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19 Aug, 2010




               06-07
               Vietnam Golf Coast sets spotlight on
               ‘best courses in the country’




               24-25
               Eight events to be held
               across Thailand
                                                                   Africa
               34
               7 Taiwanese Customs to know
               whenever visiting Taiwan


                                         www.travelweekly.com.vn
19 Aug, 2010
                                                                                                     06-07
                                                                                                     Vietnam Golf Coast sets spotlight on
                                                                                                     ‘best courses in the country’



Dear Travel Weekly readers!                                                                          24-25
                                                                                                     Eight events to be held
                                                                                                     across Thailand
                                                                                                                                                         Africa
                                                                                                     34
                                                                                                     7 Taiwanese Customs to know
                                                                                                     whenever visiting Taiwan




Welcome to the 31 Issues of Travel Weekly!                                                                                     www.travelweekly.com.vn




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Thursday 19.08.2010


VIETNAM NEWS                                              02        FEATURES
02. Hue plans to become a cultural, tourist
                                                          03
                                                                    06 - 07
and festival city                                                                   Vietnam Golf Coast
03. HCMC faces obstacles in waterway                                                sets spotlight on ‘best
tourism development                                       04        courses in the country’
05. Central region to lure more Japanese                            Vietnam has made a bit of noise in the past with its
tourists                                                  05        golf offerings but the quality of the golf in Danang, its
                                                                    proximity to air hubs across SE Asia, and the proximity
09. Agreement to boost tourism ties                                 of the golf to hotels (and the beach) makes Vietnam Golf
between Vietnam and China                                 06        Coast, a new partnership of courses and beach resorts
                                                                    that launches today, something else again. Please see
10. Ministry calls for developing tourism                           below news about the Vietnam Golf Coast.
infrastructure                                            07
12. Vietnam remains attractive for tourists
and investors                                             08
13 . National Tourism Year 2011 - Paradise
for Sea and Island                                        09
1,000 YEARS OF
THANG LONG - HANOI                                        10

14. Thanh Hoa to hold Lam Kinh festival
                                                          11
to mark Hanoi’s birthday
15. Hai Phong’s tourism week to mark
the Hanoi’s giant anniversary
                                                          13
                                                                    24 - 25                   Eight events to be
                                                                                              held across Thailand
INTERNATIONAL NEWS                                        14        The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will organise
                                                                    eight special events around the theme of the famous
18. Visa offers pre-paid card for Youth                             Thai smile in a bid to rebuild the good image of Thai
Olympics                                                  16        tourism and facilitate the return to normalcy following
                                                                    the recent political disturbances. Enjoy to read more
19. Ritz-Carlton hits new heights in HK                             detail programme.
                                                          17
20. Cambodia’s Royal Group Unveils
Master Plan

21. Swiss-Garden Hotel KL launches taxi
                                                          20
campaign

22. New Caledonia to host Melanesian
                                                          21
Arts Festival
                                                          23
AVIATION NEWS
27. THAI Airways announces winter                         24
schedule

29. Air Mekong gets jets for October

31. Air China Becomes Strategic Partner
                                                          25
                                                                    34             7 Taiwanese Customs to
                                                                                   know whenever visiting
of CIFIT
                                                          26        Taiwan
32. Korean Air achieves strong growth in                            Remember that you are a visitor in this country. At all
the second quarter                                                  times, respect their social customs and cultural differ-
                                                          29        ences. They may seem odd to you but they are a part
DO YOU KNOW                                                         of their life and culture. Particularly, in visiting religious
                                                                    institutions, adhere to a semblance of protocol. Respect
                                                          30        their deities. Observe what others do and, wherever
BUSINESS ADVICE
                                                                    possible, ask if you are not sure. Common sense rules.
35 - 37. How to Travel on a Very Limited                  32
Budget

MEDICAL TOURISM                                           34

38 - 39. Understanding Culture in Medical                 35
Tourism

DESTINATIONS                                              38
40 - 42. The simplicity of Thanh Toan tile
bridge                                                    40
2                                                                               VIETNAM NEWS
                                                                                  Hue plans to become a cultural,
                                                                                  tourist and festival city
                                                                                  At the opening agenda of the Hue Party Congress for the
                                                                                  2010-2015 period, which opened in Hue on 9th August, issued
                                                                                  the plan to turn Hue into a cultural, tourism and festival city.

                                                                                  Nguyen Kim Dung, chairman of Hue city’s People’s Com-
                                                                                  mittee said that in order to fulfill its targets, the city needs
                                                                                  to build a comprehensive socio-economic infrastructure,
                                                                                  especially its urban infrastructure and train its human re-
                                                                                  sources to meet the demand for development during the
                                                                                  international integration process. It also needs to improve its
                                                                                  planning, public transport, and call for direct air route to Hue
                                                                                  city, finalise a project to build drainage and waste treatment
                                                                                  systems, upgrade the urban lighting system and turn Hue
                                                                                  into a first-tier city. In addition, it is necessary to improve the
                                                                                  banks of Huong, An Cuu, and Ngu Ha rivers to prevent floods
                                                                                  and ensure environmental hygiene. The city should put
                                                                                  forward detailed policies to facilitate the operations of busi-
                                                                                  nesses, economic sectors, develop cultural and eco-tourism,
                                                                                  organise attractive festivals to improve its competitive edge
                                                                                  and expand its tourism activities in both domestic and for-
                                                                                  eign markets. The city should also promote Hue’s tourism,
                                                                                  preserve the scenery landscapes along the Huong River as
                                                                                  well as the architecture of the old imperial city to improve the
                                                                                  quality of cultural and festival activities and develop tourism
                                                                                  sustainably.

                                                                                  Hue aims to welcome 2,5 million visitors by 2015 (including
                                                                                  40-50 percent international arrivals) with turnover from the
                                                                                  service sector increasing 25 percent and tax revenues reach-
                                                                                  ing VND3,000 billion by 2015, expected to achieve an annual
                                                                                  GDP of 14,5 -15 percent by 2015, raise average annual per
                                                                                  capital income to US$2,800-3,000 as well as tourism revenues
                                                                                  by 18-20 percent.

 Malaysian culinary                      Malaysia targets                          Center for festival culture exchange
 week in Hanoi                           Vietnamese tourists                       of ethnic minorities to be built
 A Malaysian Culinary Week will be       Malaysia’s tourism authorities are
 held at the Melia Hotel, Hanoi, from    stepping up promotions, expecting
 26-31 August, showcasing typical        to attract 200,000 travellers from
 Malaysian foods and drinks. Two         Vietnam this year. Akbal Sertia of
 Malaysian chefs will make some of       Tourism Malaysia told a Malaysia
 their country’s iconic dishes like      Golf and Youth Seminar in HCM
 roti canai, satay, fried rice noodles   City that his country welcomed
 or laksa, nasi lemak, and teh tarik.    150,000 Vietnamese visitors last
 Also at the event, Malaysian artists    year but nearly 100,000 in the first
 will perform traditional dances         half of this year. Meanwhile, nearly
 including court and folk dances         116,000 Malaysian visitors came to
 played to the beat of drums.            Vietnam in the first seven months, a
                                         yearly increase of 19.4 percent.
 HCM City to establish
 yacht club                              Four-star Sai Gon - Phu
 The HCM City Tourism Associa-           Yen hotel unveiled
 tion plans to set up a yacht club       Saigontourist and Sai Gon-Phu Yen
 later this year for yacht owners        Tourism Joint Stock Company have         According to the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong,
 and sailing industry executives.        recently opened the VND90 billion        the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee has approved
 Nguyen Huu Tho, director general        four-star Sai Gon-Phu Yen hotel with
                                                                                  of building a center for festival culture exchange of ethnic
 of Saigontourist Holding Co and         87 rooms, 14 villas. The hotel is part
 chairman of the association, said       of the joint investment strategy to
                                                                                  minority groups.
 30 people, all yacht owners and         diversify and improve the quality of     The project will be carried out on an area of 30ha in Lat com-
 businesspeople providing yacht          tourism products, setting up service     mune, Lac Duong District with an initial investment of VND40
 and yacht-related services on the       standards for tourist lines and          billion.
 Sai Gon River, have registered to       destinations. Accordingly, the Sai       The project is expected to be completed in late 2010 to help
 join the club. There are more than      Gon-Phu Yen Hotel will offer a 50%       visitors study the culture of ethnic minority groups in locali-
 30 yachts in the city and another 10    discount for tourists from now until     ties and cultures of regions nationwide, preserve ethnic
 yachts will arrive this year.           31st December.                           culture and promote tourism in these localities.
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                          www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS                                                                                               3




HCMC faces obstacles in
waterway tourism development
HCM City has an interconnecting system        foreign tourists like travelling on river.     developing tourism, the investment will
of rivers and canals that go through the      However, most of the firm’s waterways          bring a big boost to the economy.
city and connect HCM City with prov-          tours have been in the Mekong Delta, not
inces in the southern region. However,        in HCM City.                                   How to develop waterways tourism?
water tourism in the city has not yet
developed.                                    From Cai Be, tourists go to Can Tho City       The HCM City People’s Committee has
                                              to see the floating market and orchards,       approved a plan by the Culture, Sports,
Contemplating while traveling on the          or they go farther to Chau Doc and Rach        and Tourism Department to develop the
river?                                        Gia. Meanwhile, in HCM City, the agenda        waterways tourism industry. The city’s
                                              for tourists is very simple: tourists have     authorities have asked the department to
There are about 20 tourism ships and ca-      dinner on ships, travel along the Saigon       develop a route connecting An Giang and
noes operating in the Bach Dang port area     River, and then at departure time prepare      Cambodia. The department is also con-
in District 1. These include restaurants’     to return to Bach Dang wharf.                  sidering developing short-distance tours
ships that carry tourists to travel on the                                                   (Bach Dang wharf – Nha Be T-junction –
Saigon River at nights.                       When tourists demand it, the firm will         painters’ village; Bach Dang wharf – Tau
                                              charter a ship for half a day to carry tour-   Hu canal).
In the past, travel firms once provided       ists. Meanwhile, tourists only sit on the
tours so tourists could travel on the         ships to enjoy the view of the banks of        However, according to tourism com-
Saigon River and then be dropped in Can       the river, and then return to the departure    panies, the biggest problem facing the
Gio district. However, the firms stopped      point.                                         waterways tourism industry is the lack of
providing the tours because they had so                                                      docks where ships can receive clients.
few clients. Nowadays, ships only depart      “Tourists nowadays do only one thing –
when they can gather enough people.           sit and look into the banks of the river.      Binh Quoi Tourism Village once planned
                                              Honestly, there are fewer beautiful and        on having more ships, but then it had to
The activities designed for waterways         attractive landscapes on the river banks,”     cancel its plans because the Bach Dang
tourists proved to be very simple. Tourists   Tien said.                                     dock was already full.
can have parties on the ships while they
travel along the river, or go to Binh Quoi    However, Chiem Thanh Long, Director of         Long stressed that the first thing that
village to watch traditional weddings.        Binh Quoi Tourism Village believes that        needs to be done is to build docks where
                                              HCM City has great potential to develop        ships can receive clients. After that, travel
According to Bui Viet Thuy Tien, Manag-       its waterways tourism industry, and that       firms will think of developing their fleets
ing Director of Asian Trails Company,         if the city’s authorities pay attention to     and cooperating with service providers.
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                www.travelweekly.com.vn
4                                                                        VIETNAM NEWS

                                                Hanoi develops tourism
                                                in craft villages
                                                according to Mrs Trinh Thi Hong Loan,         Cooperation among the 244 craft villages
                                                Head of the Management Office of Craft        in Hanoi is not strong enough, said Nguy-
                                                Industry under the Hanoi Trade and Indus-     en Hoang Luu, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi
                                                try Department said four pilot tours have     Handicraft and Trade Village Association.
                                                been launched in the craft villages of Van    In addition, they still lack good tourism ser-
                                                Ha Wood, Ha Thai Lacquer, Chuon Ngo           vices and guides, while the cultural identi-
                                                Painting, Bat Trang Pottery, Phu Vinh Bam-    ties in these villages are fading away.
                                                boo and Rattan Weaving and Quat Dong
                                                embroidery.                                   Officials of the city department also wor-
                                                                                              ried about the pollution in these villages
                                                Earlier, the Hanoi Trade and Industry         due to urbanization.
                                                Department invited lecturers of the Ha-
                                                noi Open University’s Tourism Faculty to      Developing tourism in craft villages will
                                                provide training for tourism services and     not only help preserve their cultural identi-
                                                culture preservation to 210 people in these   ties but will also improve the living stan-
                                                craft villages.                               dards of local residents in these villages.




