms to take part in Tourism Expo in HCMC

Police Director of Kien Giang Province, Ms. Bui Tuyet Minh, 51, has become the first female police officer in Vietnam who was conferred the major general. Minh is also the first female police director of a province in Vietnam.

Big ADSL service providers, namely VNPT, Viettel and FPT have offered big preferences to new subscribers registering services in May 2013.

Currently, all the foreigners entering the Vietnamese territory are counted as “foreign travelers.”

All localities have geared up for the race to lure more foreign investors, especially when economists have predicted a new foreign direct investment wave heading for Vietnam.

VietNamNet Bridge – A paradox exists that tour fees have decreased sharply in the Tet high tourism season. However, the tour fee reductions still cannot help stimulate demand.

Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Hoang Thi Diep said that this agency wants to have many good clips to advertise in major markets, but due to limited funds, it does not have good products as desire.