Vietnam’s first hiking train gets running

Vietnam’s first hiking train was put into operation at the Ba Na Hills resort in the central city of Da Nang on April 26.

The train, which can carry 80 guests per carriage, will take tourists to several popular destinations including the Linh Ung Pagoda, Le Jardin garden and an ancient villa complex.

The Sun Group, owner of Ba Na Hills, has selected the well-known Swiss cable manufacturer, Garaventa, to build the system.

Ba Na Hills resort is located on Ba Na Mountain, about one hour of drive from Da Nang City./

Japanese tourists to Vietnam increase sharply

Vietnam recorded 170,772 Japanese arrivals, ranking third in international travel volume, in the first quarter of 2014, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

Vietnam recorded 170,772 Japanese arrivals, ranking third in international travel volume, in the first quarter of 2014, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

In the latest tourism sector performance report, China ranked number one, with international arrivals of 587,475 followed by the Republic of Korea (RoK) with 238,496 visitors during the first three months of the year.

Roughly 80,000 Vietnamese people travelled to Japan last year, VNAT reports.

HCM City Tourism Association Secretary General Ton That Hoa reports that Vietnam and Japan have enjoyed fruitful tourism cooperation, with steadily rising number of tourists recorded in both countries.

“In addition to the more traditional Southeast Asian tourist destinations, many Vietnamese are increasingly adding Japan and the RoK to the list of popular travel destinations,” he added.

Nguyen Minh Man, a senior official from Vietravel, a local tour operator which has focused on the Japanese market for over 18 years, reports the agency is stepping up its efforts to improve the quality of tourism services to attract more visitors to Vietnam.

“Each month, Vietravel welcomes on average 1,000-1,200 Japanese tourists to Hanoi and HCM City” he said, adding “The number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan during the lunar New Year holiday and the Cherry Festival in March 2014 saw a strong increase of over 200% from a year earlier.”

Saigontourist, one of leading cruise ship travel services, also reports that more Japanese tourists are travelling to Vietnam via marine routes. In the first quarter of this year, Saigontourist welcomed 58 cruise ships bringing in more than 20,000 international visitors, with about 10% of them originating from Japan.

Japan currently has a new visa exemption scheme for Vietnamese citizens, set to go into effect at the end of May and it should help foster tourism growth in both countries.

Province unveils master plan for Indochina roof

The master plan for the Fansipan tourist site in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has been announced by the People’s Committee of Sapa district.

The plan details the positions of two stations and infrastructure of a 6.5 kilometre cable car system leading to Fansipan peak, the highest in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia at 3,143 metres and dubbled the Roof of Indochina.

In the areas surrounding the two stations, there will be hotels and entertainment facilities to serve Fansipan visitors.

Construction of the Fansipan cable system began in November 2013 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014.

It is expected to shorten the current two-day journey required to reach the peak to just 15 minutes. T he system is designed to carry a maximum of 2,000 people per hour. Each car can house 35 passengers.

The project aims to create a modern tourism complex in Lao Cai province to complement the famous resort town of Sapa.

Da Lat hotels fully booked for upcoming holiday

Most hotels in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, have been fully booked for the upcoming national holiday at the end of this month.

The long holiday from Liberation Day (April 30) through May 4 has prompted many people to travel. In addition, Da Lat with its cool climate is always a popular destination for residents in the southern region at this time of the year when the weather is the hottest.

The high demand has pushed up room rates, with many one- and two-star hotels even doubling their rates to VND400,000-600,000 (US$19-28.5) for a double room and VND600,000-1,000,000 (US$28.5-47.6) a twin room.

Da Lat has 624 accommodation facilities with a total of 10,770 rooms. They included 219 hotels rated from one- to five-star.

Indonesia interested in tourism potential in Yen Bai

The Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam visited the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai on April 22 with the aim of studying investment potential in the province’s tourism sector.

At a working session with Yen Bai provincial officials, Ambassador Mayerfas said he wants to promote trade and investment ties between Indonesia and Vietnam.

He invited Yen Bai officials and businesspeople to travel to Indonesia to seek business opportunities and partners.