                          China aims to
                      boost tourism in HCMC
A seminar themed “China – Vietnam               In the past few years, a large number of      exchange and set up business links.
Friendship Year, joining hands for tourism      Chinese visitors have visited to Vietnam,
development” was held on 11st August            vice versa, more and more Vietnamese          La Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the
with the aim of boosting China’s tourism in     people have a chance to travel to China       HCM City Culture, Sports and Tourism De-
Ho Chi Minh City. The two sides signed a        due to increasingly living conditions.        partment, China now ranks sixth out of ten
memorandum of understanding (MoU) on                                                          leading market of Vietnam’s tourism sector.
tourism cooperation between Vietnam and         Nguyen Manh Cuong, the Deputy Head            In the previous year, the city welcomed
China in the 2010-2013 period.                  of the Vietnam National Administration of     140,000 Chinese visitors and is expected
                                                tourism (VNAT) stressed the importance        to receive nearly 200,000 tourists from the
The event, attended by tourism agents           of the Vietnam-China friendship year 2010,    neighbouring country in 2010.
from China’s Guangdong, Guangxi and             which helps boost bilateral relationship
Yunnan provinces, Chinese Consul Gen-           to a new height, including cooperation        China is also one of the three favourite
eral in HCMC Xu Ming Liang affirmed             in tourism. The year of 2010 is expected      destinations of the city’s dwellers. It is
that it is a significant milestone to enhance   to increase understanding between the         expected that 60,000 of the city’s residents
tourism co-operation between Vietnam            two tourism sectors and offer chances for     will visit China this year.
and China.                                      tourism agents of both countries to meet,




Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                 www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS                                                                     5




   Central region to lure
   more Japanese tourists
H    oi An ancient city will hold Vietnam
     - Japan Cultural Exchange Days on
21 August and be expected to lure more
                                              prompting the Japanese to visit the land
                                              where their ancestors used to travel to,
                                              Toshikazu Suzuki, Director of the Ja-
international arrivals, particularly those    pan human resource training and con-
from Japan.                                   sultancy institute in Vietnam, said at a
                                              workshop themed “Central Vietnam - A
During the event, the eighth of its kind in   destination for Japanese tourists, poten-
Hoi An, a series of programmes imbued         tial and solution” held in Quang Nam
with the Vietnamese and Japanese cul-         province last May.
tures will be presented such as perfor-
mances of folk dancing, traditional mu-       However, poor services, which fail to
sic, dragon dance, traditional costumes,      meet Japanese visitors’ demands, are
tea drinking ceremony and calligraphy         blamed for the low number of Japanese
as well as a festival with flower garlands    tourists, who account for about only four
and coloured lanterns on river.               percent of the total one million foreign
                                              arrivals to the central region.
Moreover, it’s also the first time the
Iwamikagura royal singing and danc-           Also at the workshop, the three central
ing troupe and the Daisuwataiko drum          localities of Quang Nam, Thua Thien-
group from Japan will join the event.         Hue and Da Nang mapped out a plan,
                                              aiming at attracting 1 million Japanese
Starting from 2003, the annual event is       tourists to the region each year. The
to tighten friendship between Vietnam         localities will accelerate tourism pro-
and Japan and offers an opportunity to        motion in Japan, open their tourism of-
promote Hoi An, a world heritage site,        fices in Japan and organise Japanese
to international friends, said Vo Phung,      language courses for their small traders
Director of the Hoi An Culture and Sport      and tourist guides.
Centre.

Japan and central Vietnam in general
and Hoi An in particular treasured a
time-honoured traditional relationship,
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                       www.travelweekly.com.vn
Vietnam Golf Coast
                      VIETNAM NEWS



  sets spotlight on ‘best
  courses in the country’




Thursday 19.08.2010                  www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS                                                                                     7




                               T
                                    he maturation of golf in Vietnam takes another step forward today with formation of
                                    the Vietnam Golf Coast, a new partnership of golf and beach resorts in the Central
                                    Coast city of Danang. The consortium’s web hub, www.vietnamgolfcoast.com, also
                               goes live today.
                               Vietnam’s standing as an up-an-coming golf destination is no secret, but establishment of
                               the Vietnam Golf Coast coordinates for tourists the country’s top new courses with its fin-
                               est hotels and beaches, all in one place. That place is a comely stretch of sand in Danang,
                               20 minutes from an international airport that sits within 2-hour flights of both Singapore and
                               Hong Kong.
                               Indeed, the first of 30 regularly scheduled charter flights to Danang out of Hong Kong on
                               Vietnam Airlines will commence Sept. 17, and will fly every Tuesday and Friday thereafter.
                               The founding members of The Vietnam Golf Coast are:
                               • Montgomerie Links Vietnam: Designed by sitting European Ryder Cup Captain Colin
                               Montgomerie and opened in August 2009, Monty Links was recently ranked 7th on the list
                               of top courses in all of Southeast Asia.
                               • Danang Golf Club: Crafted by legend Greg Norman and opened to wide acclaim in May
                               2010, the Dunes Course at Danang GC is “as close as you’ll come (in Asia) to the UK’s
                               great links courses,” according to Golf Digest Singapore.
                               • The Nam Hai: An ultra-luxurious, all-villa property, The Nam Hai is the most highly ac-
                               claimed resort in the country. It was named to Travel+Leisure magazine’s “It List” when it
                               opened in 2007, and won Best Resort in T+L’s design competition the following year.
                               • Life Resort Danang: The region’s newest 5-star hotel (it opened in March 2010), Life
                               Resort Danang is set on five hectares fronting beautiful Bac My An beach. Its nearby sister
                               property in Hoi An is on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and won a Reader’s Choice
                               Award.
                               • Golfasian Vietnam: The leading golf tour operator in Southeast Asia, Golfasian Vietnam
                               has been named Official Tour Operator of the Vietnam Golf Coast.
                               Golfasian has arranged more than 17,000 golf trips to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam
                               since 2001, yet CEO Mark Siegel sees the emergence of Danang as something of a break-
                               through.
                               “The golf offerings in Danang are new, but a variety of factors have conspired to peg Dan-
                               ang as the top golf destination in the country, and one of the best in all of Southeast Asia,”
                               Siegel said. “For starters, I think Danang Golf Club and Montgomerie Links are the best
                               two courses in the country. There are several excellent courses in Ho Chi Minh City and
                               Hanoi, but they’re all at least an hour from downtown hotels or the airports.
                               Just south of Danang, 20 minutes from The Nam Hai and Life Resort Danang, sits the
                               UNESCO World Heritage city of Hoi An - with its extraordinary history, dining and shop-
                               ping. To the north lies Hue, the last imperial capital of Vietnam. Bathing the entire region
                               with its warm tropical waters is the East Sea, home to some of the country’s freshest sea-
                               food and top SCUBA locales in Southeast Asia.
                               It’s no accident that American armed forces chose Danang as the center of its R&R culture
                               during the Vietnam War.
                               “What you have here is a year-round beach culture that has, in the last five years, added
                               the sort of sophistication and amenities that have made the world take notice: 5-star hotels,
                               casinos, golf, and transportation infrastructure,” said Howie Roberts, general manager of
                               Danang Golf Club, which will add a second 18 in 2012.
                               In Danang, the golf and airline offerings appear to have come of age simultaneously. While
                               a new international airport will open in 2011, Danang already accommodates international
                               flights from Singapore and Guangzhou, in addition to regular connecting service from
                               both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Shanghai Airlines will soon commence a twice-a-week
                               charter service from its hub, Shanghai, to complement those Vietnam Airlines has sched-
                               uled from Hong Kong, starting in September.
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                  www.travelweekly.com.vn
8                 VIETNAM NEWS




                         Quang Binh aims
                         to develop tourism

                         T
                              ourism sector pays an important role in improv-
                              ing the social-economic development in the
                              central province of Quang Binh. Also, the prov-
                         ince plans to develop tourism as a key industry with
                         huge investment in upgrading the infrastructure and
                         changing operational methods in the near future.

                         Over the last few years, Quang Binh has concentrated
                         on developing their transportation system. The prov-
                         ince has built a road along the coast linking famous
                         tourist sites, such as Nhat Le, Quang Phu and Da Nhay
                         beaches, to the Dong Hoi airport. In May, the province
                         started the construction of a new road, at a cost of VND
                         180 billion. Otherwise, the Dong Hoi airport is being
                         upgraded at the cost of more than VND 212 billion with
                         the aim at attracting more domestic and foreign tour-
                         ists. Furthermore, with support from the Ministry of
                         Transportation, the Quang Binh province spent more
                         than VND 1 trillion to upgrade a 300 km road from the
                         Cha Lo International Border Gate to the Hon La sea
                         port, and foreign tourists from Laos and Thailand can
                         now visit tourist sites in the province, along with cara-
                         van tours between Vietnam – Laos and Thailand. Ad-
                         ditionally, the Dong Duong Company is constructing
                         an 820 ha tourist area with VND 253 billion, near the
                         Bang Geyser. This is a high-grade tourist site connect-
                         ing other sites in the province.

                         Arriving in Dong Hoi city, tourists will have a chance to
                         visit the Nhat Le Bridge, and to stay at high-end tourist
                         areas, such as the My Canh – Bao Ninh eco-tourism
                         resorts and the VND 500 billion Sun Spa resort with
                         high-standard facilities, such as 4 star hotels, asports
                         complex and entertainment spots. Dong Hoi also has a
                         chain of hotels with more than 2,000 luxury rooms.

                         As the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park became
                         recognized as a World Heritage site, more domestic
                         and foreign tourists have visited Quang Binh.

                         In the first seven months of this year, the province wel-
                         comed nearly half a million tourists. This is a 20% in-
                         crease when compared to the same period last year.
                         In particular, the number of international tourists has
                         increased by 63.58%. The Phong Nha – Ke Bang Na-
                         tional Park received 7,000 visits a day on the occasion
                         of April 30th and May 1st alone. The province targets
                         to welcome 1 million visitors this year. The tour enti-
                         tled “Central Region’s Heritage Road” is expected to
                         attract a lot of tourist to Quang Binh.

                         To reach this target, the province needs to improve
                         promotional programs and quality of its tourism staff.
                         In addition, the province should work together with
                         travel agencies in other provinces to develop tourism.
Thursday 19.08.2010                                      www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS                                                                                                   9

                                                                        Saigontourist to
                                                                        build new marinas
                                                                        The Saigontourist Holding Company (Saigontourist) has planned to
                                                                        build marinas at several localities nationwide with the aim at offering
                                                                        a new model of tourism and diversifying its tourism products.
                                                                        Nguyen Huu Tho, General Director of Saigontourist said “Marinas is
                                                                        expected to build in Ninh Chu, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Nha Trang and Da
                                                                        Nang in the near future.”
                                                                        “A marina is currently under construction in Ho Coc in the southern
                                                                        coastal Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Some of our partners said that
                                                                        they are willing to collaborate with us if we have new marinas”, Tho
                                                                        added.
                                                                        According to Tho, in addition to the plan to build marinas at the
                                                                        localities, Saigontourist has been carrying out its project to build a
                                                                        wharf in Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh city, as well as launching vari-
                                                                        ous activities to promote this kind of tourism in Vietnam.




    Agreement to boost tourism ties
    between Vietnam and China
Tourism leaders of Vietnam and China            to show the needs of Chinese travelers to        Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and
signed an agreement in Hanoi on August 9        Vietnamese travel firms.                         Tourism and China National Tourism Admin-
to tighten cooperation in a large swath of                                                       istration have also agreed to join hands in
areas from training and joint marketing to      For marketing activities, the two sides will     tapping the tourism potential of the Ban Gioc
development of new tourism products.            join hands to promote tourism images on na-      – De Tian fall in the borderline between the
                                                tional televisions, and invite media to come     two countries as soon as possible.
The agreement, signed between Vietnam’s         and organize food festivals. CNTA will help
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and     Vietnam’s tourism to organize road shows in      Hung said that the agreement was inked on
head of China National Tourism Administra-      Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fuchien of China in next     the working and promotion trip conducted
tion (CNTA), is aimed at increasing the num-    month.                                           by China’s tourism in the country.
ber of tourists visiting each other’s country
to three million a year, the source said.       For the development of tourism products, the     China National Tourism Administration
                                                two administrations will cooperate to build      on Monday organized a road show in the
Pham Quang Hung, head of the International      tourist routes through the two countries to      capital city of Hanoi to promote its tourism
Cooperation Division under the Vietnam          woo both Chinese, Vietnamese travelers and       image to Vietnamese guests. The event will
National Administration of Tourism, told that   visitors from third countries.                   be repeated in HCMC on August 11.
tourism entrepreneurs of the two sides will
increase meetings to exchange information       Hung said that the two sides shared the view     China is the biggest market of Vietnam’s
and policies relating to their business.        in developing sea tourism, and agreed to         inbound tourism with nearly 512,000 arrivals
                                                make survey trips for developing products        reported in the seven months of this year, up
CNTA will teach the Chinese language for        and the infrastructure system for this kind of   95.4% year-on-year. The figure is expected
employees of Vietnam’s hotels and res-          tourism.                                         to rise to one million this year.
taurants along with organizing seminars
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                    www.travelweekly.com.vn
10                                                 VIETNAM NEWS




Ministry calls for developing
tourism infrastructure
The development of tourism in each country relies on the development of appropriate infrastruc-
ture, which services a tourist’s needs and encourages investment by the private sector in competi-
tive tourism product. Realizing the urgent infrastructure effects, The Ministry of Culture, Sports
and Tourism has submitted a plan to develop tourism infrastructure for the 2010-2015 period focus-
ing on localities that put on priority in the years to come.




Thursday 19.08.2010                                                               www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS                                                                              11




                               T
                                           he Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has submitted to the central
                                           Government a plan to develop tourism infrastructure for the 2010-2015
                                           period focusing on localities that put on priority in the years to come.

                                            On the ministry’s website also calls for investment from both the State
                                            budget and private sources in order to enhance infrastructure in key
                               localities, Central Highlands provinces as well as 21 national tourism parks. Beside
                               key localities, neighboring provinces like HCMC, Hanoi, Hue and Danang are also in
                               key tourism centers.

                               The ministry has pointed out that big investments are needed to develop the coun-
                               try’s important tourist routes. The projects should include a section linking the North-
                               South railway with the trans-Asia railway, the international sea route through Quang
                               Ninh, Danang, Khanh Hoa and HCMC, the East-West tourism route via Lao Bao border
                               gate, the international route from China’s Yunnan to Lao Cai, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and
                               Quang Ninh.

                               In the list are also the waterway in the Greater Mekong Sub region that passes along
                               the Mekong River to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and China, Ho
                               Chi Minh trail, and the route of world heritage sites in the country.

                               According to the plan, the State Budget should cover around 80% to 100% of total
                               investment for infrastructure project in remote areas, and around 15% to 20% for proj-
                               ects in other tourism centers, therefore, the tourism industry needs to map out priority
                               projects in each year to call for investors, with the State Budget targeted as the major
                               source of investment.

