Vietnam has gained traction as a leading destination for Chinese holiday-makers, digital travel platform Agoda reported on February 27.

Accordingly, the number of searches from China for Vietnam during the recent Lunar New Year 2024 almost bounced back to pre-COVID-19 level, reaching 95% compared to 2020, a positive sign for Vietnam's tourism industry. 

Data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that Chinese tourists accounted for nearly one third of the total number of visitors to Vietnam in 2019, becoming the S-shaped country's largest source of tourism revenue, said Director of Agoda Vietnam Vu Ngoc Lam.

In particular, the return of Chinese tourists' interest shows a bright prospect for Vietnam's tourism in the time ahead. In addition, Vietnam has also succeeded in attracting tourists from foreign markets such as India, and the Republic of Korea after reopening its international tourism post COVID-19 thanks to favorable visa policies.

Agoda also said that tourists from China choose Vietnam because of its rich culture and beautiful natural landscape. This year, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Phu Quoc pearl island has entered the top five choices of Chinese tourists.

Big win for Vietnam in friendly match ahead of AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup

The Vietnam women's national U20 team trounced host country Uzbekistan 4-1 in a friendly match played on February 26 as they continue preparations for the final round of the 2024 AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup which will take place from March 3 to March 16.

Japanese coach Akira Ijiri lined the team up in a 4-5-1 formation in the first half. Striker Ngoc Minh Chuyen opened the scoring for Vietnam in the 14th minute, although the Uzbeki footballers quickly equalised three minutes later.

Defender Nguyen Thi Mai Huong put the Vietnamese side back into the lead in the 31st minute, with this goal helping the young female Vietnamese squad to play with confidence in the second half.

In the 58th minute, Ngoc Minh Chuyen successfully took advantage of a corner kick from Vu Thi Hoa to get the third goal for Vietnam.

Vu Thi Hoa got the fourth goal for Vietnam in the 70th minute thanks to a penalty, with the score ending 4-1 in favour of Vietnam.

This comes after Vietnam drew with hosts Uzbekistan 1-1 in a friendly match ahead of the competition.

At the 2024 AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup, Vietnam are scheduled to play in Group B alongside defending champions Japan on March 4, second runners-up Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on March 7, and 2006 champions China on March 10.

Meanwhile, hosts Uzbekistan will face the Republic of Korea, Australia, and Chinese Taipei in Group A.

The top four teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia as the AFC representatives.

Hoàng sets Asian Age Group Aquatics Championship record

Nguyễn Huy Hoàng set a new record at the 11th Asian Age Group Aquatics Championship in the first day of competition on February 26 in New Clark City, the Philippines.

The former Youth Olympic silver medallist finished first in the boys over-18 800m freestyle. His time of 8min 1.69sec was a new height for the tournament, taking down the old record of 8:10.05 set by Indian athlete Rawat in 2019.

This was Hoàng's strong category as he secured bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and qualified for the Paris Olympic this summer.

Earlier, SEA Games champion Phạm Thanh Bảo championed in the boys over-18 100m breaststroke, clocking 1:01.31.

Trần Hưng Nguyên topped the boys over-18 200m individual medley with a time of 2:03.35.

The last gold was in the boys 15-17 years old 200m individual medley by Dương Văn Hoàng Quy who swam in 2:08.21.

Vietnamese athletes also pocketed seven silvers and five bronzes in swimming, and two silvers and six bronzes in diving.

The championship, which lures more than 1,400 athletes aged 11 to 18 from 45 countries this year, is a highly anticipated and prestigious swimming event that brings together young swimmers from across Asia. Held under the patronage of Asia Aquatics (formerly known as the Asian Swimming Federation or AASF), it showcases the immense talent and potential of the region’s emerging swimmers.

In addition to swimming and diving, athletes will also compete in synchronised swimming and water polo until March 9. 

New cold spell to hit northern region in early March

A new cold spell is forecast to hit the northern region from March 1 before then affecting the central region, with temperatures plunging at night and in the early morning, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

From March 1 to March 3, temperatures in northern and northcentral provinces are set to drop to 11 to 14 degree Celsius in plain areas, eight to 11 degree Celsius in mountainous areas, and even below seven degrees Celsius in high mountainous areas.

The cold air, which is rarely seen in March, is also forecast to bring light rain to the northern and central regions at the same time.

In Hanoi, temperatures are expected to fall to 15 to 18 degrees Celsius on February 28, and 18 to 20 degrees Celsius on February 29.