Chairman of Yen Bai People’s Committee Pham Duy Cuong proposed that the Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam help spread the word about Yen Bai’s strength and potential among the Indonesian business circle. He also asked for the embassy’s help in providing information about the Indonesian market.

The two sides agreed to work together to establish twin relations between Yen Bai and an Indonesian locality.

Passenger port on Phu Quoc Island planned

The Vietnam Maritime Administration is seeking approval from the Ministry of Transport for a project to set up an international passenger ship port on Phu Quoc island, offshore the southern province of Kien Giang.

The port, to be located in An Thoi Bay on the island, will be able to receive 225,282-gross register tonnage (GRT) passenger ships capable of carrying 6,000 passengers, according to the administration.

With a 400m-long wharf and a 400sq.m two-storey terminal, it is estimated to cost 354 billion VND (16.6 million USD).

It has been predicted that Phu Quoc, famous around the world for its pristine beaches, will welcome from 105,000 to 190,000 visitors a year via passenger ships from now to 2020, and the band could widen to 350,000-550,000 in the following decade.-

Co To island strives to become national tourism area

Quang Ninh province has set a target of building Co To island district into a national eco – resort tourism area and gradually develop the island into a major tourist attraction in the tourism complex of Cat Ba - Ha Long - Van Don – Co To – Tra Co - Mong Cai.

To achieve this goal, the district has set an urgent task of promoting advertisement, attracting investment to the tourism sector, and selecting potential and experienced investors to implement high-quality business investment projects, Nguyen Duc Thanh, Secretary of the district Party Committee, Chairman of Co To district People's Committee, was quoted as saying by the Communist Party of Vietnam online newspaper.

Accordingly, by 2015, the province will complete essential infrastructure, especially high-quality traffic between the island and the mainland and works to supply power, water and telecommunications to create conditions to attract investment for tourism development.

In the period of 2015-2020, Co To will focus on developing high-quality ecotourism rapidly and sustainably, which is compatible with the characteristics of marine and island tourism with diverse forms of tourism, sports and entertainment.

It is expected that from now to 2020, each year this island attracts about 100,000 arrivals, including 5,000-6,000 foreign tourists.

Co To district’s administration has tried to tighten management to prevent 'bargain bucket' cheap discount prices for tourists. The district will provide full information and openly announce prices, transport, prices of hotel rooms as well as the price of food and drink through leaflets, brochures and on the local website coto.gov.vn.

Co To is still a pretty wild island and sea area, comprising of about 50 large and small islands, and is a new tourist destination, which has started to attract tourists in recent years.

From 2012, Co To has put some new tourism models into operation such as innovative tourism “A day as soldier”, and “Journey for homeland sea and island" organised by the district Youth Union to support the community-based tourism model development.

The authority of the district has been active and encouraged the local people on the island to join the tourism sector by, for example, providing homestay services.

Thanh said that the district has provided 500 million VND (23,500 USD) to 100 families to build toilets, support 50 percent of internet costs with a loan of 200 million VND (9,400 USD) for each household, which is eligible to welcome tourists, provided 1 billion VND (47,000 USD) for the district Youth Union to provide free one-turn tickets for speedboat rides for the youth who participate in "Journey for homeland sea and island".

There have been over 70 delegations joining the journey with nearly 5,000 members, who have experienced homestays, engaged in daily life, work, fishing with local people and participated in voluntary and social activities in the district.

Promoting tourism has helped people on the island be aware of the of building the tourism culture. Since late 2013, many households on Co To island have invested in building houses, restaurants and hotels with a capital expenditure of nearly 100 billion VND (4.7 million USD).

The number of tourists coming to Co To island is increasing. In 2013, Co To island welcomed 56,000 tourist arrivals, a 17-fold increase compared to 2010. Tourists coming to Co To island are mainly young people who like to explore.

The infrastructure of the island district has been improved. Each day there are four speedboats from the mainland to the island, and the journeys take about 60-90 minutes.

Since 2012, Co To has provided wireless internet over the island and completed the construction of Truong Xuan reservoir with a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters, which is enough to provide clean water to households and the tourism industry.

The reservoir system continues to be built on other small islands. In late 2013, Co To was connected to the national power grid thanks 30 km of cables running on the seabed with an investment of 1 trillion VND (47 million USD), contributing to improving the quality of tourism services on the island. In addition, the district also focuses on training human resources for the tourism sector.

Chairman Thanh said that to turn Co To into an high-ranking ecotourism venue, it is most important to protect the natural environment.

Aware of this, the people on the island have restricted their use of wood, changing from cooking with firewood into using gas, electricity and peat. Each year, the district budget provides over 1 billion VND (4,700 USD) to cover the coal freight for people.

The authority has strengthened the checks on the handling of seaweed and ornamental plants, deforestation, the use of explosives and chemical substances in hunting seafood.

Quang Ninh is focusing on completing the infrastructure to achieve the goal of turning Co To island into a major tourism center of the province, contributing to the sustainable maritime and island development of the nation.

Bac Lieu conference seeks to boost tourism

A conference promoting investment and tourism development cooperation was held in the southern province of Bac Lieu on April 26, attracting over 400 participants from many provinces and travel agencies throughout the country.

The event, which was part of the ongoing “Don ca tai tu” festival in the locality, discussed how to further foster Vietnam’s tourism development, especially in the Mekong Delta.

Participants underlined the potential and strength of regional tourism, while discussing its sustainable development.

They said that regional localities should improve the quality of accommodation facilities and diversify products to serve tourists to improve their health in a clean and peaceful environment.

As the region has ample cultural history and beauty, it is well placed for the development of ecological tourism, participants recommended.

In the coming time, Bac Lieu should create links with other Mekong Delta provinces to make regional tourism more attractive, thus luring more holiday-makers to the locality, they suggested.

Seminar discusses sustainable and responsible tourism

A seminar was held in Thua Thien Hue central province on April 24 to discuss the implementation of a project on sustainable and responsible tourism in the central region.

The US$920,000 project will be implemented by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Thua Thien and Quang Nam provincial People’s Committees in the 2014-2015 period.

Funding for the project will be sourced from the Luxembourg Government and the UN.

The project aims to improve living conditions for local communities to promote the development of cultural tourism, reduce poverty, increase income and develop tourism products that are friendly to environment.

Through the project, these provinces will focus on improving skills, generating jobs and sharpening competitive edge of enterprises in the tourism sector, helping preserve and develop human resource for the tourism sector and raising public awareness about sustainable tourism.

At the seminar, delegates agreed to set up a steering committee of each locality to implement the project effectively.

Hanoi sees large number of travellers on holiday

Travel agencies in Hanoi reported a surge in travel demand on the upcoming national holiday that begins at the end of this month.

Vietravel Hanoi said bookings of its tours have risen by between 150-300% depending on destinations. Other big companies such as Vietnam Tourism Company-Hanoi, Hanoi Tourism Travel and Vietran Tour also saw more customers compared to the same period last year.

The companies attributed the rise to the 5-day holiday, which begins on April 30 (Liberation Day), as well as stabling prices of tour packages.

In particular, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Republic of Korea have emerged as popular destinations for Hanoians, besides traditional outbound ones such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China.

Cruise liner Hanseatic brings foreigners to Vietnam

The Hapag-Lloyd-operated ship Hanseatic, with 750 foreign passengers and crew members on board, docked at Phu Quoc island on April 23.

During the Vietnam tour, organised by Saigontourist, visitors, mostly Germans, left the ship, explored the island, and went shopping.

 This is the first time Hanseatic has travelled to Phu Quoc this year.

The cruiser is scheduled to return to Vietnam again from April 29-May 3 for another Ha Long-Hue-Ho Chi Minh City tour.

Saigontourist has welcomed more than 80 international luxury cruise ships carrying thousands of tourists and crew to Vietnam in the first four months of this year.

They mainly came from Italy, France, Portugal, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the US, Canada, and Australia.

Phu Quoc in urgent need of tourism professionals

Phu Quoc, the island district in the southern province of Kien Giang urgently needs more than 6,000 qualified workers for its hospitality sector, local authorities say.

They explain the urgency by pointing to many hi-end resorts and four or five-star hotels, with more than 2,000 rooms, coming online by late 2014 and in early 2015.

Huynh Quang Hung, vice chairman of the district's People's Committee, also told Viet Nam News that the number of tourists to the island is expected to surge following the enactment of a 30-day visa exemption policy for foreign passport holders.

He said that the policy, which took effect on March 10, has possibly contributed to the increase of 15-17 per cent in the number of foreign visitors to Phu Quoc in the year's first quarter.

With the visa exemption, visitors can go to Phu Quoc by transiting at Ha Noi's Noi Bai Airport or HCM City's Tan Son Nhat Airport, he said.

In addition, a Russian tourism firm is offering direct flights from Russia to Phu Quoc. The flight operates once every 10-12 days. The district is also planning to launch more international air routes.

Tourism businesses recruiting and providing on the job training to locals is one of the measures being taken to address the labour shortage, Hung said.

However, he added, meeting the demand for workers in the tourism sector was more challenging because hi-end resorts and hotels require very professional workers fluent in the English language.

Hung said the district has offered to organise free training courses to residents whose land has been taken for local projects, but most were not interested in taking part.

Therefore, the district will also recruit migrant workers from other provinces.

Hung said that the district administration has called for more investment and engagement from employers in the training of workers.

Phu Quoc will work to tap better its potential in maritime and eco-tourism and one of the measures it will take is to reduce service fees in this area, he said.

He explained that the 50-60 percent drop in electricity prices (previously, power prices on the island were higher than on the mainland) also creates favourable conditions for the district to cut down its service charges.

According to statistics compiled by the district, 174 tourism projects are underway at present in Phu Quoc. It has 125 hotels and other forms of accommodation and 75 vessels offering sightseeing tours.

Phu Quoc had targeted increasing the number of visitors to the island from 416,000 to 500,000 this year, but the actual figure could go up to 600,000, Hung said.

Hanoi boosts links for tourism development

The Hanoi tourism sector is looking to regional links to improve efficiency as the capital is an attractive destination for tourists with more than 5,000 historical relics, close to 1,300 traditional craft villages, and a great number of intangible cultural heritages, according to radio The Voice of Vietnam.

I n the first quarter of this year, Hanoi received more than 700,000 foreign visitors, up 15 percent, and nearly 4.9 million domestic tourists, up 8 percent compared to last year, thanks to the city’s effort to promote the environment and boost cooperation among companies.

Hanoi’s current policy has changed the tourism economy, said Luu Duc Ke, Director of Hanoi Travel Agent, adding: “Although other economic sectors are facing difficulties, the hospitality industry has maintained its growth, thanks to travel agents’ efforts. This is an opportunity for the government to confirm its support for the sector’s development.”

Recently, Hanoi diversified its products to lure visitors. Apart from its best-known attractions, the city is planning to create an area for stage puppetry performances and to organise additional traditional art shows.

Investment has been made in upgrading the infrastructure of inner-city cultural relic sites and improving service quality. Hanoi is also planning to turn the Ba Vi – Suoi Hai site into a national tourist complex and to develop community-based tourism in seven mountainous villages in Hanoi’s outlying district of Ba Vi.

“Promoting links among companies has contributed to diversifying products and services for tourists," Nguyen Thi Hoan, a tour guide with the Hanoi Tourism Company, said.

The municipal tourism sector is promoting the construction of a centre covering an area of 50 hectares in the outlying district of Dong Anh to introduce local craft villages.

According to To Van Dong, Director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hanoi is implementing tourism development projects with a focus on upgrading historical relics and offering on-site translation so they can better understand what they are looking at.

In 2014, Hanoi targets 3 million foreign tourists and 16 million domestic travellers, 20 percent more than last year. It has set a goal of becoming a major tourist centre in the region.

Malaysia a top destination for Vietnamese tourists

Malaysia's Minister of Tourism and Culture Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz late last week praised the support from Vietnamese authorities, coordinators, travel agents and media for their efforts to promote his country as a top holiday destination for Vietnamese tourists.

"Viet Nam is one of the most important markets of Malaysia and last year we welcomed 235,700 arrivals from Viet Nam, an increase of 11.7 per cent over 2012," he said, adding that eight years ago, only 64,000 Vietnamese had visited his country.

Malaysia chose 2014 as its fourth Visit Malaysia Year with the theme Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia.

It expects to receive 36 million tourist arrivals. Over 200 events have been planned to attract visitors.

Charity tour celebrates Dien Bien Phu Victory

Ten teams of two people from Viet Nam, Russia, Australia and the UK will take part in a charity caravan trip through Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the victory of Dien Bien Phu and the 39th anniversary of Liberation Day.

The Mekong Rally 2014 will depart from HCM City on April 27, and head for cities along the Mekong River, including Kratie in Cambodia, and Pakse, Vientiane, and Luang Prabang in Laos.

The 2,400km trip will finish in Dien Bien Phu City on May 6, a day before the ceremony for the Dien Bien Phu victory.

Along the way, the participants will raise funds for conservation of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Kratie, Free the Bears in Luang Prabang, and Com Co Thit (Only Rice is Not Enough) programme to provide food, stationery and warm clothes for needy children in the northwest region of Viet Nam.

Helicopter rides to offer stunning views of En Cave

The first flight to visit En (Swallow) Cave in the central province of Quang Binh by helicopter will be organised tomorrow by a travel operator and the Northern Viet Nam Helicopter Company.

Three 20-30 minute flights will be scheduled each day until next Tuesday. Passengers will board at Phong Nha and land near the mouth of the Swallow Cave. The flights are organised to celebrate the 410th anniversary of Quang Binh Province.

The tour fee ranges from US$170 to $300 per passenger. The operator told Viet Nam News that they would expand the service if it runs smoothly.

Swallow Cave is the world's third largest cave, following Son Doong of Viet Nam and Deer of Malaysia.

Hoi An expands tourism services at new beaches

The Hoi An City's People's Committee has guided authorities in Tan Hiep Commune to improve tourism services at the beaches of Bai Ong, Bai Chong and Bai Bac. The city also ordered the commune to expand services at the new beaches of Bai Ruong, Bai Nan and Bai Xep.

According to the Quang Nam Newspaper, Hoi An has welcomed more than 477,000 visitors since January 1, an increase of nine per cent over the same period last year.

Most tourists are from the country's traditional markets, including Australia, the UK, the US and France.

Phu Quoc accommodation booked out for national holiday

Accommodations on Phu Quoc Island for the upcoming Liberation and Labour days (from April 30 to May 4) were booked fully two weeks before the holiday, Huynh Quang Hung, deputy chairman of the Phu Quoc District's People's Committee, said.

Currently, the island has more than 4,000 rooms to serve visitors, with 15 one-star to four-star hotels.

To meet demand, the department said that it had ensured safety and services for the holiday.

Since the beginning of this year, the island has welcomed 120,000 tourists, representing 30 per cent of its target and increasing by 20 per cent year-on-year. Of the total figure, more than 50,000 were foreigners.

Park hosts southern fruit festival in June

The ninth annual Southern Fruit Festival will be held at HCM City's Suoi Tien Amusement Park in District 9 from June 1-8, according to the city's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.

Farmers and artists from 21 provinces in the south will take part in the festival, which will have 50 booths selling special fruit. In addition, a competition for farmers and artists will give them an opportunity to display their skills.

Other cultural and musical events will be organised as well.

A briefing was held in Macau, China, on April 25 to advertise the Ha Village Lake Tourism Area in the northern province of Vinh Phuc to foreign investors.

The event, organised by the Tay Phuong International Trading and Travel Joint Stock Company, attracted hundreds of representatives from large corporations and banks such as Edmond de Rothschild, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Bank of America, and UBS.

The area in question, only a 15-minute drive from Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, is being presented as an attractive destination with strong infrastructure facilities located close to the 18-hole Tam Dao golf course.

It lies within Vinh Phuc’s tourism zone, which is surrounded by Tam Dao Mountain and contains a 36ha lake.

According to China’s Dong Fang International Asset Management Co. Ltd., tourism areas are thriving in Vietnam and may become the most profitable segment of the property market. It said that among them, the Ha Village Lake Tourism Area is a particularly interesting project.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Consul in Hong Kong and Macau Nguyen Thi Nha gave participants an overview on Vietnam’s investment environment, and called for foreign tourism projects in the country.