                               The ministry mentioned some other investment forms like Build-Operate-Transfer
                               (BOT), and “land in exchange for infrastructure” among others.

                               The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said Vietnam has attracted 2,91
                               million international tourists from January-July. The country is expected to welcome
                               seven to eight million visitors by 2015 and 11-12 million by 2020 as envisaged in the
                               tourism development strategy for this decade.




Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                              www.travelweekly.com.vn
12                                                                        VIETNAM NEWS




   Vietnam remains attractive
   for tourists and investors
According to a report of Research and Market Company said              trends of foreign investment in Vietnam, taxation issues, and bank-
major changes over the past three decades have made Vietnam            ing system. It also provides details on legal basis, forms of foreign
become an attractive destination for tourists, investors, and busi-    investment, merger and acquisition, regulation and licensing in
nesses worldwide.                                                      telecommunications, privatisation and liberalisation of the telecom
                                                                       market, and the new telecommunications law.
In July 2010 report on Vietnam Investment Environment, the lead-
ing supplier of international market research and market data,         Recently, U.K. newspaper, the Financial Times ranked the South-
added that Vietnam is a developing and an ambitious country. In        east Asian country as a promising market for foreign investors
the summary report posted on “http://www.researchandmarkets.           thanks to its cheap and abundant labor costs and political stability.
com”, the company is in the opinion that it is worth risk taking for
making investment or doing business in Vietnam.                        Vietnam licensed 533 foreign-invested projects totaling $8.4 billion
                                                                       and allowed 137 existing projects to add their capital by $715 mil-
Vietnam’s renewal process since 1986, which is considered as the       lion between January and July. Foreign investors disbursed a total
greatest transformation of the country from its reunification, makes   of $6.4 billion in the country during the period.
foreign investors understand about Vietnam. In 2007, Vietnam’s         This year, the Southeast Asian country expects to attract $25 billion
entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2007 has helped       and disburse $11 billion in FDI this year, up 16.38% and 10% on-
facilitate the Southeast Asian country’s global integration.           year, respectively.

The company provides details on key macroeconomic indicators,


                                                 Fifteen tour guides battle
                                                 it out for top award
                                                 Fifteen tour guides have gathered to          won the best dubbing award thanks to his
                                                 compete in the final round of the second      presentation on Hoi An Town.
                                                 National Tour Guide Competition held in
                                                 Hanoi on August 15.                           Runners-up Nguyen Hong Nguyen from
                                                                                               Hanoitourist and Nguyen Quynh from the
                                                 The 15 shortlist contestants were selected    Saigontourist won 4 million VND cash
                                                 from 50 candidates from 14 cities and         prizes and a trip for two people to Malay-
                                                 provinces nationwide. They have per-          sia and Singapore.
                                                 formed in a range of categories, includ-
                                                 ing video tape dubbing, questions and         Vice general director of the Vietnam Na-
                                                 answer session, and foreign-language          tional Administration of Tourism Nguyen
                                                 speaking contest.                             Manh Cuong said the competition aimed
                                                                                               to honour tour guides and reward those
                                                 Tour guide Huynh Cong Hieu from the           who excelled at their job, helping contrib-
                                                 Saigontourist won first prize, worth 5        ute towards improving the Vietnamese
                                                 million VND and a tour package for two        tourism industry.
                                                 people to the Republic of Korea. He also
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                  www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS                                                                                          13
                                                                                          Asian music, and the 17th Viet Nam Film
  National Tourism Year 2011 -                                                            Festival. The provinces will also launch 12
                                                                                          other events as part of the National Tour-

  Paradise for Sea and Island                                                             ism Year.

                                                                                          Phu Yen province has 77 accommodation
                                                                                          sites with 1700 chamber, of these, 800
                                                                                          chambers offer the same service level
                                                                                          as three-star hotels and daily flights from
                                                                                          Hanoi – Tuy Hoa and Tuy Hoa – HCMC in
                                                                                          five flights per week.




The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tour-    from March to November next year and
ism in co-ordination with the Phu Yen        be co-organised with several neighbour-
People’s Committee held a meeting to         ing provinces (i.e. Quang Nam, Quang
discuss activities for National Tourism      Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan,
Year 2011 in the central coastal province.   Binh Thuan, Da Nang and Central High-
                                             land provinces), featuring events such as
The National Tourism year themed Para-       climb Da Bia Mountain, Viet Nam-Korea
dise for Sea and Island Tourism will last    cultural exchanges, traditional Southeast



                                               Ha Long Bay ranks 2nd
                                               in world wonders voting




                                             Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay won second larg-       and Tourism has worked with the Ha Long
                                             est number of international votes over the   Bay Management Board to open a photo
                                             past four weeks in the campaign voting for   exhibition in New York City of the US from
                                             the world’s seven new natural wonders.       11-18 August.

                                             The information was released by the          In the coming time, a wide range of activi-
                                             NewOpenWorld on its website www.new7-        ties to vote for Ha Long Bay will continue
                                             wonders.com on August 16.                    to take place in many countries across the
                                                                                          world.
                                             The voting for Ha Long Bay has achieved
                                             satisfactory results in several countries    To vote for Ha Long bay, twice recognised
                                             like Japan, the Republic of Korea, France    by the UNESCO for its landscapes and
                                             and Mexico.                                  geological values, please visit the web-
                                                                                          site www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/
                                             Recently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports    vote_on_nominees
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                            www.travelweekly.com.vn
days to come                                                                                         1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

Thanh Hoa to hold Lam Kinh festival to mark Hanoi’s birthday
                                                                                       According to the Thanh Hoa Provincial People’s Commit-
                                                                                       tee, Lam Kinh festival – the biggest festival of the province
                                                                                       will be held in the framework of a programme to mark the
                                                                                       1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi.
                                                                                       The festival, currently, has not been officially announced
                                                                                       but is expected to take place in late September or early
                                                                                       October.
                                                                                       The festival commemorates the national hero Le Loi, who
                                                                                       defeated Chinese Ming invaders and brought indepen-
                                                                                       dence to his people, becoming the first king of the Le dy-
                                                                                       nasty with the title Le Thai To 580 years ago.
                                                                                       Construction of the Lam Kinh citadel, also known as Tay
                                                                                       Kinh (West citadel) began in 1433. The citadel is located
                                                                                       in Xuan Lam Commune, approximately 50 kilometers from
                                                                                       Thanh Hoa City, in north-west Vietnam.
                                                                                       The citadel is both an original imperial temple of the latter
                                                                                       Le dynasty and the historic location of the Tay Son upris-
                                                                                       ing. Lam Kinh sits in a stately manner on the Chu River,
                                                                                        with Chu Son mountain in the distance and with its back
                                                                                        to Dau mountain. It lays a leisurely arm on Phu Lam forest
and Ngoc mountain on the eastern side, and another on the Huong and Ham Rong range of mountains on the western side. While the citadel
still enjoys the natural scenery of hills and rivers around it, many architectural works inside have been destroyed.
However recent preservation projects have restored some of the more significant artifacts, such as the main palace, tombstone houses, King
Le’s temple, the temple of national hero Le Lai and King Le Hien Tong’s tomb and stele, to name a few.
Lam Kinh citadel covers an area of more than 86,000 square meters.




  According to Ho Quang Son,         cities and 37 outstanding cor-
  Chairman of the Inter-Asso-        porations, enterprises and in-
  ciation of Lam Kinh Culture        dividuals nationwide.
  Heritage, said 100 bronze          The drums are reproduc-
  drums has been casted to           tions of Quang Xuong, Hoang
  mark the anniversary of 1,000      Ha, Ngoc Lu and Dong Son
  years of Thang Long – Hanoi        bronze drums, after its com-
  and will be showcased at the       pletion, each drum weighs
  Temple of Literature on the        60kg with a diameter of 60cm
  occasion of Vietnam’s Nation-      and height of 48cm. The big-
  al Day (2nd September). And        gest drum has diameter of 1
  then, these bronze drums will      meter and a height of 79cm
  be performed during the cel-       and it is carved 1,000 drag-
  ebration of the 1,000 years of     ons.
  Thang Long – Hanoi.                Casting the 100 bronze drums
  The handout ceremony of 100        for the occasion of the 1,000th
  kettledrums to the National        anniversary of Thang Long-
  Steerage Board of the 1,000th      Hanoi is a social project,
  anniversary of Thang Long-         which is co-organised by the
  Hanoi and the biggest drum         National Steerage Board of
  carved 1,000 dragons to the        the 1,000 years of Thang Long-
  Hanoi People’s Committee           Hanoi, the Vietnam Associa-
  will take place on August 29th     tion of Historical Science, the
  at the Temple of Literature.       Vietnam Association of Heri-
  According to the plan of the       tage, the Inter-Association of
  Organizing Board, when the         Lam Kinh Cultural Heritage
  great festival ends, the 100       and the Thanh Hoa Associa-
  bronze drums will be pre-          tion of Antiques.
  sented to 63 provinces and



Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                        www.travelweekly.com.vn
days to come                                                                                           1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi


1,000 metre long kite to welcome the 1,000 years of
Thang Long - Hanoi
The 1,000 metre long kite made by craftsman          gained the first prize at the kite competition
Nguyen Thanh Van will fly at the great cel-          in India.
ebration of Thang Long – Hanoi.                      “I spent all my life playing kites, not because
Nguyen Thanh Van has had over more than              of fame and fortune but because it is passion,
half a century of strong attachment to kites         it’s like a second “partner”. I didn’t think this
and many times he obtained the glory at do-          game of little children has followed me for
mestic as well as international competitions.        the years. And now, it is sudden that my kite
He attended six kite competitions in Hue. In         flies so far,” he said.
2006, his dragon kite, which was 100 metres          “I thought of making a special kite to mark
in length and 1,7 metres in width, became the        the nation’s giant celebration for three year
first recorded kite in the Vietnam Guinness          ago,” he added.
Book of World Records.                               During the past three years, he designed a
At the kite competitions in China in Septem-         reasonable for this kite, and the idea of mak-
ber 2009, his traditional flute kite gained the      ing 1,000 meters kite has been formed. The
second prize.                                        special kite will fly in the Hanoi sky in the up-
In February 2010, the Phuong Hoang kite              coming great anniversary.



Hai Phong’s tourism week                                                       Cuban Granma newspaper highlight-
                                                                               ed Hanoi’s celebration
to mark the Hanoi’s giant
anniversary



                                                                                The Cuban Granma newspa-           can avoid bombs of the US im-
                                                                                per on 9th August published        perialism.
                                                                                an article entitled “Hanoi – the   Instead there are images of
                                                                                city of the Past and Future”       spacious and large bridges
                                                                                written by famous female re-       and new urban areas. Tens
                                                                                porter Marta Roja on the occa-     of projects, important in both
                                                                                sion of the 1,000 th anniversary   economic as well as social
                                                                                of Thang Long-Hanoi.               fields, will be inaugurated to
                                                                                The article opened with Ha-        celebrate the great festival.
                                                                                noi’s history 1,000 years ago      Specifically, Visitors to mod-
                                                                                when King Ly Thai To moved         ern Hanoi will be pleasantly
                                                                                the capital from a mountainous     surprised to see a colourful,
                                                                                region in Ninh Binh province       6-km long ceramic mosaic mu-
                                                                                to the Red River Delta, where      ral along the Red River which
                                                                                he decided to establish the        has been created by Vietnam-
                                                                                capital named Thang Long           ese and foreign artists during
                                                                                (Ascending Dragon).                recent years. It is a great art
                                                                                Vietnam has chosen the day         work which lasts several ki-
                                                  Illustrated picture
                                                                                of October 10th, which liber-      lometers and has been con-
                                                                                ates Hanoi from the yoke of        ducted by Vietnamese artists
The northern port city of Hai Phong will organise the first Culture,            French colonialism in 1954, to     and international friends over
Sports and Tourism Week from 28th September to 2nd October                      organize the 1,000th anniver-      several recent years. The work
in response to the grand ceremony of the 1,000th celebration of                 sary of Thang Long-Hanoi. In       has created new colors and a
Thang Long-Hanoi.                                                               the autumn days, Hanoi streets     beautiful area for the long sub-
                                                                                will become more radiant with      urban route.
The city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department said the week,                splendors of grass, flowers        Journalist Marta Roja, a close
which is expected to be held annually, aims to encourage service                and colors of sparkling lights     friend of the Vietnamese peo-
and tourism businesses to expand production and diversify and                   on nights.                         ple, affirmed that Hanoi, with
raise the quality of their products.                                            The author, who recently vis-      its legend of Sword Lake and
                                                                                ited Vietnam, wrote that Hanoi     resilient struggles against for-
The week will include the second lion dance contest, a gastronom-               now no longer shows shelter-       eign invaders, will be remem-
ic festival, an artefacts, drinks and tourism exhibition, water puppet          pits on pavement so people         bered forever.
shows, folk games and other traditional art performances.

Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                         www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS




Thursday 19.08.2010                  www.travelweekly.com.vn
VIETNAM NEWS




Thursday 19.08.2010                  www.travelweekly.com.vn
18                                                                 INTERNATIONAL NEWS


                                                                                  Visa offers pre-paid card
                                                                                  for Youth Olympics
                                                                                  Even before the first medal has been awarded, history was made
                                                                                  as an estimated 25,000 spectators enjoyed easy entry into the
                                                                                  inaugural Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony venue by
                                                                                  using the world’s first all-in-one Visa Prepaid card that combines
                                                                                  event ticketing, payment and transit functions.

                                                                                  Those attending the Youth Olympic Games Opening and Closing
                                                                                  Ceremonies have been issued with the all-in-one Visa Prepaid
                                                                                  card which serves as the entry ticket into Marina Bay Floating
                                                                                  Platform venue. The card also allows ticket holders to purchase
                                                                                  food, beverages and souvenirs at Youth Olympic Games venues
                                                                                  and enjoy free public transport1 to and from the venue.

                                                                                  Visa is the official payment services sponsor and the only card
                                                                                  accepted at this inaugural Youth Olympic Games. As a world-
                                                                                  wide sponsor and partner of the Olympic Games since 1986, this
                                                                                  is the 14th Olympic Games supported by Visa.

                                                                                  This is the first time spectators to any Olympic event are using
                                                                                  a Visa Prepaid card as an entry ticket. Chan said: “Visa worked
                                                                                  closely with the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Organiz-
                                                                                  ing Committee, DBS Bank, EZ-Link and Watchdata to develop
                                                                                  this truly innovative technology. It’s a landmark moment which
                                                                                  we’re proud to share with some 25,000 spectators from around
                                                                                  the world.”

                                                                                  The all-in-one Visa Prepaid cards are issued by Singapore 2010
                                                                                  Youth Olympic Games partner DBS Bank and will function as a
                                                                                  reloadable electronic payment prepaid card and transit pass
                                                                                  during and after the Youth Olympic Games. Cardholders can
                                                                                  load value on the card at all DBS ATM kiosks, through DBS’s
                                                                                  online banking website, selected SingPost branches and at AXS
                                                                                  stations across Singapore.


 JAL’s quarterly traffic
 declines
                                         Xi’an picked to host
                                         China’s next Expo
                                                                                   Japan voted world’s
 JAL Group has announced its inter-
 national passenger traffic results
                                         Xi’an has been picked to host the
                                         2011 International Horticultural
                                                                                   third safest
 for the quarter ending 30 June 2010,    Exposition. The 183-day Expo will
                                                                                   The Land of the Rising Sun has been ranked the third most
 with traffic declining 2.6%, to 2.36    be held from 11 April to 11 October
 million passengers. Demand, mea-        in Xi’an Chanba Ecological District.      peaceful country in the world, according to the recently
 sured in revenue passenger kilome-      Xi’an is the third Chinese city to        released 2010 Global Peace Index (GPI) compiled by the
 tres (RPK) fell 3.3% on the back of a   host the event, following Kunming         Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
 19.3% reduction in capacity, leading    and Shenyang. The 418-hectare
 to a much improved load factor of       Expo Park features garden designs         Japan was ranked only behind New Zealand and Iceland
 72.1%. Domestic passenger num-          by master gardeners, expected to          in the fourth annual GPI, which comprised of 23 peace
 bers dropped 0.4% year-on-year,         attract some 12 million people.           indicators including safety and security in society, and
 with load factors averaging 58.0%                                                 32 related factors including civil liberties and hostility to
 for the quarter.                        IHG profits rise in first                 foreigners/private property.
                                         half of 2010
 Sofitel launches new                                                              Renowned for its high level of safety and low levels of
                                         The InterContinental Hotels Group
 wine programme                          (IHG) has announced its results for       crime, Japan has some of the most honest people in the
 Sofitel Luxury Hotels has launched      the first half of 2010, with operat-      world, too. Figures recently released by the Metropolitan
 new series of wine tasting discov-      ing profits increasing 22% yearly to      Police Department said that 2,332,904 items were handed
 eries around Asia Pacific. ‘Voyage      US$219 million. Revenue rose 6%           in as ‘found items’ in Tokyo in 2008. Among the most com-
 du Vin’ has seen Sofitel partner        to US$772 million. The hotel group        mon items were umbrellas, clothing, wallets, ID cards
 some world-renowned wineries,           added a net total of 65 hotels in the     and mobile phones. The amount of cash among the lost
 including the Catena Zapata from        first half, taking its total inventory    property totaled 2.7 billion yen which equates to approxi-
 Argentina, Nederburg and Fleur          to 656,661 rooms (4,503 hotels),
                                                                                   mately AU$34.5 million. The 2010 GPI ranked 149 nations of
 du Cap from South Africa, Howard        up 4% from the same period last
 Park from Australia, Perrin & Fils      year. In Asia Pacific, IHG’s revPAR       the world by their peacefulness, finding that the world has
 from France, Frescobaldi from Italy,    increased 13.0%. GreaterChina was         become slightly less peaceful during the past year. The
 and Delicato Family Vineyards from      the strongest performing region           three least peaceful countries according to the Index were
 the US.                                 with RevPAR growth of 29.4%.              Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.

Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                         www.travelweekly.com.vn
INTERNATIONAL NEWS                                                                                                                  19




     Ritz-Carlton hits new heights in HK                                                                              Ritz - Carlton Dove Mountain Tucson




T
      he Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C          at 50sqm for a Deluxe Room, and reaching         ing rooms, the total of 1,300sqm of meeting
      will make a magnificent return to             an incredible 365sqm for the magnificent         space will become the new social centre for
      Hong Kong when it opens the world’s           Ritz-Carlton Suite, all rooms provide state-     Hong Kong and will set the benchmark for
highest hotel in the city in the first quarter of   of-the-art technology including WiFi, iPod       events in the region.
2011.                                               docking stations and stylish flat screen TVs.
                                                    In addition, Club room guests will enjoy the     For those wishing to relax and indulge, the
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, which will             panoramic Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge with          ESPA located on 116th floor and consisting
occupy floors 102 to 118 of the International       complimentary food and beverage presenta-        of 860sqm of treatment rooms and relaxation
Commerce Centre (ICC) in Kowloon, will              tions 24 hours a day, as well as a dedicated     area, will re-define the urban spa experi-
be a stylish and thoroughly modern hotel            Club Concierge, work stations, meeting           ence in the city and across Asia. Featuring
that truly reflects the sophistication, style       rooms and WiFi throughout.                       nine deluxe treatment rooms and three
and elegance of the Ritz-Carlton brand in a                                                          couples’ suites, every treatment room offers
contemporary way.                                   One of the unique aspects of the hotel,          floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic
                                                    which reflects a move to more casual el-         views where a world-class team of profes-
“Hong Kong is one of the world’s great cities       egance of The Ritz-Carlton brand, will be its    sional therapists ensure a spa experience
and we are delighted to be returning with           bars and restaurants, which have been styl-      like no other. The hotel also features a fully
such an iconic and dynamic hotel,” said             ishly designed by Japan’s Spin Studio and        equipped fitness centre and an indoor pool
Simon Cooper, president and COO of The              Wonderwall. With six dining venues starting      on the 118th floor with a 28m x 7m LED
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “Occupying              on the 102nd floor, including state-of-the-art   screen on the ceiling that can display im-
the top 16 floors of the ICC tower in Hong          designer Chinese and Italian restaurants,        ages. In the podium of the ICC tower, the
Kong is a truly unique location for a hotel,        and lobby lounge, the alfresco rooftop bar       1,000,000sqm Elements shopping mall offers
offering panoramic views across Victoria            will be a truly stunning venue at 490 meters     some of the finest shopping in Hong Kong
Harbour and Hong Kong Island. Modern in             above sea level with outstanding views over      with luxury brand names featured through-
design, the hotel will be the heart and soul        Hong Kong. Asian-style tapas and contem-         out this world-class location. The ICC will
of Hong Kong and will attract visitors from         porary cocktails will be served on the roof      also host an Observation Deck on the 100th
all over the world for its world-class style,       terrace, where fire pits and casual seating      floor and offer direct connections to Hong
design, service and its landmark loca-              will create an atmosphere of stylish luxury.     Kong International Airport in 20 minutes and
tion.” With interiors by Singapore’s LTW            The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong will boast           Central Hong Kong in five minutes. The Ritz-
in a building developed by Hong Kong’s              one of the largest ballrooms in the city at      Carlton, Hong Kong will be very much at the
premier developer Sun Hung Kai Properties           930sqm. Elaborately decorated with a sea         heart of the city and will become a must-see
working with New York architects KPF, the           of crystal chandeliers, the décor is suited      tourist attraction when it opens in the first
hotel will offer 312 guest rooms all providing      to weddings, meetings and gala events.           quarter of 2011.
spectacular city and harbour views. Starting        Complimented by an additional four meet-




Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                         www.travelweekly.com.vn
20                                                                   INTERNATIONAL NEWS
 Koh Rong Island - Cambodia




  Cambodia’s Royal Group
  Unveils Master Plan
The Royal Group of Cambodia has                             A working seaport will service         island’s demand for food produce
unveiled its visionary Master Plan                          ferries, equipment and supply ship-    - and provide employment for the
to transform the pristine island of                         ments, and roll-on, roll-off opera-    island’s indigenous fishing com-
Koh Rong into an environmentally                            tions.                                 munity, estimated at around 300
planned resort destination.                                                                        families.
                                                            A separate marina will accommo-
A 6-month study was conducted by                            date pleasure boats, yachts and        This includes the possibility of an
MAP Architects of Hong Kong and                             cruise ships, with a boardwalk of      international university-style educa-
                                          Focusing on
environmental consultants Scott           high quality,
                                                            boutiques, restaurants, bars and       tional project dedicated entirely to
Wilson.                                   sustainable       guesthouses.                           environmental sustainability.
                                          tourism, it
                                          details how
With a 5-year timetable for the first     the “next Asian
                                                            Three golf courses are ultimately      Koh Rong features an abundance of
phase, and ultimate completion            Riviera” – fol-   envisaged in the long-term, with       natural attractions including coral
in 25 years, the plan is one of the       lowing Phuket,    the initial phase of development       reefs, tropical palms, rainforest, wa-
                                          Koh Samui and
most far-sighted visions in global        Bali – will be
                                                            planned to include a small 9-hole      terfalls, sparkling turquoise waters
hospitality.                              created from      option.                                and 28 pure white sand beaches
                                          scratch.                                                 – including one of the most spec-
The Master Plan has identified lo-                          To meet demand for fresh water,        tacular in the region stretching 6
cations for a range of 3-star to 5-star                     environmental consultants Scott        kilometres.
properties. “Although the island is                         Wilson explored a number of op-
mostly a luxury destination, there                          tions – from small reservoirs and      The Royal Group, one of Cam-
will be something for everybody,”                           dams to tapping spring water from      bodia’s largest corporations with
said Mr Clarke.                                             a deep aquifa well beneath the         substantial interests in property and
                                                            island. “It will also be compulsory    infrastructure development, has
An international airport in the centre                      for developers to trap rainwater on    been granted a 99-year lease by the
of the island will allow international                      their roofs,” said Mr Clarke.          Cambodian government to develop
flights by aircraft such as the A320                                                               Koh Rong.
Airbus, operated by charter airlines                        The sustainability vision extends to
and carriers like Air Asia, Thai Air-                       organic farming and fish-husbandry
ways and Bangkok Airways.                                   projects to meet much of the
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                              www.travelweekly.com.vn
INTERNATIONAL NEWS                                                                                                  21




                                                                        Swiss-Garden Hotel KL
                                                                        launches taxi campaign
                                                                        Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur inaugurated a
                                                                        new brand element with the recent launch of the taxi campaign.
                                                                        The campaign was initiated to introduce the new residences,
                                                                        slated to be ready by early 2011, alongside with the Ministry of
                                                                        Tourism’s effort to enhance service standards. A collaboration
                                                                        effort with Bonus Tours & Travels and Limo Cab, the taxi cam-
                                                                        paign was successfully held on the 10th of August 2010 at the
                                                                        hotel drive way.

                                                                        More than 30 taxi drivers lined the hotel driveway while Ms Lily
                                                                        Chiok, Vice-President of Business Development of Swiss-Garden
                                                                        International and General Manager, Mr Rayan Komatt installed
                                                                        the car stickers onto the taxis. The event followed with distribu-
                                                                        tion of goodie bags to the taxi drivers as a token of appreciation
                                                                        by Operations Manager, Mr Samuel Wong.

                                                                        “We believe taxi drivers are the best brand ambassadors as they
                                                                        have daily interactions with guests and the tourists alike”, said
                                                                        Mr Rayan Komatt, General Manager of Swiss-Garden Hotel &
                                                                        Residences Kuala Lumpur. He also added that taxi drivers are
                                                                        the perfect spokesperson due to their mobility and accessibility
 Swiss - Garden hotel - Kuala lumpur                                    around Kuala Lumpur.


 New fee for visitors from US
 Visa Waiver countries




According to the Department of Homeland Security announced trav-
ellers visiting the US from visa waiver countries, such as Singapore,
Japan, South Korea and Australia, will now have to pay USD$14 from
8th September 2010. The fee will be charged when they apply for an
Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).
The new levy is to help fund the Corporation for Travel Promotion,
created when the 2009 Travel Promotion Act was signed into law by
President Barack Obama earlier this year. Commerce Secretary Gary
Locke said: “Creating a tourism promotion programme to encourage
international visitors to vacation in America will help spur economic
growth and create more jobs.”
The initiative has the potential to create 40,000 new jobs and gener-
ate US$4 billion in new visitor spending, predicts think tank Oxford
Economics. Should this happen, the Congressional Budget Office
believes the federal budget deficit will shrink by US$425 million in
the next 10 years.
Travel and tourism is the top services export for the US, totaling
US$120 billion and supporting more than one million American jobs.
Overseas visitors spend an average of US$4,000 per person per trip
in the US.
Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                www.travelweekly.com.vn
22                                                                          INTERNATIONAL NEWS




   F
         or the first time in its history, New Caledonia




                                                              New Caledonia to host Melanesian Arts Festival
         will host the Melanesian Arts Festival, cel-
         ebrating the traditional and contemporary arts
   from all the countries of the region.

   Ten years after holding the 8th Festival of the Pacific
   Arts and on the eve of the 2011 Pacific Games,
   hosting the Melanesian Arts Festival promises to be
   a cultural, technical and economical challenge for
   the entire country and its people.

   Every festival, since the very first event was held,
   has always been organized around a particular
   theme that expresses the spirit in which the host
   country wishes to greet its visitors.
   From 12-24 September 2010, a thousand festival at-
   tendees from New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands,
   Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu will come to
   share their talent and experiences with the public.

   The great innovation for the 2010 event will involve
   four ‘outrigger canoes’ that will travel from the
   village of Kone, through the entire length of New
   Caledonia, passing through the eight customary
   land tenures of the Territory to finish their trip on 24
   September 2010, in Noumea on New Caledonia’s
   citizenship celebration day.

   The Festival Opening will be held on 12 September
   2010 in Kone, on account of the economic and sym-
   bolic significance of this community. Indeed, it was
   on the beach of Lapita, near Kone, where the first
   remnants of the Lapita civilization were found: the
   original and historic connection linking the different
   populations of Melanesia.

   Following this first stage of the event, the festi-
   val attendees will be divided into four groups of
   ‘outrigger canoes’ composed of members of each
   delegation. They will travel to the four following
   destinations:

   •    One outrigger canoe to Hienghene and Canala,
   •    One outrigger canoe to Bourail and La Foa,
   •    One outrigger canoe to Lifou, Mare and Ouvea
   •    One outrigger canoe to Noumea.

   After spending about three days at each location,
   all the outrigger canoes will head back to Noumea.

   The following activities will be held in each hosting
   communities:

   • Performing Arts: concerts, dance, modern the-
   atre, traditional expressions (choir, music, dances,
   songs, instruments ...) etc.
   • Visual Arts: contemporary visual arts, cinema,
   video art etc.
   • Handicrafts and traditional knowledge: fash-
   ion, food, games, hunting and fishing techniques,
   medicinal plants, etc.
   • Workshops and forums: Music and Copyright
   (symposium with the South Pacific Commission),
   language and identity (with the Kanak language
   academy), policies and custom (with the Custom-
   ary Senate).

Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                            www.travelweekly.com.vn
INTERNATIONAL NEWS                                                                                                     23

 Willard Intercontinental Hotel - Washington DC                                                  with most markets seeing rate growth
                                                                                                 towards the end of the first half. The eco-
                                                                                                 nomic environment does remain uncertain,
                                                                                                 however, with short booking windows and
                                                                                                 limited visibility,” Mr Cosslett said.

                                                                                                 The growth was driven by strong occupancy
                                                                                                 rates, with business travellers returning in
                                                                                                 greater number. Efforts during the economic
                                                                                                 downturn to reduce costs, drive revenue
                                                                                                 and build the strength of IHG’s system and
                                                                                                 brands helped to accommodate this growth,
                                                                                                 according to Mr Cosslett.

                                                                                                 “In the first half we signed 130 hotels and
                                                                                                 opened 148, despite the tough financing
                                                                                                 environment. The quality of these new hotels
   Greater China drives                                                                          is exceptionally high, particularly in China
                                                                                                 where both our pipeline and system of open

   IHG’s half year results                                                                       hotels are skewed towards more upscale
                                                                                                 developments.”
                                                                                                 Total gross revenue from all hotels in IHG’s
                                                                                                 system was $8.9bn, up nine percent at con-
The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)           leading the recovery with Greater China re-    stant currency.
has released its financial results for the half   porting RevPAR up 29.4 percent in the half,”
year to 30 June 2010, with solid performance      Chief Executive of IHG, Andrew Cosslett        Recent additions bring IHG’s total system
due to their leadership position in Greater       said.                                          to 656,661 rooms across 4,503 hotels, an
China.                                                                                           increase of four percent. IHG also signed a
                                                  Greater China’s strong regional perfor-        further 19,126 rooms over 130 hotels, taking
“Trading strengthened as the first half pro-      mance was boosted by the Global Expo in        the pipeline to 197,431 rooms across 1,302
gressed with global Revenue per Available         Shanghai where RevPAR grew 48.4 percent.       hotels.
Room (RevPAR) up 3.9 percent overall and
7.4 percent in the second quarter. Asia is        “Rates are now stabilising across the world,




Thursday 19.08.2010                                                                                                    www.travelweekly.com.vn
24                 INTERNATIONAL NEWS




     Eight events to be held
     across Thailand
Thursday 19.08.2010                        www.travelweekly.com.vn
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine
The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine

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The 31 Digital Issue (18 Aug) of Travel Weekly Magazine