Temperatures will hover around 13 to 16 degrees Celsius between March 1 and March 3 when the new cold spell is forecast to grip the northern region.

Hanoi airport sees record international passenger traffic

Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi has broken its record set for the number of international passengers handled in a single day during and after Tet or the Lunar New Year 2024.

According to statistics released recently by the Civil Aviation Authority, there were days when Hanoi airport received 233 international flights with more than 38,000 visitors, breaking the previous record set in 2019 (37,000 passengers), the year before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In mid-February (the week after the Tet holiday), Noi Bai International Airport handled an average of 531 flights per day (an increase of 8.8% over previous weeks) and a daily throughput of nearly 94,100 visitors, representing an increase of 19.8% from the previous week.

In recent days, Noi Bai International Airport has become overcrowded with international passengers in public waiting rooms and check-in counters during certain hours, especially from 8:00 pm to midnight.

During the seven days of Tet holiday 2024, Noi Bai Airport reported 365 cases of people forgetting and leaving their belongings at the airport.

On February 16, airport authorities returned a bag containing US$4,300 to a Thailand-bound passenger within 15 minutes of finding it on a trolley in a public area leading to the T2 International Terminal.

As the bag contained no personal documents, the airport's mobile security team conducted a thorough search and located its owner at stand B1. Following verification procedures, the passenger got his bag in time to board a flight to Bangkok later that day. 

Illegal gold mining prevalent in some areas of Quang Nam Province

Over the past few days, many people have blatantly organized illegal gold mining in the Tam Lanh Commune of Quang Nam Province’s Phu Ninh District.

Even after being raided by the authorities, an illegal gold mining site still operated just a few hundred meters from the local police station.

From local people's information, the trail to the scenic Thac Trang (White Waterfall) relic was being destroyed by illegal gold miners

The gold field is an area of land of about 500 square meters, only a few dozen meters from the trail. Seeing the shadow of a stranger, the group of gold miners quickly sought a place to hide.

In this area, acacia hills have been dug up, forming deep holes while soil and rock are broken down into small pieces and transported to be soaked with chemicals in very new tarpaulin-covered tanks. In some tanks, the water pipes from the elevated soaking tanks are still flowing, and in some places, chemicals are still bubbling up from the bottom with a very unpleasant smell. In a camp of gold miners, pots, kettles, hammocks, batteries and light bulbs for working at night were seen.

The local patrolling police force said that the illegal gold miners had just discovered the authorities and immediately hid.

In the Thac Trang area, the ground in the area was rough, and land and rock were piled up, the scale of this area shows that it has been in operation for a long time but no people are seen.

A gold miner revealed that in the White Waterfall area, there are a number of groups bringing bulldozers and trucks in to mine gold. Made by machine, a lot of gold can be made; for instance, 100 cubic meters of gold-containing soil and rock can produce 1-2 bars of gold.

These groups have hired and assigned guards who will take the bulldozers and machinery to hide away when they discover authorities in the mine area.

Chairman Nguyen Van Su of the People's Committee in Tam Lanh Commune said that illegal gold mining in Bong Mieu is a persistent problem in the locality, especially after the contract of this gold mine expired but could not be closed due to the bankruptcy of the enterprise. This area is partly managed by the locality and is partly cultivated land of local inhabitants.

Commune and district authorities regularly carry out raids in the mines but it is difficult to detect due to the large area. The illegal gold miners fled away from the mine quickly and immediately returned to activity later.

In early 2023, the police force set up a checkpoint at Ho Ray aiming to block the only road to Thac Trang. When motor vehicles such as excavators or trucks want to enter this area, vehicle owners must register with the locality for what purpose they are entering, and where the operating area is. Since then, this area has gradually been controlled.

However, at the end of 2023, when the Provincial People's Committee closed the Bong Mieu mine, the district police proposed to remove the checkpoint in Ho Ray to assist the forces in the mine area. Therefore, gangsters became more active again in Thac Trang area. There are currently nine groups of people bringing many motorized vehicles such as excavators and trucks into the area to process gold on a large scale, said the Chairman of Tam Lanh Commune People's Committee.

The People's Committee of Tam Lanh Commune has proposed that the People's Committee of Phu Ninh District should re-open a checkpoint in the Ho Ray area to control the situation and vehicles entering the area of illegal gold mining and processing activities. Police officers in Phu Ninh District should increase inspections to deter people from taking part in illegal gold mining.

Ministry notices high proportion of dropouts after Lunar New Year

The Ministry of Education and Training noticed a high proportion of dropouts after the Lunar New Year in some localities especially some educational establishments in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

In its official Dispatch No. 761/BGDĐT-GDDT to 46 departments of Education and Training on maintaining student numbers in general education establishments in ethnic minority areas and mountainous areas, the Ministry of Education and Training has said that students in some educational establishments in ethnic minority and mountainous areas missing school because of child marriage.

Faced with that situation, the Ministry of Education and Training requires departments of Education and Training to continue to seriously ensure food, accommodation, living and learning conditions for preschool children and high school students.

At the same time, the education sector in localities should promote propaganda to raise awareness for students and parents about preventing and combating outdated customs, especially child marriage, which leads to a high rate of dropouts. Educational authorities in localities should focus on integrating educational content about the consequences of child marriage and consanguineous marriage in the school's academic training programs and activities.

Departments of Education and Training need to direct departments of Education and Training and educational institutions to closely manage students and keep regular contact with families and localities to remove difficulties, completely resolve the situation of students dropping out of school, and ensure the number of students in a class.

Moreover, the education sector in localities should coordinate with local authorities, organizations, unions and authorities to drastically implement measures to prevent child marriage and consanguineous marriage. Local authorities should increase inspection, and supervision, and promptly handle violations in accordance with the law to protect the right to education of school-age children.

Flights doubled for Dien Bien National Tourism Year 2024

From March 6 to 30, Vietnam Airlines will double the frequency of flights to Dien Bien to accommodate the National Tourism Year 2024, heading towards the 70th anniversary of the victory at Dien Bien Phu.

During this period, Vietnam Airlines will operate two round-trip flights between Hanoi and Dien Bien. Specifically, flights VN1804 and VN1806 will depart from Hanoi at 1:05 p.m. and 2:05 p.m., respectively, while flights VN1805 and VN1807 will depart from Dien Bien at 2:40 p.m. and 3:40 p.m., respectively.

The airline's increase in flights aims to support the government and local authorities in promoting the National Tourism Year, acting as an effective link in bringing tourists to explore the Northwest region.

Under the theme "The Glory of Dien Bien Phu - Endless Experiences," commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the Dien Bien National Tourism Year 2024 will feature 169 programs and exciting activities throughout the year. The highlight will be the Ban (mountain ebony) Flower Festival themed "Returning to the Land of Ban Flowers," opening on March 16.

During the festival, visitors will have the chance to engage in a myriad of activities and fascinating experiences, including paying respects at the martyrs' shrine on the Dien Bien battlefield, witnessing historical and cultural shows depicting the legends of the Thai ethnic group, immersing themselves in the highland cultural ambiance, and enjoying traditional Xoe dance of Thai ethnic group and lusheng performance of Hmong ethnic group.

The Dien Bien National Tourism Year 2024 is projected to draw in 1.3 million visitors to the region.

Songwriting competition launched to celebrate NA’s 80th anniversary

A nationwide campaign to compose songs on the National Assembly (NA) and People's Councils was launched in Hanoi on February 27 in the presence of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's first General Election (January 6).

The songs selected during the campaign will be widely promoted through various mass media channels and performed during a national grand ceremony marking the anniversary in 2026.

Entries can be written in Vietnamese, English and other widely used languages, and should highlight the rich historical heritage of Vietnam over thousands of years, the formation and development of the Vietnamese NA and its significant achievements over the past nearly 80 years, contributing to the cause of building and perfecting the socialist law-governed State of the people, by the people and for the people.

The campaign is open to Vietnamese citizens residing, studying, or working in the country.

The organising board will award one special prize worth 500 million VND (20,800 USD), 3 A prizes each valued at 150 million VND, 5 B prizes worth 100 million VND each, and 9 C prizes, each worth 50 million VND. There are also 15 consolation prizes worth 20 million VND each. Additionally, a prize, worth 30 million VND, awaits the most inspirational song about the anniversary.

The deadline for entries is December 10, 2024, with submissions accepted through postal mail to the NA Office’s Information Department at No.22 Hung Vuong street, Hanoi and the Vietnam Musicians' Association at No.51 Tran Hung Dao street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

Hanoi to organise women’s festival for peace, development

The women’s festival for peace and development will open in Hanoi's Hai Ba Trung district on March 2.

The two-day event, expected to attract more than 1,000 members of the women’s union, local people and foreigners, will feature an exhibition to popularise the culture and standout cuisines of Hanoi and foreign countries.

Other activities to be held within the framework of the festival include a friendship dance and a walk tournament.

All of the activities will be held at an area near Thong Nhat Park’s gate and the pedestrian street near Thien Quang lake.
Preparations for the event have been completed, according to organisers.

Master plan on healthcare network by 2050 approved

The Prime Minister on February 27 issued a Decision approving the Master Plan on the healthcare network for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

The plan encompasses systems of healthcare facilities at regional, inter-provincial, and inter-sectoral levels catering to diverse needs, including medical examination and treatment, rehabilitation; medical, forensic and forensic psychiatric examination, preventive and public health, testing and inspection of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, vaccines, medical biologicals and equipment, vaccines; and population and reproductive health.

Key targets by 2025 include 33 hospital beds, 15 doctors, 3.4 pharmacists and 25 nurses per 10,000 people.

By 2030, the plan aims to achieve 35 hospital beds, 19 doctors, 4 pharmacists, 33 nurses per 10,000 people. The private sector will account for 15% of the total hospital beds.

Looking to 2050, the vision is to establish a number of modern healthcare facilities on par with international standards, develop the domestic pharmaceutical industry into a hub for high-value pharmaceutical production; achieve 45 hospital beds, 35 doctors, 4.5 pharmacists and 90 nurses per 10,000 people, and 25% of the total hospital beds falling under the private management.

Blood donation festival collects nearly 9,000 units nationwide

Nearly 9,000 units of blood were collected nationwide during the Xuan Hong (Red Spring) festival from February 18-25, the biggest annual blood donation campaign, reported the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT).

The festival saw significant contributions from volunteer organisations like the Hanoi Association of Youth Blood Donor Recruiter (HAYBDR) that collected 75% of the total, or 6,640 units.

Since its launch in 2008, the event has attracted hundreds of thousands of blood donors and collected over 121,000 blood units.

The campaign has played a crucial role in ensuring a stable blood supply for those in need while raising public awareness of the importance of blood donation.

Vietnam Airlines doubles flight frequency to Dien Bien

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will double its frequency to two flights a day on the route connecting the capital city of Hanoi and the northwestern province of Dien Bien from March 6 to 30 to serve Visit Vietnam Year 2024 and celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

Accordingly, flights VN1804 and VN1806 will depart from Hanoi at 13:05 and 15:05, while flights VN1805 and VN1807 will leave Dien Bien at 14:40 and 15:40.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that the increase of flight frequency affirms the airline’s role in accompanying the Government and province to popularise the national tourism year as well as its role as a bridge to bring visitors to explore the northwestern region.

In December 2023, Airbus A321 aircraft of Vietnam Airlines was put into operation on the Hanoi – Dien Bien route, helping to double the number of tourist arrivals to the province as compared to the same time before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

Visit Vietnam Year 2024, themed “Glorious Dien Bien – Infinite Experiences”, will feature 169 fascinating programmes and activities throughout the year, with the highlight being the Ban Flower Festival scheduled on March 16.
 
Visitors to the province will have the chance to experience ethnic cultural space and explore the distinctive cultures of the ethnic groups by engaging in Thai ethnic traditional dance performance and Mong ethnic art events.

Dien Bien also boasts huge potential for resort, healthcare and nature-based tourism. Within Visit Vietnam Year 2024, Dien Bien province expects to attract 1.3 million tourists.

Bac Giang Culture - Tourism Week bustling with activities

A wide range of activities were held within the framework of the 2024 Culture - Tourism Week in the northern province of Bac Giang from February 20-25, or the 11th to 16th day of the first lunar month, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The Culture - Tourism Week is a cultural and socioeconomic event to introduce and promote local tourism and attract more visitors to the province as well as more investment resources for its tourism development.

It is also an opportunity to strengthen links and cooperation in tourism development between localities and promote typical cultural values, and offer chances for travel businesses to expand markets, build new tours, and introduce them to tourists.

The highlight of the event is the procession of the tablets of the three founders of Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect from Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Yen Dung district to Thuong Tay Yen Tu pagoda in Son Dong district.

The 2024 Culture - Tourism Week officially kicked off at the Tay Yen Tu (West Yen Tu) spiritual and ecological tourism complex in Son Dong district on February 21, along with the opening of the Tay Yen Tu Spring Festival.

Within the framework of the Week, an exhibition of antiques found in Bac Giang and literature works from the Ly-Tran Dynasties (1009-1400) as well as the Buddhism careers of leading monks of Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect opened at the tourism complex.

The exhibition featured 60 ceramic and pottery artifacts and items bearing the typical style of the Ly-Tran Dynasties, which were collected in Bac Giang, along with 40 images and 50 artifacts selected from eight archaeological excavation sites conducted recently.

It also displayed and performed Han (Chinese script) and Nom (old Vietnamese script) calligraphy of literary works by King-Monk Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), the third King of the Tran Dynasty. King Tran Nhan Tong founded the first Vietnamese School of Buddhism called “Thien Tong” or Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect on the 1,068m-high Yen Tu Mountain.

Addressing the opening ceremony of this exhibition, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Si Cam highlighted the value of the culture and literature during the Ly-Tran Dynasties.

He said that the exhibition aimed to popularise the cultural heritages in the province as well as the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect, thus enhancing the community’s sense of responsibility to protect and promote the national cultural and historical tradition.

Many other special activities were also held on this occasion, including the opening of the Spring Newspaper Festival and an exhibition showcasing beautiful photos that feature Bac Giang’s socioeconomic achievements, along with tug of war and stick pushing competitions, and art performances.

Bac Giang city and districts also organised a series of activities in response to the 2024 Culture - Tourism Week, including the forest opening festival at Chua Then Temple, the Sloong Hao singing festival and the Tan Son spring market. The also held a ceremony to launch the 2024 tree planting festival at the Tay Yen Tu spiritual and ecological tourism complex, and the Then singing festival.

Notably, a festival was held in Bac Giang city on February 14-15 to commemorate the 597th anniversary of the Xuong Giang Victory and receive a certificate recognising the Xuong Giang Victory Festival as national intangible heritage.

A mountain climbing race to conquer Non Vua peak took place on February 24 at Truc Lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery in Yen Dung district, and the spring festival of Bat Nha Pagoda in Luc Nam district also kicked off.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony of the spring festival of Than Nong (God of Agriculture) Temple was held by this district on February 25.

Seminar tackles challenges for Vietnam’s forestry development

A seminar took place in Hanoi on February 27 to discuss solutions to Vietnam's forestry development strategy in the new context.

The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Vietnam Economic Science Association of Agriculture and Rural Development (VIESARD), the Vietnam Forest Owners' Association, and the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Quoc Tri highlighted the achievements made in the three-year implementation of the 2021-2030 forestry development strategy, saying that they contribute greatly to socio-economic development, environment protection, disaster mitigation, proactive response to climate change, national defence and security, and the realisation of national sustainable development goals.

Deputy Director of the Forestry Department Trieu Van Luc stressed that the structure of forestry production has been shifting in the direction of production chains with increasing added value. Forestry production value has been growing at a stable 4.6% a year, with more than 260,000 ha of land planted with trees each year. Planted forests supply over 70% of wood materials for processing serving both domestic consumption and export. The export value of wood and forestry products averages 15.8 billion USD a year.

He said the forest coverage rate has been maintained at 42.02% of the country's area, and forestry activities have created jobs for about 5 million labourers. 

Luc mentioned difficulties encountered during the implementation, such as overlapping and inconsistent land use and forest planning, the slow pace of forest leasing and allocation, and inadequate enforcement of relevant regulations, mechanisms and policies, among others.

He also expressed concerns about the limited state budget and inadequate attention of local administrations to forest protection and development.

To tackle these challenges, VIESARD Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Tien proposed that the MARD should promptly improve forestry planning to ensure alignment with national, provincial, and district-level land use planning, allocate land funds reasonably and closely manage the conversion of forestry land use.

He suggested encouraging the concentration of land resources for production and trade, formation of large-scale forestry production, processing and selling chains and investment in forestry and rural areas, especially in remote and mountainous areas.

Delegates at the event proposed solutions to roll out the strategy, focusing on fine-tuning the Forestry Law, building mechanisms and policies to remove barriers, stimulate forestry economy and leverage the multifunctional value of forest ecosystems.

Endangered species released back to nature in southern Vietnam

A northern pig-tailed macaque (scientifically known as macaca leonine) has been released into the Bu Gia Map National Park in the southern province of Binh Phuoc, wildlife teams reported on February 27.

The 14-kg animal, listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book of endangered species in 2000, was handed over by a local resident in Phuoc Long township.

Earlier, the wildlife teams reintroduced seven animals of critically endangered species to the park, comprising three Sunda pangolins (manis javanica), one Pygmy slow loris (nycticebus pygmaeus), one Asian palm civet (paradoxurus hermaphroditus), one wildcat (prionailurus bengalensis), and one northern pig-tailed macaque.

To date, forest rangers at Binh Phuoc and the Bu Gia Map National Park have released a number of endangered animal species, most of which were handed over by locals, and released back into the wild.

HCMC Chairman directs to throw book on environment violators

Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Chairman Phan Van Mai directed to throw the book on those who breach the environmental regulations.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued a document conveying the direction of Chairman Phan Van Mai on strengthening inspection, supervision and handling of administrative violations in the field of environmental protection and water resources in the city.

The Chairman assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA), the Management Board of Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP), people's committee in Thu Duc City and districts to continue disseminating regulations with the aim to raise city dwellers and businesses’ awareness of environmental and water resource protection.

Simultaneously, responsible agencies must strengthen the inspection of enterprises in hot spots causing environmental pollution while paying unscheduled visits to establishments causing serious environmental pollution and businesses that have been reported by local inhabitants about environmental pollution in the city.

Last but not least, related agencies must strengthen their monitoring of the matter and handle hygiene violations in public places.

Vietnam an Indo-Pacific priority of Canada: Official

Export Development Canada (EDC) is planning to open an innovation office in Ho Chi Minh City this autumn as Vietnam is one of the priority countries in the Indo-Pacific region of the North American nation, said an EDC official.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident correspondent in Ottawa, Nathan Andrew Nelson, Chief Representative and Vietnam & Innovation Director for the Indo-Pacific region of the EDC, said the EDC aims to enhance trade between the two countries.

He mentioned an investment of about 2 billion USD and considered this a trade opportunity for Canadian companies to invest in all fields in Vietnam.

Vietnam is currently the biggest trading partner of Canada in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Bilateral trade has continually grown by over 50% since 2015 and reached some 10 billion USD in 2023, statistics showed.

Vietnam is also an important partner of Canada under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as it offers numerous chances for Canadian products and services to access its market as well as others in ASEAN, Nelson said.

He noted Vietnam is one of the priority countries in the Indo-Pacific region of Canada, and that it will become a bright star in the next 5-10 years.

Nelson expressed his excitement at the opportunities Canadian companies can have in Vietnam, adding he also looks forwards to Vietnamese firms who really wish to invest in Canada so that the two sides can gain opportunities for cooperation and mutual assistance.

A delegation of 150 leading businesses of Canada led by Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development Mary Ng is scheduled to visit Vietnam next month. The trip is said to foster the two countries’ comprehensive partnership and expand Canada’s presence in the ASEAN region.

The minister had previously said that the coming trip will provide momentum for Canadian companies’ operations in such dynamic markets as Vietnam.

Tran Thu Quynh, Trade Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada, said this will be the first time Canada sends such a large business delegation to Vietnam. Aside from seeking business partnership chances, they will also engage in roundtable dialogues with executives of local firms.

She voiced her belief that the Canadian delegation will see Vietnam as a business partner, an investment destination, and a gateway for the North American country to enter ASEAN.

Forestry strategy increases production value by 4.6% per year

The forestry sector has seen steady growth of 4.6 per cent per year thanks to a shift in structure, while more than 260,000 hectares of forest are planted every year, according to the Department of Forestry.

In a seminar on Tuesday discussing solutions to implement the development strategies for Việt Nam’s forestry in the new context, the department’s deputy director Triệu Văn Lực reported that the sector had seen improvements in its economic, welfare and environmental aspects.

The legal frameworks and policies on forest management, protection and development as well as forestry production were implemented comprehensively, he said.

The quality and productivity of forest planting had increased, providing more than 70 per cent of raw materials for forest product processing for exports and domestic consumption.

Wood and forest product export value had been on the rise, reaching a yearly average of US$15.8 billion with a high trade surplus ratio.

Revenue from forest environmental services totalled VNĐ3.65 trillion ($148 million) per year on average.

In 2023, this figure was VNĐ4.13 trillion ($167.5 million), of which VNĐ997 billion ($40.4 million) came from carbon absorption and storage.

This had helped reduce the pressure on the state budget, covering the protection expenses for around 7.3 million hectares of forest.

According to reports presented at the seminar, the forestry sector directly employs around five million workers.

Forest protection policies include assigning different areas of the woods to local households, individuals and communities, which provides them with stable incomes and better livelihoods, bolstering poverty reduction in rural and mountainous areas.

Forest coverage remains at 42.02 per cent, with strengthened management of natural forests, at which wood exploitation has been limited.

Forest protection and development has also seen positive developments that contribute to water and environmental security, global commitments on climate change, greenhouse gas reduction, green growth, circular economy and other sustainable development goals, according to the reports.

However, the implementation of the forestry development strategy still has many bottlenecks and challenges such as overlaps in the planning of land for usage and forest land (special-use forest, protected forest and production forest), according to the forestry department’s deputy director.

Lực added that the legislation, law implementation and planning for forestry was lagging behind actual demand.

The productivity and quality of planted forests remain modest, while there had been multiple challenges in growing special-use and protected forests, he said.

Meanwhile, financial support for forest development was very limited and largely failed to act as a motivation for the cause.

The development of the wood and forest product processing industry was not yet sustainable, with a majority of businesses being small to medium scale.

They also had limited capacity in terms of controlling the domestic market and branching out to foreign ones, while there is little connection for value chain-based cooperation.

Addressing the seminar, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Quốc Trị said that deputies should focus the discussion and analysis on the legal system and international commitments that affect the forestry sector, thereby bringing forward solutions and recommendations to improve strategy implementation in the new context. 

Vietnam sees sharp increase in Chinese tourists during Tet

The latest data released by digital travel platform Agoda has revealed that the number of searches from China for Vietnam during the Lunar New Year almost entirely recovered to pre-COVID-19 level, reaching 95% compared to figures from 2020.

Agoda also noted that this year, Ho Chi Minh City was the most searched city by Chinese tourists, followed by Hanoi, Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc.

Vu Ngoc Lam, country director of Vietnam at Agoda, quoted the statistics of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as sayings that in 2019, Chinese nationals represented the nation’s largest source of travelers, thereby accounting for almost a third of total travelers coming into the country.

Lam said the return of Chinese tourists' interest shows bright prospects ahead for the Vietnamese tourism sector, adding that the country is also to be commended on its ability to widen its appeal to alternate origin markets, such as India and the Republic of Korea, in the years since reopening with favourable visa restrictions.

According to Agoda, Chinese tourists choose Vietnam because of its rich culture and beautiful natural landscape.

BritCham Vietnam fun run to raise money for charity activities

BritCham 2024, an annual fun run event held by the British Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (BritCham Vietnam), is scheduled to get underway on March 17 in Ho Chi Minh City.

A prize for the most impressive costume will be awarded as part of the event. The organisers will also hold a wide range of activities, including art performances, a lucky draw, and food stalls.

Participants will compete in the five km run, with tickets for adults being VND350,000 and VND200,000 for children.

The BritCham charity fun run was first held back in 2000 and has become one of the biggest charity events in the nation. So far the organisers have welcomed more than 140,000 runners. 

The run is an annual fundraising event organised by the British Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (BritCham Vietnam) in support of various charity projects throughout the country.

These projects encompass fields such as education, health, natural disaster prevention, and all work aimed at improving the lives of Vietnamese people.

VNPT to shut down 2G base transceiver stations

The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has devised a roadmap to shut down 2G signals and provide optimal conversion support, preparing for its upcoming cessation of the old technology in September.

As reported by the Ha Noi Moi newspaper, for the past two years, the group has closed down individual 2G stations that either generated very little traffic or none at all. Additionally, it has intensified communications campaigns to inform customers of the policy and its timeline.

Particularly, to support affected customers, the telecom service provider has deployed staff for direct assistance and implemented discounts on terminal equipment. Customers have been advised to promptly check information about their 2G devices and proceed with the conversion or upgrade to 3G, 4G, or 5G ones.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, shutting down 2G signals aims to optimise frequency planning to allocate bandwidth for more advanced and modern mobile technologies. For network operators, stopping the use of old technologies helps leverage network infrastructure and costs and meet requirements of the national digital transformation process.

Vietnam, Sri Lanka strengthen agricultural cooperation

A delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) led by Minister Le Minh Hoan has paid a visit to Sri Lanka on the occasion of the 37th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC37) hosted by the South Asian country.

During the visit from February 19-21, the Vietnamese delegation paid a courtesy call on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and held working sessions with Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera and Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda.

They made a fact-finding trip to Harangala tea factory in Kandy, organised a seminar to connect agricultural businesses of the two countries in Colombo, and visited the Regional Development Bank of Sri Lanka. They also visited President Ho Chi Minh’s statue and an exhibition space featuring the Vietnamese national leader, and the Vietnamese Embassy.

Receiving the delegation, PM Dinesh Gunawardena congratulated Vietnam on its economic achievements and fast development over the years, and affirmed that Sri Lankan leaders and people always admire, respect and love President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam.

He hailed policies that Vietnam has applied to attract foreign investors and create an optimal environment for them, and suggested that Vietnam share experience with Sri Lanka on policies in the fields of agriculture, and science-technology, especially plant varieties and rice industry development.

For his part, Hoan said that amid globalisation, countries should cooperate with each other to deal with common issues and supplement each other with their strengths.

Sri Lanka is strong in tea production, while Vietnam is strong in rice and fishery, he noted, affirming that Vietnam is willing to cooperate with and share its experience in agriculture and rural development with the South Asian country, while promoting bilateral partnership in trade and investment in the field of agriculture to ensure supply for the two countries and export.

At the working session with Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera, Hoan said that the MARD always attaches great importance to collaboration with Sri Lanka in the field of agriculture, and hopes to further foster the ties, especially in agro-forestry-fishery trade and science-technology.

The two sides witnessed the signing of a joint work plan on agricultural cooperation in the 2024-2026 period, which focuses on collaboration in research, and experience sharing as well as short-term training in the fields of cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and irrigation.

HCM City boosts tourism promotion to lure travelers

Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry has recorded positive signs as many international travelers have chosen the metropolis as part of their journeys in early 2024.

The southern hub served 75,000 foreign visitors during the recent Lunar New Year (Tet), up 15.4% compared to the same period last year, according to statistics from the municipal Department of Tourism.

To achieve the goal of welcoming 6 million international visitors in 2024, the city’s tourism sector is stepping up promotion activities abroad, focusing on key markets.

Tourism businesses in HCM City predicted that Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, India, and the Middle East will be potential markets in 2024, and have deployed plans to welcome a wave of international visitors this year.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Marketing Director of Vietravel, said that strengthening the promotion of Vietnamese tourism in target markets is one of the plans implemented by the business in 2024 to attract international visitors, apart from diversifying tourism products.

In addition to cooperating with large travel partners with a stable source of tourists in potential markets, Vietravel has also expanded cooperation with reputable partners in key markets to promote the image of Vietnam’s tourism, Khanh said.

It has also accelerated digital transformation to develop multi-channel online sales to retail customers, towards increasing the number of young international tourists.

The municipal Department of Tourism will implement six tourism promotion programmes abroad in 2024, focusing in key markets such as the US, the UK, Germany, Singapore, and Australia, to support tourism businesses connect with foreign partners.

Vietnam, Sri Lanka bolster agricultural cooperation

A delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) led by Minister Le Minh Hoan has paid a visit to Sri Lanka on the occasion of the 37th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC37).

During the visit from February 19 to February 21, the Vietnamese delegation paid a courtesy call to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and held working sessions with Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera and Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda.

They made a fact-finding trip to Harangala tea factory in Kandy, organised a seminar to connect agricultural businesses of the two countries in Colombo, and visited the Regional Development Bank of Sri Lanka. They also visited President Ho Chi Minh’s statue and an exhibition space featuring the Vietnamese national leader, as well as the Vietnamese Embassy.

Upon receiving the delegation, PM Dinesh Gunawardena congratulated Vietnam on its economic achievements and fast development over the years, affirming that Sri Lankan leaders and people always admire, respect, and love President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam.

He applauded policies that the Vietnamese side has applied to attract foreign investors and create an optimal environment for them, suggesting that Vietnam share its experience with Sri Lanka on policies in the fields of agriculture and science-technology, especially plant varieties and rice industry development.

For his part, Minister Hoan said that amid globalisation, countries should co-operate with each other to deal with common issues and supplement each other with their strengths.

Sri Lanka is strong in tea production, while Vietnam is strong in rice and fishery, he noted, affirming that the Vietnamese side stands willing to co-operate with and share its experience in agriculture and rural development with their Sri Lankan partners, while promoting bilateral partnership in trade and investment in the field of agriculture to ensure supply for the two countries and export.

At the working session with Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister Hoan said that the MARD always places great importance on collaboration with Sri Lanka in the field of agriculture, expressing hope at the prospect of further boosting ties, especially in agro-forestry-fishery trade and science-technology.

Both sides witnessed the signing of a joint work plan on agricultural co-operation in the 2024 to 2026 period, which focuses on collaboration in research and experience sharing, as well as short-term training in the fields of cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and irrigation.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes