Riding a cyclo among top 40 tourist experiences in Vietnam

"Riding a classic cyclo" is one of 40 unforgettable experiences for tourists in Vietnam, according to a list published on the website The Huffington Post at www.huffingtonpost.com.

Besides the three-wheel bicycle taxis, other popular experiences include eating a bowl of steaming pho at a street-side restaurant, lighting incense at the famous Huong Pagoda in Hanoi, one of Vietnam's most famous Buddhist shrines, taking a bike tour in Hoi An ancient town, hiring a motorbike and zooming along city streets, attending one of Vietnam's unique festivals like the elephant race festival in the Central Highlands. taking a hill-tribe trek through Sa Pa Valley, getting a tailor-made suit or dress in Hoi An, learning about Vietnam's turbulent war years at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, and watching a traditional water puppet show in Hanoi.

Nha Trang authorities limit beach chair rental areas

The authorities of Nha Trang in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa have decided to reduce by 20 per cent rented beach areas with tourist chairs to make room for local residents.

On Nha Trang beach, 38 companies rent beach areas to set up chairs and big umbrellas to serve their customers. The city said each company used an area between 110sq.m and 2,100sq.m in size.

Motorboat tours to national historic site begin in Vung Ro

Motorboat tours of Vung Ro Bay in Dong Hoa District in the south-central province of Phu Yen kicked off recently.

Two motorboats, which can carry 30-40 passengers each time, and one small motorboat, which can be used for fishing, are available.

With the new service, visitors can tour beaches at Vung Ro Bay and Tau Khong So, a national historic site.

Wifi available on HCM City's Nguyen Hue pedestrian street

A wifi system has been installed on the new Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in HCM City. The service has a speed of 1GB per second, which allows many people to access the internet 24 hours a day.

The wifi service began in mid-May. Authorities have been checking the system recently to ensure that it operates properly.

District 1 authorities said they were also planning to install 160 benches made from the wood of trees that once stood on the street and were later cut down to make room for construction of a subway line.

The walking street was built with an investment of VND430 billion (US$20 million). It is 670m in width and 64m in length. Since the opening last month, it has attracted thousands of visitors every day.

Quang Ninh to host travel forum

A conference on tourism cooperation among north-eastern provinces and cities will be held at Ha Long City from June 12 to 16.

Around 300 delegates from ministries and associations and the representatives of leading tourism companies will attend one of the largest events to promote tourism cooperation among Quang Ninh Province, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, as well as Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Lang Son, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Apart from tourism associations among localities, the conference will also focus on shortcomings as well as solutions to strengthen and develop tourism in each province.

In addition, matters such as building product chains, promoting tourism, training human resources, and developing information systems will also be discussed at the event.

The eight areas will also sign a cooperation agreement to develop and promote tourism products, improve human resources, call for investments, and strengthen the management of tourism.

Speaking at a press conference in Ha Long City yesterday, Ha Quang Long, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said the conference aims to attract domestic tourists in the southern region. Quang Ninh Province will act as a bridge connecting the northern provinces and southern localities to advertise their products.

Long said they will conduct a survey on new tourism sites such as Co To Island, Van Don Island, as well as tourism shopping centres.

"Quang Ninh Province attracts around 7 million visitors a year, with 10%-15% annual growth rate. However, the number of domestic tourists has been low at 7% and they mostly came from the northern region," he elaborated.

He added that while Ho Chi Minh City has taken the lead in promoting tourism, most tourists come to Quang Ninh Province through popular travel agencies in the city.

"The conference will offer a chance to northern provinces to learn how to promote tourism," he added.

VietJet opens HCM City-Chu Lai route with discounts

VietJet officially launched its newest route connecting HCM City and Chu Lai in the central Quang Nam Province on May 27, with airfares starting at VND149,000 (US$6.89).

The airline announced it will increase its flight frequency on several domestic and international routes to provide 270,000 additional seats for passengers. The discounted tickets for these routes will be valid for bookings made before May 30, 2015, and must be used before August 30, 2015.

The new HCM City-Chu Lai route will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with one return flight per day. The flight will depart from HCM City at 7.25am and arrive in Chu Lai at 8.40am. The return flight will depart from Chu Lai at 9.15am and land in HCM City at 10.30am. The flight duration per section is one hour and 15 minutes.

With the new route, VietJet said it hoped to further boost tourism and economic development in Chu Lai, a key link between the dynamic Da Nang City and potential Dung Quat Economic Zone.

Mekong Delta welcomes more international tourists

The Mekong Delta received 7.3 million visitors in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 20.9 per cent compared with the same period last year.

They included 540,175 international tourists, an increase of 14.4 per cent.

An Giang attracted the highest number (2.6 million), and Kien Giang accounted for the highest tourism revenue (VND624 billion, $29.7 million).

Dong Thap, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, and Hau Giang provinces saw the most impressive growth in the number of visitors.

The delta provinces focus on developing eco-tourism and island tourism, its strengths.

Summer travel market heats up

Travel firms are vying with one another to offer attractive summer tour packages amid increasing demand for travel.

Vietrantour Co. has offered 10,000 tours for sale to serve tourists.

Nguyen Thi Huyen, its director, said the company had begun to work with airlines and other partners many months ago to design quality inbound tourism products at prices that were 5-10 per cent lower than last year.

Ben Thanh Tourist is offering tours at a discount of 15-30 per cent and 50 per cent for diving tours and visits to Con Dao, Phu Quoc, and the north-west and Ha Giang.

Viet Nam eyes Indian tourist dollars

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has revealed plans to promote Viet Nam's attractions in India, which is a booming market.

Market research is seen as the most important factor to effectively exploit the market. It will involve, for instance, fam trips for Indian tour operators, participation in the PATA Travel Mart, and a road show on Vietnamese tourism in Mumbai in September.

The number of Indian tourists visiting Viet Nam increased from 16,000 in 2010 to 55,000 last year.

The number of Indians travelling to other countries in 2012 was 14.4 million, and they spent a total of $12.3 billion.

By 2020, 50 million Indians are expected to travel abroad while by 2030 they are expected to spend $91.2 billion in foreign countries.

Lang Son all set for summer

The northern province of Lang Son will hold the Mau Son Summer Tourism Festival at the eponymous tourism site in Cao Loc and Loc Binh districts on Sunday.

The festival will feature art performances and showcase traditional dishes, special wines, and traditional costumes of ethnic minorities living on Mau Son Mountain. There will also be a bicycle race, a climb up Phat Chi Mountain, and a youth camp.

Located some 30km north-east of Lang Son City, Mau Son has lovely, pristine landscapes, pure air, and cool weather year round. The mountain, which sometimes gets snow in winter, also has many beautiful streams and waterfalls.

Mau Son has many specialities like peach, Tuyet Son tea, wine, and rare cocks with six spurs. It is home to the Tay, Dao, and Nung ethnic minorities.

Ho Chi Minh City sees foreign arrival rise

Ho Chi Minh City catered for over 300,000 foreign visitors in May, 3.7 percent higher than last May, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

May’s figure raised foreign arrivals in the city to over 1.85 million in the past five months, reflecting a rise of 5 percent year on year.

The outcomes were attributed to a number of measures being employed by the authority to attract more visitors in 2015.

The city’s tourism sector has organised a wide range of domestic and international promotional events, such as the Southern Cuisine Festival or the Southern Fruit Festival.

A series of books and maps have been published in English in order to help international tourists around town.

The city also launched a website and hotline (call 1087) to provide tourism information.

The municipal Department of Tourism plans to improve the quality and diversity of tourism services, including waterway tourism and art performances throughout the city.