  • 1. 19 Aug, 2010 06-07 Vietnam Golf Coast sets spotlight on ‘best courses in the country’ 24-25 Eight events to be held across Thailand Africa 34 7 Taiwanese Customs to know whenever visiting Taiwan www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 2. 19 Aug, 2010 06-07 Vietnam Golf Coast sets spotlight on ‘best courses in the country’ Dear Travel Weekly readers! 24-25 Eight events to be held across Thailand Africa 34 7 Taiwanese Customs to know whenever visiting Taiwan Welcome to the 31 Issues of Travel Weekly! www.travelweekly.com.vn First of all, on behalf of all the members at Travel Weekly Magazine I would like to say thank you very much for supporting and sharing with us your ideas since the early days of our magazine. Born to bring our readers useful and up-to-date information about Travel Busi- Contact us ness in Vietnam and around the world to your desktop every Thursday, today, Editor-in-chief Travel Weekly becomes a part of your daily works for all travel executive as Anh. Nguyen Hoang well as travel lovers those who cares about the tourism industry. M: +84 904 230 230 E: editor@travelweekly.com.vn We understand that saving a tree is the responsibility for everyone who inter- News ested in the environmental disaster as what the Business Travel operators call Hang. Bui Duc “Responsible Travel”, therefore, towards the eco-friendly environment, Travel M: +84 979 051 210 Weekly call our each issue is Eco-Friendly Magazine because we design and E: news@travelweekly.com.vn “print” and/or publish our magazine in PDF format which allows us to send Advertising you immediately via e-mail as well as distribute our magazine to global read- Quyen. Nguyen Tu ers. Moreover, at our website, there is even a better way to read our magazine M: +84 987 622 113 without download which let you choose the first read and then deciding to keep E: advertising@travelweekly.com.vn it on your computer for store or further review. Sales Duong. Nguyen We do hope that everything we do is just to give you everything in travel news M: +84 904 884 099 for your works and your care. We are looking forward to receive your supports E: duong@travelweekly.com.vn and share with us in the coming time. Thank you for travelling with us! Design Kien. Nguyen Trung Minh. Truong Hoang Editor-in-Chief Phuong. Nguyen E: design@travelweekly.com.vn Anh. Nguyen Hoang Add: #130 Pho Duc Chinh Str., Ba Dinh District, Hanoi – Vietnam Tel: +84 4 3715 3558 - Fax: +84 3715 3560 Email: contact@travelweekly.com.vn Website: www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 3. Thursday 19.08.2010 VIETNAM NEWS 02 FEATURES 02. Hue plans to become a cultural, tourist 03 06 - 07 and festival city Vietnam Golf Coast 03. HCMC faces obstacles in waterway sets spotlight on ‘best tourism development 04 courses in the country’ 05. Central region to lure more Japanese Vietnam has made a bit of noise in the past with its tourists 05 golf offerings but the quality of the golf in Danang, its proximity to air hubs across SE Asia, and the proximity 09. Agreement to boost tourism ties of the golf to hotels (and the beach) makes Vietnam Golf between Vietnam and China 06 Coast, a new partnership of courses and beach resorts that launches today, something else again. Please see 10. Ministry calls for developing tourism below news about the Vietnam Golf Coast. infrastructure 07 12. Vietnam remains attractive for tourists and investors 08 13 . National Tourism Year 2011 - Paradise for Sea and Island 09 1,000 YEARS OF THANG LONG - HANOI 10 14. Thanh Hoa to hold Lam Kinh festival 11 to mark Hanoi’s birthday 15. Hai Phong’s tourism week to mark the Hanoi’s giant anniversary 13 24 - 25 Eight events to be held across Thailand INTERNATIONAL NEWS 14 The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will organise eight special events around the theme of the famous 18. Visa offers pre-paid card for Youth Thai smile in a bid to rebuild the good image of Thai Olympics 16 tourism and facilitate the return to normalcy following the recent political disturbances. Enjoy to read more 19. Ritz-Carlton hits new heights in HK detail programme. 17 20. Cambodia’s Royal Group Unveils Master Plan 21. Swiss-Garden Hotel KL launches taxi 20 campaign 22. New Caledonia to host Melanesian 21 Arts Festival 23 AVIATION NEWS 27. THAI Airways announces winter 24 schedule 29. Air Mekong gets jets for October 31. Air China Becomes Strategic Partner 25 34 7 Taiwanese Customs to know whenever visiting of CIFIT 26 Taiwan 32. Korean Air achieves strong growth in Remember that you are a visitor in this country. At all the second quarter times, respect their social customs and cultural differ- 29 ences. They may seem odd to you but they are a part DO YOU KNOW of their life and culture. Particularly, in visiting religious institutions, adhere to a semblance of protocol. Respect 30 their deities. Observe what others do and, wherever BUSINESS ADVICE possible, ask if you are not sure. Common sense rules. 35 - 37. How to Travel on a Very Limited 32 Budget MEDICAL TOURISM 34 38 - 39. Understanding Culture in Medical 35 Tourism DESTINATIONS 38 40 - 42. The simplicity of Thanh Toan tile bridge 40
  • 4. 2 VIETNAM NEWS Hue plans to become a cultural, tourist and festival city At the opening agenda of the Hue Party Congress for the 2010-2015 period, which opened in Hue on 9th August, issued the plan to turn Hue into a cultural, tourism and festival city. Nguyen Kim Dung, chairman of Hue city’s People’s Com- mittee said that in order to fulfill its targets, the city needs to build a comprehensive socio-economic infrastructure, especially its urban infrastructure and train its human re- sources to meet the demand for development during the international integration process. It also needs to improve its planning, public transport, and call for direct air route to Hue city, finalise a project to build drainage and waste treatment systems, upgrade the urban lighting system and turn Hue into a first-tier city. In addition, it is necessary to improve the banks of Huong, An Cuu, and Ngu Ha rivers to prevent floods and ensure environmental hygiene. The city should put forward detailed policies to facilitate the operations of busi- nesses, economic sectors, develop cultural and eco-tourism, organise attractive festivals to improve its competitive edge and expand its tourism activities in both domestic and for- eign markets. The city should also promote Hue’s tourism, preserve the scenery landscapes along the Huong River as well as the architecture of the old imperial city to improve the quality of cultural and festival activities and develop tourism sustainably. Hue aims to welcome 2,5 million visitors by 2015 (including 40-50 percent international arrivals) with turnover from the service sector increasing 25 percent and tax revenues reach- ing VND3,000 billion by 2015, expected to achieve an annual GDP of 14,5 -15 percent by 2015, raise average annual per capital income to US$2,800-3,000 as well as tourism revenues by 18-20 percent. Malaysian culinary Malaysia targets Center for festival culture exchange week in Hanoi Vietnamese tourists of ethnic minorities to be built A Malaysian Culinary Week will be Malaysia’s tourism authorities are held at the Melia Hotel, Hanoi, from stepping up promotions, expecting 26-31 August, showcasing typical to attract 200,000 travellers from Malaysian foods and drinks. Two Vietnam this year. Akbal Sertia of Malaysian chefs will make some of Tourism Malaysia told a Malaysia their country’s iconic dishes like Golf and Youth Seminar in HCM roti canai, satay, fried rice noodles City that his country welcomed or laksa, nasi lemak, and teh tarik. 150,000 Vietnamese visitors last Also at the event, Malaysian artists year but nearly 100,000 in the first will perform traditional dances half of this year. Meanwhile, nearly including court and folk dances 116,000 Malaysian visitors came to played to the beat of drums. Vietnam in the first seven months, a yearly increase of 19.4 percent. HCM City to establish yacht club Four-star Sai Gon - Phu The HCM City Tourism Associa- Yen hotel unveiled tion plans to set up a yacht club Saigontourist and Sai Gon-Phu Yen later this year for yacht owners Tourism Joint Stock Company have According to the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, and sailing industry executives. recently opened the VND90 billion the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee has approved Nguyen Huu Tho, director general four-star Sai Gon-Phu Yen hotel with of building a center for festival culture exchange of ethnic of Saigontourist Holding Co and 87 rooms, 14 villas. The hotel is part chairman of the association, said of the joint investment strategy to minority groups. 30 people, all yacht owners and diversify and improve the quality of The project will be carried out on an area of 30ha in Lat com- businesspeople providing yacht tourism products, setting up service mune, Lac Duong District with an initial investment of VND40 and yacht-related services on the standards for tourist lines and billion. Sai Gon River, have registered to destinations. Accordingly, the Sai The project is expected to be completed in late 2010 to help join the club. There are more than Gon-Phu Yen Hotel will offer a 50% visitors study the culture of ethnic minority groups in locali- 30 yachts in the city and another 10 discount for tourists from now until ties and cultures of regions nationwide, preserve ethnic yachts will arrive this year. 31st December. culture and promote tourism in these localities. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 5. VIETNAM NEWS 3 HCMC faces obstacles in waterway tourism development HCM City has an interconnecting system foreign tourists like travelling on river. developing tourism, the investment will of rivers and canals that go through the However, most of the firm’s waterways bring a big boost to the economy. city and connect HCM City with prov- tours have been in the Mekong Delta, not inces in the southern region. However, in HCM City. How to develop waterways tourism? water tourism in the city has not yet developed. From Cai Be, tourists go to Can Tho City The HCM City People’s Committee has to see the floating market and orchards, approved a plan by the Culture, Sports, Contemplating while traveling on the or they go farther to Chau Doc and Rach and Tourism Department to develop the river? Gia. Meanwhile, in HCM City, the agenda waterways tourism industry. The city’s for tourists is very simple: tourists have authorities have asked the department to There are about 20 tourism ships and ca- dinner on ships, travel along the Saigon develop a route connecting An Giang and noes operating in the Bach Dang port area River, and then at departure time prepare Cambodia. The department is also con- in District 1. These include restaurants’ to return to Bach Dang wharf. sidering developing short-distance tours ships that carry tourists to travel on the (Bach Dang wharf – Nha Be T-junction – Saigon River at nights. When tourists demand it, the firm will painters’ village; Bach Dang wharf – Tau charter a ship for half a day to carry tour- Hu canal). In the past, travel firms once provided ists. Meanwhile, tourists only sit on the tours so tourists could travel on the ships to enjoy the view of the banks of However, according to tourism com- Saigon River and then be dropped in Can the river, and then return to the departure panies, the biggest problem facing the Gio district. However, the firms stopped point. waterways tourism industry is the lack of providing the tours because they had so docks where ships can receive clients. few clients. Nowadays, ships only depart “Tourists nowadays do only one thing – when they can gather enough people. sit and look into the banks of the river. Binh Quoi Tourism Village once planned Honestly, there are fewer beautiful and on having more ships, but then it had to The activities designed for waterways attractive landscapes on the river banks,” cancel its plans because the Bach Dang tourists proved to be very simple. Tourists Tien said. dock was already full. can have parties on the ships while they travel along the river, or go to Binh Quoi However, Chiem Thanh Long, Director of Long stressed that the first thing that village to watch traditional weddings. Binh Quoi Tourism Village believes that needs to be done is to build docks where HCM City has great potential to develop ships can receive clients. After that, travel According to Bui Viet Thuy Tien, Manag- its waterways tourism industry, and that firms will think of developing their fleets ing Director of Asian Trails Company, if the city’s authorities pay attention to and cooperating with service providers. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 6. 4 VIETNAM NEWS Hanoi develops tourism in craft villages according to Mrs Trinh Thi Hong Loan, Cooperation among the 244 craft villages Head of the Management Office of Craft in Hanoi is not strong enough, said Nguy- Industry under the Hanoi Trade and Indus- en Hoang Luu, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi try Department said four pilot tours have Handicraft and Trade Village Association. been launched in the craft villages of Van In addition, they still lack good tourism ser- Ha Wood, Ha Thai Lacquer, Chuon Ngo vices and guides, while the cultural identi- Painting, Bat Trang Pottery, Phu Vinh Bam- ties in these villages are fading away. boo and Rattan Weaving and Quat Dong embroidery. Officials of the city department also wor- ried about the pollution in these villages Earlier, the Hanoi Trade and Industry due to urbanization. Department invited lecturers of the Ha- noi Open University’s Tourism Faculty to Developing tourism in craft villages will provide training for tourism services and not only help preserve their cultural identi- culture preservation to 210 people in these ties but will also improve the living stan- craft villages. dards of local residents in these villages. China aims to boost tourism in HCMC A seminar themed “China – Vietnam In the past few years, a large number of exchange and set up business links. Friendship Year, joining hands for tourism Chinese visitors have visited to Vietnam, development” was held on 11st August vice versa, more and more Vietnamese La Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the with the aim of boosting China’s tourism in people have a chance to travel to China HCM City Culture, Sports and Tourism De- Ho Chi Minh City. The two sides signed a due to increasingly living conditions. partment, China now ranks sixth out of ten memorandum of understanding (MoU) on leading market of Vietnam’s tourism sector. tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Nguyen Manh Cuong, the Deputy Head In the previous year, the city welcomed China in the 2010-2013 period. of the Vietnam National Administration of 140,000 Chinese visitors and is expected tourism (VNAT) stressed the importance to receive nearly 200,000 tourists from the The event, attended by tourism agents of the Vietnam-China friendship year 2010, neighbouring country in 2010. from China’s Guangdong, Guangxi and which helps boost bilateral relationship Yunnan provinces, Chinese Consul Gen- to a new height, including cooperation China is also one of the three favourite eral in HCMC Xu Ming Liang affirmed in tourism. The year of 2010 is expected destinations of the city’s dwellers. It is that it is a significant milestone to enhance to increase understanding between the expected that 60,000 of the city’s residents tourism co-operation between Vietnam two tourism sectors and offer chances for will visit China this year. and China. tourism agents of both countries to meet, Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 7. VIETNAM NEWS 5 Central region to lure more Japanese tourists H oi An ancient city will hold Vietnam - Japan Cultural Exchange Days on 21 August and be expected to lure more prompting the Japanese to visit the land where their ancestors used to travel to, Toshikazu Suzuki, Director of the Ja- international arrivals, particularly those pan human resource training and con- from Japan. sultancy institute in Vietnam, said at a workshop themed “Central Vietnam - A During the event, the eighth of its kind in destination for Japanese tourists, poten- Hoi An, a series of programmes imbued tial and solution” held in Quang Nam with the Vietnamese and Japanese cul- province last May. tures will be presented such as perfor- mances of folk dancing, traditional mu- However, poor services, which fail to sic, dragon dance, traditional costumes, meet Japanese visitors’ demands, are tea drinking ceremony and calligraphy blamed for the low number of Japanese as well as a festival with flower garlands tourists, who account for about only four and coloured lanterns on river. percent of the total one million foreign arrivals to the central region. Moreover, it’s also the first time the Iwamikagura royal singing and danc- Also at the workshop, the three central ing troupe and the Daisuwataiko drum localities of Quang Nam, Thua Thien- group from Japan will join the event. Hue and Da Nang mapped out a plan, aiming at attracting 1 million Japanese Starting from 2003, the annual event is tourists to the region each year. The to tighten friendship between Vietnam localities will accelerate tourism pro- and Japan and offers an opportunity to motion in Japan, open their tourism of- promote Hoi An, a world heritage site, fices in Japan and organise Japanese to international friends, said Vo Phung, language courses for their small traders Director of the Hoi An Culture and Sport and tourist guides. Centre. Japan and central Vietnam in general and Hoi An in particular treasured a time-honoured traditional relationship, Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 8. Vietnam Golf Coast VIETNAM NEWS sets spotlight on ‘best courses in the country’ Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 9. VIETNAM NEWS 7 T he maturation of golf in Vietnam takes another step forward today with formation of the Vietnam Golf Coast, a new partnership of golf and beach resorts in the Central Coast city of Danang. The consortium’s web hub, www.vietnamgolfcoast.com, also goes live today. Vietnam’s standing as an up-an-coming golf destination is no secret, but establishment of the Vietnam Golf Coast coordinates for tourists the country’s top new courses with its fin- est hotels and beaches, all in one place. That place is a comely stretch of sand in Danang, 20 minutes from an international airport that sits within 2-hour flights of both Singapore and Hong Kong. Indeed, the first of 30 regularly scheduled charter flights to Danang out of Hong Kong on Vietnam Airlines will commence Sept. 17, and will fly every Tuesday and Friday thereafter. The founding members of The Vietnam Golf Coast are: • Montgomerie Links Vietnam: Designed by sitting European Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie and opened in August 2009, Monty Links was recently ranked 7th on the list of top courses in all of Southeast Asia. • Danang Golf Club: Crafted by legend Greg Norman and opened to wide acclaim in May 2010, the Dunes Course at Danang GC is “as close as you’ll come (in Asia) to the UK’s great links courses,” according to Golf Digest Singapore. • The Nam Hai: An ultra-luxurious, all-villa property, The Nam Hai is the most highly ac- claimed resort in the country. It was named to Travel+Leisure magazine’s “It List” when it opened in 2007, and won Best Resort in T+L’s design competition the following year. • Life Resort Danang: The region’s newest 5-star hotel (it opened in March 2010), Life Resort Danang is set on five hectares fronting beautiful Bac My An beach. Its nearby sister property in Hoi An is on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and won a Reader’s Choice Award. • Golfasian Vietnam: The leading golf tour operator in Southeast Asia, Golfasian Vietnam has been named Official Tour Operator of the Vietnam Golf Coast. Golfasian has arranged more than 17,000 golf trips to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam since 2001, yet CEO Mark Siegel sees the emergence of Danang as something of a break- through. “The golf offerings in Danang are new, but a variety of factors have conspired to peg Dan- ang as the top golf destination in the country, and one of the best in all of Southeast Asia,” Siegel said. “For starters, I think Danang Golf Club and Montgomerie Links are the best two courses in the country. There are several excellent courses in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but they’re all at least an hour from downtown hotels or the airports. Just south of Danang, 20 minutes from The Nam Hai and Life Resort Danang, sits the UNESCO World Heritage city of Hoi An - with its extraordinary history, dining and shop- ping. To the north lies Hue, the last imperial capital of Vietnam. Bathing the entire region with its warm tropical waters is the East Sea, home to some of the country’s freshest sea- food and top SCUBA locales in Southeast Asia. It’s no accident that American armed forces chose Danang as the center of its R&R culture during the Vietnam War. “What you have here is a year-round beach culture that has, in the last five years, added the sort of sophistication and amenities that have made the world take notice: 5-star hotels, casinos, golf, and transportation infrastructure,” said Howie Roberts, general manager of Danang Golf Club, which will add a second 18 in 2012. In Danang, the golf and airline offerings appear to have come of age simultaneously. While a new international airport will open in 2011, Danang already accommodates international flights from Singapore and Guangzhou, in addition to regular connecting service from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Shanghai Airlines will soon commence a twice-a-week charter service from its hub, Shanghai, to complement those Vietnam Airlines has sched- uled from Hong Kong, starting in September. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 10. 8 VIETNAM NEWS Quang Binh aims to develop tourism T ourism sector pays an important role in improv- ing the social-economic development in the central province of Quang Binh. Also, the prov- ince plans to develop tourism as a key industry with huge investment in upgrading the infrastructure and changing operational methods in the near future. Over the last few years, Quang Binh has concentrated on developing their transportation system. The prov- ince has built a road along the coast linking famous tourist sites, such as Nhat Le, Quang Phu and Da Nhay beaches, to the Dong Hoi airport. In May, the province started the construction of a new road, at a cost of VND 180 billion. Otherwise, the Dong Hoi airport is being upgraded at the cost of more than VND 212 billion with the aim at attracting more domestic and foreign tour- ists. Furthermore, with support from the Ministry of Transportation, the Quang Binh province spent more than VND 1 trillion to upgrade a 300 km road from the Cha Lo International Border Gate to the Hon La sea port, and foreign tourists from Laos and Thailand can now visit tourist sites in the province, along with cara- van tours between Vietnam – Laos and Thailand. Ad- ditionally, the Dong Duong Company is constructing an 820 ha tourist area with VND 253 billion, near the Bang Geyser. This is a high-grade tourist site connect- ing other sites in the province. Arriving in Dong Hoi city, tourists will have a chance to visit the Nhat Le Bridge, and to stay at high-end tourist areas, such as the My Canh – Bao Ninh eco-tourism resorts and the VND 500 billion Sun Spa resort with high-standard facilities, such as 4 star hotels, asports complex and entertainment spots. Dong Hoi also has a chain of hotels with more than 2,000 luxury rooms. As the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park became recognized as a World Heritage site, more domestic and foreign tourists have visited Quang Binh. In the first seven months of this year, the province wel- comed nearly half a million tourists. This is a 20% in- crease when compared to the same period last year. In particular, the number of international tourists has increased by 63.58%. The Phong Nha – Ke Bang Na- tional Park received 7,000 visits a day on the occasion of April 30th and May 1st alone. The province targets to welcome 1 million visitors this year. The tour enti- tled “Central Region’s Heritage Road” is expected to attract a lot of tourist to Quang Binh. To reach this target, the province needs to improve promotional programs and quality of its tourism staff. In addition, the province should work together with travel agencies in other provinces to develop tourism. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 11. VIETNAM NEWS 9 Saigontourist to build new marinas The Saigontourist Holding Company (Saigontourist) has planned to build marinas at several localities nationwide with the aim at offering a new model of tourism and diversifying its tourism products. Nguyen Huu Tho, General Director of Saigontourist said “Marinas is expected to build in Ninh Chu, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Nha Trang and Da Nang in the near future.” “A marina is currently under construction in Ho Coc in the southern coastal Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Some of our partners said that they are willing to collaborate with us if we have new marinas”, Tho added. According to Tho, in addition to the plan to build marinas at the localities, Saigontourist has been carrying out its project to build a wharf in Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh city, as well as launching vari- ous activities to promote this kind of tourism in Vietnam. Agreement to boost tourism ties between Vietnam and China Tourism leaders of Vietnam and China to show the needs of Chinese travelers to Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and signed an agreement in Hanoi on August 9 Vietnamese travel firms. Tourism and China National Tourism Admin- to tighten cooperation in a large swath of istration have also agreed to join hands in areas from training and joint marketing to For marketing activities, the two sides will tapping the tourism potential of the Ban Gioc development of new tourism products. join hands to promote tourism images on na- – De Tian fall in the borderline between the tional televisions, and invite media to come two countries as soon as possible. The agreement, signed between Vietnam’s and organize food festivals. CNTA will help Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Vietnam’s tourism to organize road shows in Hung said that the agreement was inked on head of China National Tourism Administra- Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fuchien of China in next the working and promotion trip conducted tion (CNTA), is aimed at increasing the num- month. by China’s tourism in the country. ber of tourists visiting each other’s country to three million a year, the source said. For the development of tourism products, the China National Tourism Administration two administrations will cooperate to build on Monday organized a road show in the Pham Quang Hung, head of the International tourist routes through the two countries to capital city of Hanoi to promote its tourism Cooperation Division under the Vietnam woo both Chinese, Vietnamese travelers and image to Vietnamese guests. The event will National Administration of Tourism, told that visitors from third countries. be repeated in HCMC on August 11. tourism entrepreneurs of the two sides will increase meetings to exchange information Hung said that the two sides shared the view China is the biggest market of Vietnam’s and policies relating to their business. in developing sea tourism, and agreed to inbound tourism with nearly 512,000 arrivals make survey trips for developing products reported in the seven months of this year, up CNTA will teach the Chinese language for and the infrastructure system for this kind of 95.4% year-on-year. The figure is expected employees of Vietnam’s hotels and res- tourism. to rise to one million this year. taurants along with organizing seminars Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 12. 10 VIETNAM NEWS Ministry calls for developing tourism infrastructure The development of tourism in each country relies on the development of appropriate infrastruc- ture, which services a tourist’s needs and encourages investment by the private sector in competi- tive tourism product. Realizing the urgent infrastructure effects, The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has submitted a plan to develop tourism infrastructure for the 2010-2015 period focus- ing on localities that put on priority in the years to come. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 13. VIETNAM NEWS 11 T he Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has submitted to the central Government a plan to develop tourism infrastructure for the 2010-2015 period focusing on localities that put on priority in the years to come. On the ministry’s website also calls for investment from both the State budget and private sources in order to enhance infrastructure in key localities, Central Highlands provinces as well as 21 national tourism parks. Beside key localities, neighboring provinces like HCMC, Hanoi, Hue and Danang are also in key tourism centers. The ministry has pointed out that big investments are needed to develop the coun- try’s important tourist routes. The projects should include a section linking the North- South railway with the trans-Asia railway, the international sea route through Quang Ninh, Danang, Khanh Hoa and HCMC, the East-West tourism route via Lao Bao border gate, the international route from China’s Yunnan to Lao Cai, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh. In the list are also the waterway in the Greater Mekong Sub region that passes along the Mekong River to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and China, Ho Chi Minh trail, and the route of world heritage sites in the country. According to the plan, the State Budget should cover around 80% to 100% of total investment for infrastructure project in remote areas, and around 15% to 20% for proj- ects in other tourism centers, therefore, the tourism industry needs to map out priority projects in each year to call for investors, with the State Budget targeted as the major source of investment. The ministry mentioned some other investment forms like Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), and “land in exchange for infrastructure” among others. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said Vietnam has attracted 2,91 million international tourists from January-July. The country is expected to welcome seven to eight million visitors by 2015 and 11-12 million by 2020 as envisaged in the tourism development strategy for this decade. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 14. 12 VIETNAM NEWS Vietnam remains attractive for tourists and investors According to a report of Research and Market Company said trends of foreign investment in Vietnam, taxation issues, and bank- major changes over the past three decades have made Vietnam ing system. It also provides details on legal basis, forms of foreign become an attractive destination for tourists, investors, and busi- investment, merger and acquisition, regulation and licensing in nesses worldwide. telecommunications, privatisation and liberalisation of the telecom market, and the new telecommunications law. In July 2010 report on Vietnam Investment Environment, the lead- ing supplier of international market research and market data, Recently, U.K. newspaper, the Financial Times ranked the South- added that Vietnam is a developing and an ambitious country. In east Asian country as a promising market for foreign investors the summary report posted on “http://www.researchandmarkets. thanks to its cheap and abundant labor costs and political stability. com”, the company is in the opinion that it is worth risk taking for making investment or doing business in Vietnam. Vietnam licensed 533 foreign-invested projects totaling $8.4 billion and allowed 137 existing projects to add their capital by $715 mil- Vietnam’s renewal process since 1986, which is considered as the lion between January and July. Foreign investors disbursed a total greatest transformation of the country from its reunification, makes of $6.4 billion in the country during the period. foreign investors understand about Vietnam. In 2007, Vietnam’s This year, the Southeast Asian country expects to attract $25 billion entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2007 has helped and disburse $11 billion in FDI this year, up 16.38% and 10% on- facilitate the Southeast Asian country’s global integration. year, respectively. The company provides details on key macroeconomic indicators, Fifteen tour guides battle it out for top award Fifteen tour guides have gathered to won the best dubbing award thanks to his compete in the final round of the second presentation on Hoi An Town. National Tour Guide Competition held in Hanoi on August 15. Runners-up Nguyen Hong Nguyen from Hanoitourist and Nguyen Quynh from the The 15 shortlist contestants were selected Saigontourist won 4 million VND cash from 50 candidates from 14 cities and prizes and a trip for two people to Malay- provinces nationwide. They have per- sia and Singapore. formed in a range of categories, includ- ing video tape dubbing, questions and Vice general director of the Vietnam Na- answer session, and foreign-language tional Administration of Tourism Nguyen speaking contest. Manh Cuong said the competition aimed to honour tour guides and reward those Tour guide Huynh Cong Hieu from the who excelled at their job, helping contrib- Saigontourist won first prize, worth 5 ute towards improving the Vietnamese million VND and a tour package for two tourism industry. people to the Republic of Korea. He also Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 15. VIETNAM NEWS 13 Asian music, and the 17th Viet Nam Film National Tourism Year 2011 - Festival. The provinces will also launch 12 other events as part of the National Tour- Paradise for Sea and Island ism Year. Phu Yen province has 77 accommodation sites with 1700 chamber, of these, 800 chambers offer the same service level as three-star hotels and daily flights from Hanoi – Tuy Hoa and Tuy Hoa – HCMC in five flights per week. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tour- from March to November next year and ism in co-ordination with the Phu Yen be co-organised with several neighbour- People’s Committee held a meeting to ing provinces (i.e. Quang Nam, Quang discuss activities for National Tourism Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Year 2011 in the central coastal province. Binh Thuan, Da Nang and Central High- land provinces), featuring events such as The National Tourism year themed Para- climb Da Bia Mountain, Viet Nam-Korea dise for Sea and Island Tourism will last cultural exchanges, traditional Southeast Ha Long Bay ranks 2nd in world wonders voting Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay won second larg- and Tourism has worked with the Ha Long est number of international votes over the Bay Management Board to open a photo past four weeks in the campaign voting for exhibition in New York City of the US from the world’s seven new natural wonders. 11-18 August. The information was released by the In the coming time, a wide range of activi- NewOpenWorld on its website www.new7- ties to vote for Ha Long Bay will continue wonders.com on August 16. to take place in many countries across the world. The voting for Ha Long Bay has achieved satisfactory results in several countries To vote for Ha Long bay, twice recognised like Japan, the Republic of Korea, France by the UNESCO for its landscapes and and Mexico. geological values, please visit the web- site www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/ Recently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports vote_on_nominees Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 16. days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi Thanh Hoa to hold Lam Kinh festival to mark Hanoi’s birthday According to the Thanh Hoa Provincial People’s Commit- tee, Lam Kinh festival – the biggest festival of the province will be held in the framework of a programme to mark the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi. The festival, currently, has not been officially announced but is expected to take place in late September or early October. The festival commemorates the national hero Le Loi, who defeated Chinese Ming invaders and brought indepen- dence to his people, becoming the first king of the Le dy- nasty with the title Le Thai To 580 years ago. Construction of the Lam Kinh citadel, also known as Tay Kinh (West citadel) began in 1433. The citadel is located in Xuan Lam Commune, approximately 50 kilometers from Thanh Hoa City, in north-west Vietnam. The citadel is both an original imperial temple of the latter Le dynasty and the historic location of the Tay Son upris- ing. Lam Kinh sits in a stately manner on the Chu River, with Chu Son mountain in the distance and with its back to Dau mountain. It lays a leisurely arm on Phu Lam forest and Ngoc mountain on the eastern side, and another on the Huong and Ham Rong range of mountains on the western side. While the citadel still enjoys the natural scenery of hills and rivers around it, many architectural works inside have been destroyed. However recent preservation projects have restored some of the more significant artifacts, such as the main palace, tombstone houses, King Le’s temple, the temple of national hero Le Lai and King Le Hien Tong’s tomb and stele, to name a few. Lam Kinh citadel covers an area of more than 86,000 square meters. According to Ho Quang Son, cities and 37 outstanding cor- Chairman of the Inter-Asso- porations, enterprises and in- ciation of Lam Kinh Culture dividuals nationwide. Heritage, said 100 bronze The drums are reproduc- drums has been casted to tions of Quang Xuong, Hoang mark the anniversary of 1,000 Ha, Ngoc Lu and Dong Son years of Thang Long – Hanoi bronze drums, after its com- and will be showcased at the pletion, each drum weighs Temple of Literature on the 60kg with a diameter of 60cm occasion of Vietnam’s Nation- and height of 48cm. The big- al Day (2nd September). And gest drum has diameter of 1 then, these bronze drums will meter and a height of 79cm be performed during the cel- and it is carved 1,000 drag- ebration of the 1,000 years of ons. Thang Long – Hanoi. Casting the 100 bronze drums The handout ceremony of 100 for the occasion of the 1,000th kettledrums to the National anniversary of Thang Long- Steerage Board of the 1,000th Hanoi is a social project, anniversary of Thang Long- which is co-organised by the Hanoi and the biggest drum National Steerage Board of carved 1,000 dragons to the the 1,000 years of Thang Long- Hanoi People’s Committee Hanoi, the Vietnam Associa- will take place on August 29th tion of Historical Science, the at the Temple of Literature. Vietnam Association of Heri- According to the plan of the tage, the Inter-Association of Organizing Board, when the Lam Kinh Cultural Heritage great festival ends, the 100 and the Thanh Hoa Associa- bronze drums will be pre- tion of Antiques. sented to 63 provinces and Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 17. days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi 1,000 metre long kite to welcome the 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi The 1,000 metre long kite made by craftsman gained the first prize at the kite competition Nguyen Thanh Van will fly at the great cel- in India. ebration of Thang Long – Hanoi. “I spent all my life playing kites, not because Nguyen Thanh Van has had over more than of fame and fortune but because it is passion, half a century of strong attachment to kites it’s like a second “partner”. I didn’t think this and many times he obtained the glory at do- game of little children has followed me for mestic as well as international competitions. the years. And now, it is sudden that my kite He attended six kite competitions in Hue. In flies so far,” he said. 2006, his dragon kite, which was 100 metres “I thought of making a special kite to mark in length and 1,7 metres in width, became the the nation’s giant celebration for three year first recorded kite in the Vietnam Guinness ago,” he added. Book of World Records. During the past three years, he designed a At the kite competitions in China in Septem- reasonable for this kite, and the idea of mak- ber 2009, his traditional flute kite gained the ing 1,000 meters kite has been formed. The second prize. special kite will fly in the Hanoi sky in the up- In February 2010, the Phuong Hoang kite coming great anniversary. Hai Phong’s tourism week Cuban Granma newspaper highlight- ed Hanoi’s celebration to mark the Hanoi’s giant anniversary The Cuban Granma newspa- can avoid bombs of the US im- per on 9th August published perialism. an article entitled “Hanoi – the Instead there are images of city of the Past and Future” spacious and large bridges written by famous female re- and new urban areas. Tens porter Marta Roja on the occa- of projects, important in both sion of the 1,000 th anniversary economic as well as social of Thang Long-Hanoi. fields, will be inaugurated to The article opened with Ha- celebrate the great festival. noi’s history 1,000 years ago Specifically, Visitors to mod- when King Ly Thai To moved ern Hanoi will be pleasantly the capital from a mountainous surprised to see a colourful, region in Ninh Binh province 6-km long ceramic mosaic mu- to the Red River Delta, where ral along the Red River which he decided to establish the has been created by Vietnam- capital named Thang Long ese and foreign artists during (Ascending Dragon). recent years. It is a great art Vietnam has chosen the day work which lasts several ki- Illustrated picture of October 10th, which liber- lometers and has been con- ates Hanoi from the yoke of ducted by Vietnamese artists The northern port city of Hai Phong will organise the first Culture, French colonialism in 1954, to and international friends over Sports and Tourism Week from 28th September to 2nd October organize the 1,000th anniver- several recent years. The work in response to the grand ceremony of the 1,000th celebration of sary of Thang Long-Hanoi. In has created new colors and a Thang Long-Hanoi. the autumn days, Hanoi streets beautiful area for the long sub- will become more radiant with urban route. The city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department said the week, splendors of grass, flowers Journalist Marta Roja, a close which is expected to be held annually, aims to encourage service and colors of sparkling lights friend of the Vietnamese peo- and tourism businesses to expand production and diversify and on nights. ple, affirmed that Hanoi, with raise the quality of their products. The author, who recently vis- its legend of Sword Lake and ited Vietnam, wrote that Hanoi resilient struggles against for- The week will include the second lion dance contest, a gastronom- now no longer shows shelter- eign invaders, will be remem- ic festival, an artefacts, drinks and tourism exhibition, water puppet pits on pavement so people bered forever. shows, folk games and other traditional art performances. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 18. VIETNAM NEWS Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 19. VIETNAM NEWS Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 20. 18 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Visa offers pre-paid card for Youth Olympics Even before the first medal has been awarded, history was made as an estimated 25,000 spectators enjoyed easy entry into the inaugural Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony venue by using the world’s first all-in-one Visa Prepaid card that combines event ticketing, payment and transit functions. Those attending the Youth Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies have been issued with the all-in-one Visa Prepaid card which serves as the entry ticket into Marina Bay Floating Platform venue. The card also allows ticket holders to purchase food, beverages and souvenirs at Youth Olympic Games venues and enjoy free public transport1 to and from the venue. Visa is the official payment services sponsor and the only card accepted at this inaugural Youth Olympic Games. As a world- wide sponsor and partner of the Olympic Games since 1986, this is the 14th Olympic Games supported by Visa. This is the first time spectators to any Olympic event are using a Visa Prepaid card as an entry ticket. Chan said: “Visa worked closely with the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Organiz- ing Committee, DBS Bank, EZ-Link and Watchdata to develop this truly innovative technology. It’s a landmark moment which we’re proud to share with some 25,000 spectators from around the world.” The all-in-one Visa Prepaid cards are issued by Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games partner DBS Bank and will function as a reloadable electronic payment prepaid card and transit pass during and after the Youth Olympic Games. Cardholders can load value on the card at all DBS ATM kiosks, through DBS’s online banking website, selected SingPost branches and at AXS stations across Singapore. JAL’s quarterly traffic declines Xi’an picked to host China’s next Expo Japan voted world’s JAL Group has announced its inter- national passenger traffic results Xi’an has been picked to host the 2011 International Horticultural third safest for the quarter ending 30 June 2010, Exposition. The 183-day Expo will The Land of the Rising Sun has been ranked the third most with traffic declining 2.6%, to 2.36 be held from 11 April to 11 October million passengers. Demand, mea- in Xi’an Chanba Ecological District. peaceful country in the world, according to the recently sured in revenue passenger kilome- Xi’an is the third Chinese city to released 2010 Global Peace Index (GPI) compiled by the tres (RPK) fell 3.3% on the back of a host the event, following Kunming Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). 19.3% reduction in capacity, leading and Shenyang. The 418-hectare to a much improved load factor of Expo Park features garden designs Japan was ranked only behind New Zealand and Iceland 72.1%. Domestic passenger num- by master gardeners, expected to in the fourth annual GPI, which comprised of 23 peace bers dropped 0.4% year-on-year, attract some 12 million people. indicators including safety and security in society, and with load factors averaging 58.0% 32 related factors including civil liberties and hostility to for the quarter. IHG profits rise in first foreigners/private property. half of 2010 Sofitel launches new Renowned for its high level of safety and low levels of The InterContinental Hotels Group wine programme (IHG) has announced its results for crime, Japan has some of the most honest people in the Sofitel Luxury Hotels has launched the first half of 2010, with operat- world, too. Figures recently released by the Metropolitan new series of wine tasting discov- ing profits increasing 22% yearly to Police Department said that 2,332,904 items were handed eries around Asia Pacific. ‘Voyage US$219 million. Revenue rose 6% in as ‘found items’ in Tokyo in 2008. Among the most com- du Vin’ has seen Sofitel partner to US$772 million. The hotel group mon items were umbrellas, clothing, wallets, ID cards some world-renowned wineries, added a net total of 65 hotels in the and mobile phones. The amount of cash among the lost including the Catena Zapata from first half, taking its total inventory property totaled 2.7 billion yen which equates to approxi- Argentina, Nederburg and Fleur to 656,661 rooms (4,503 hotels), mately AU$34.5 million. The 2010 GPI ranked 149 nations of du Cap from South Africa, Howard up 4% from the same period last Park from Australia, Perrin & Fils year. In Asia Pacific, IHG’s revPAR the world by their peacefulness, finding that the world has from France, Frescobaldi from Italy, increased 13.0%. GreaterChina was become slightly less peaceful during the past year. The and Delicato Family Vineyards from the strongest performing region three least peaceful countries according to the Index were the US. with RevPAR growth of 29.4%. Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 21. INTERNATIONAL NEWS 19 Ritz-Carlton hits new heights in HK Ritz - Carlton Dove Mountain Tucson T he Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C at 50sqm for a Deluxe Room, and reaching ing rooms, the total of 1,300sqm of meeting will make a magnificent return to an incredible 365sqm for the magnificent space will become the new social centre for Hong Kong when it opens the world’s Ritz-Carlton Suite, all rooms provide state- Hong Kong and will set the benchmark for highest hotel in the city in the first quarter of of-the-art technology including WiFi, iPod events in the region. 2011. docking stations and stylish flat screen TVs. In addition, Club room guests will enjoy the For those wishing to relax and indulge, the The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, which will panoramic Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge with ESPA located on 116th floor and consisting occupy floors 102 to 118 of the International complimentary food and beverage presenta- of 860sqm of treatment rooms and relaxation Commerce Centre (ICC) in Kowloon, will tions 24 hours a day, as well as a dedicated area, will re-define the urban spa experi- be a stylish and thoroughly modern hotel Club Concierge, work stations, meeting ence in the city and across Asia. Featuring that truly reflects the sophistication, style rooms and WiFi throughout. nine deluxe treatment rooms and three and elegance of the Ritz-Carlton brand in a couples’ suites, every treatment room offers contemporary way. One of the unique aspects of the hotel, floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic which reflects a move to more casual el- views where a world-class team of profes- “Hong Kong is one of the world’s great cities egance of The Ritz-Carlton brand, will be its sional therapists ensure a spa experience and we are delighted to be returning with bars and restaurants, which have been styl- like no other. The hotel also features a fully such an iconic and dynamic hotel,” said ishly designed by Japan’s Spin Studio and equipped fitness centre and an indoor pool Simon Cooper, president and COO of The Wonderwall. With six dining venues starting on the 118th floor with a 28m x 7m LED Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “Occupying on the 102nd floor, including state-of-the-art screen on the ceiling that can display im- the top 16 floors of the ICC tower in Hong designer Chinese and Italian restaurants, ages. In the podium of the ICC tower, the Kong is a truly unique location for a hotel, and lobby lounge, the alfresco rooftop bar 1,000,000sqm Elements shopping mall offers offering panoramic views across Victoria will be a truly stunning venue at 490 meters some of the finest shopping in Hong Kong Harbour and Hong Kong Island. Modern in above sea level with outstanding views over with luxury brand names featured through- design, the hotel will be the heart and soul Hong Kong. Asian-style tapas and contem- out this world-class location. The ICC will of Hong Kong and will attract visitors from porary cocktails will be served on the roof also host an Observation Deck on the 100th all over the world for its world-class style, terrace, where fire pits and casual seating floor and offer direct connections to Hong design, service and its landmark loca- will create an atmosphere of stylish luxury. Kong International Airport in 20 minutes and tion.” With interiors by Singapore’s LTW The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong will boast Central Hong Kong in five minutes. The Ritz- in a building developed by Hong Kong’s one of the largest ballrooms in the city at Carlton, Hong Kong will be very much at the premier developer Sun Hung Kai Properties 930sqm. Elaborately decorated with a sea heart of the city and will become a must-see working with New York architects KPF, the of crystal chandeliers, the décor is suited tourist attraction when it opens in the first hotel will offer 312 guest rooms all providing to weddings, meetings and gala events. quarter of 2011. spectacular city and harbour views. Starting Complimented by an additional four meet- Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 22. 20 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Koh Rong Island - Cambodia Cambodia’s Royal Group Unveils Master Plan The Royal Group of Cambodia has A working seaport will service island’s demand for food produce unveiled its visionary Master Plan ferries, equipment and supply ship- - and provide employment for the to transform the pristine island of ments, and roll-on, roll-off opera- island’s indigenous fishing com- Koh Rong into an environmentally tions. munity, estimated at around 300 planned resort destination. families. A separate marina will accommo- A 6-month study was conducted by date pleasure boats, yachts and This includes the possibility of an MAP Architects of Hong Kong and cruise ships, with a boardwalk of international university-style educa- Focusing on environmental consultants Scott high quality, boutiques, restaurants, bars and tional project dedicated entirely to Wilson. sustainable guesthouses. environmental sustainability. tourism, it details how With a 5-year timetable for the first the “next Asian Three golf courses are ultimately Koh Rong features an abundance of phase, and ultimate completion Riviera” – fol- envisaged in the long-term, with natural attractions including coral in 25 years, the plan is one of the lowing Phuket, the initial phase of development reefs, tropical palms, rainforest, wa- Koh Samui and most far-sighted visions in global Bali – will be planned to include a small 9-hole terfalls, sparkling turquoise waters hospitality. created from option. and 28 pure white sand beaches scratch. – including one of the most spec- The Master Plan has identified lo- To meet demand for fresh water, tacular in the region stretching 6 cations for a range of 3-star to 5-star environmental consultants Scott kilometres. properties. “Although the island is Wilson explored a number of op- mostly a luxury destination, there tions – from small reservoirs and The Royal Group, one of Cam- will be something for everybody,” dams to tapping spring water from bodia’s largest corporations with said Mr Clarke. a deep aquifa well beneath the substantial interests in property and island. “It will also be compulsory infrastructure development, has An international airport in the centre for developers to trap rainwater on been granted a 99-year lease by the of the island will allow international their roofs,” said Mr Clarke. Cambodian government to develop flights by aircraft such as the A320 Koh Rong. Airbus, operated by charter airlines The sustainability vision extends to and carriers like Air Asia, Thai Air- organic farming and fish-husbandry ways and Bangkok Airways. projects to meet much of the Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 23. INTERNATIONAL NEWS 21 Swiss-Garden Hotel KL launches taxi campaign Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur inaugurated a new brand element with the recent launch of the taxi campaign. The campaign was initiated to introduce the new residences, slated to be ready by early 2011, alongside with the Ministry of Tourism’s effort to enhance service standards. A collaboration effort with Bonus Tours & Travels and Limo Cab, the taxi cam- paign was successfully held on the 10th of August 2010 at the hotel drive way. More than 30 taxi drivers lined the hotel driveway while Ms Lily Chiok, Vice-President of Business Development of Swiss-Garden International and General Manager, Mr Rayan Komatt installed the car stickers onto the taxis. The event followed with distribu- tion of goodie bags to the taxi drivers as a token of appreciation by Operations Manager, Mr Samuel Wong. “We believe taxi drivers are the best brand ambassadors as they have daily interactions with guests and the tourists alike”, said Mr Rayan Komatt, General Manager of Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur. He also added that taxi drivers are the perfect spokesperson due to their mobility and accessibility Swiss - Garden hotel - Kuala lumpur around Kuala Lumpur. New fee for visitors from US Visa Waiver countries According to the Department of Homeland Security announced trav- ellers visiting the US from visa waiver countries, such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Australia, will now have to pay USD$14 from 8th September 2010. The fee will be charged when they apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). The new levy is to help fund the Corporation for Travel Promotion, created when the 2009 Travel Promotion Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama earlier this year. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said: “Creating a tourism promotion programme to encourage international visitors to vacation in America will help spur economic growth and create more jobs.” The initiative has the potential to create 40,000 new jobs and gener- ate US$4 billion in new visitor spending, predicts think tank Oxford Economics. Should this happen, the Congressional Budget Office believes the federal budget deficit will shrink by US$425 million in the next 10 years. Travel and tourism is the top services export for the US, totaling US$120 billion and supporting more than one million American jobs. Overseas visitors spend an average of US$4,000 per person per trip in the US. Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 24. 22 INTERNATIONAL NEWS F or the first time in its history, New Caledonia New Caledonia to host Melanesian Arts Festival will host the Melanesian Arts Festival, cel- ebrating the traditional and contemporary arts from all the countries of the region. Ten years after holding the 8th Festival of the Pacific Arts and on the eve of the 2011 Pacific Games, hosting the Melanesian Arts Festival promises to be a cultural, technical and economical challenge for the entire country and its people. Every festival, since the very first event was held, has always been organized around a particular theme that expresses the spirit in which the host country wishes to greet its visitors. From 12-24 September 2010, a thousand festival at- tendees from New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu will come to share their talent and experiences with the public. The great innovation for the 2010 event will involve four ‘outrigger canoes’ that will travel from the village of Kone, through the entire length of New Caledonia, passing through the eight customary land tenures of the Territory to finish their trip on 24 September 2010, in Noumea on New Caledonia’s citizenship celebration day. The Festival Opening will be held on 12 September 2010 in Kone, on account of the economic and sym- bolic significance of this community. Indeed, it was on the beach of Lapita, near Kone, where the first remnants of the Lapita civilization were found: the original and historic connection linking the different populations of Melanesia. Following this first stage of the event, the festi- val attendees will be divided into four groups of ‘outrigger canoes’ composed of members of each delegation. They will travel to the four following destinations: • One outrigger canoe to Hienghene and Canala, • One outrigger canoe to Bourail and La Foa, • One outrigger canoe to Lifou, Mare and Ouvea • One outrigger canoe to Noumea. After spending about three days at each location, all the outrigger canoes will head back to Noumea. The following activities will be held in each hosting communities: • Performing Arts: concerts, dance, modern the- atre, traditional expressions (choir, music, dances, songs, instruments ...) etc. • Visual Arts: contemporary visual arts, cinema, video art etc. • Handicrafts and traditional knowledge: fash- ion, food, games, hunting and fishing techniques, medicinal plants, etc. • Workshops and forums: Music and Copyright (symposium with the South Pacific Commission), language and identity (with the Kanak language academy), policies and custom (with the Custom- ary Senate). Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 25. INTERNATIONAL NEWS 23 Willard Intercontinental Hotel - Washington DC with most markets seeing rate growth towards the end of the first half. The eco- nomic environment does remain uncertain, however, with short booking windows and limited visibility,” Mr Cosslett said. The growth was driven by strong occupancy rates, with business travellers returning in greater number. Efforts during the economic downturn to reduce costs, drive revenue and build the strength of IHG’s system and brands helped to accommodate this growth, according to Mr Cosslett. “In the first half we signed 130 hotels and opened 148, despite the tough financing environment. The quality of these new hotels Greater China drives is exceptionally high, particularly in China where both our pipeline and system of open IHG’s half year results hotels are skewed towards more upscale developments.” Total gross revenue from all hotels in IHG’s system was $8.9bn, up nine percent at con- The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) leading the recovery with Greater China re- stant currency. has released its financial results for the half porting RevPAR up 29.4 percent in the half,” year to 30 June 2010, with solid performance Chief Executive of IHG, Andrew Cosslett Recent additions bring IHG’s total system due to their leadership position in Greater said. to 656,661 rooms across 4,503 hotels, an China. increase of four percent. IHG also signed a Greater China’s strong regional perfor- further 19,126 rooms over 130 hotels, taking “Trading strengthened as the first half pro- mance was boosted by the Global Expo in the pipeline to 197,431 rooms across 1,302 gressed with global Revenue per Available Shanghai where RevPAR grew 48.4 percent. hotels. Room (RevPAR) up 3.9 percent overall and 7.4 percent in the second quarter. Asia is “Rates are now stabilising across the world, Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
  • 26. 24 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Eight events to be held across Thailand Thursday 19.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn