Vietnam to slash tour prices till September-end

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is to carry out a national tourism promotion campaign until the end of September in order to encourage domestic tourism and attract more foreign tourists to the country.

An announcement to this effect was made by Mr. Vu The Binh of Travel Department during a conference on the tourism sector’s action programme, which took place in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on February 6.

Under the programme, VNAT will ask travel agencies and hotels to commit to reducing their prices by up to 50%, Mr. Binh said, adding that it will also call upon local airlines to participate in this campaign.

Other travel companies must also pledge to offer discounts, with VNAT vowing to punish those who do not honour their commitments.

In addition, VNAT will conduct a broader campaign to promote Vietnam via the Internet and other mass media, as well as hosting tourism events and festivals to encourage domestic tourism.

The VNAT is to launch a new range of tourism products and intensify tourism promotion activities.

According to Mr. Binh, VNAT has to date created 99 discounted package tours for tourists from countries including Japan, ASEAN, France, Western Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand. It also plans to launch an additional 60 competitively-priced domestic tours.

On January 21, the Prime Minister signed a decision regarding a 50%-VAT reduction for travel, transport and hotel businesses. VNAT also proposed a 30% cut in corporate income tax rates for businesses involved in the tourism sector.

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Promoting Vietnamese tourism in the UK

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has announced that this year it plans to promote Vietnam’s image to international friends on double-decker buses in major UK cities such as London, Manchester and Liverpool.

The plan runs parallel with the VNAT’s strategy to promote Vietnam tourism through foreign mass media like the BBC, and the UNESCO’s World Heritage Magazine. Double-decker buses will be effective in helping the VNAT save costs in introducing Vietnam’s image to foreign countries.

Vietnam welcomed 370,000 foreigners in January, down 11.9% in comparison with the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office.

Numbers of visitors from the Republic of Korea and China fell significantly, but those from France rose 51.1%, Malaysia, 23.3% and Singapore, 26.6%

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Vietnam Airlines participates in Brussels Tourism Fair

The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, ensured that it had a presence at annual Brussels Tourism Fair, which took place at the Heysel Exposition Centre in Belgium from February 5-9.

A wealth of information and images promoting Vietnam’s natural beauty, history, culture and achievements were displayed prominently at the fair.

Tran Mai Lan, Vietnam Airlines’ representative at the event, said that her company has been involved in the fair for the past few years, which is important as Belgium has recently established itself as one of the airline’s most lucrative Western European markets.

Despite the difficulties facing the transport and tourism sectors as a result of the global economic crisis, a number of experts at the fair asserted that Asia, particularly Vietnam, is still a destination that possesses a great deal of allure for European holidaymakers this year.

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Vietnam roadshow goes down under

Vietnamese tourism authorities and travel agencies will head for Melbourne, Australia to promote a national programme that seeks to have more foreigners choosing the country as a travel destination.

HCMC will lead the tourism promotion mission to Australia with a Vietnam roadshow in Melbourne on February 16, a day ahead of the opening of the 17th Asia Pacific Incentive & Meeting Expo, known as AIME 2009.

The programme, scheduled to last until September this year, will have travel companies working with airlines and hotels to offer discounts of 30 to 50% for package tours in Vietnam.

Nineteen hotels and 14 travel agencies in HCMC have joined the programme launched early this year by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

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Thang Long – Hanoi in 3D film

Thang Long – The City of Flying Dragon is a short three-dimensional movie that features the architecture and historical, cultural and artistic value of the Thang Long royal citadel. The film is under production to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi Capital.

This project is being carried out by the Vietnam Graphics Co., Ltd, under the sponsorship of the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Co Loa – Hanoi Ancient Citadel Preservation Centre. Professor of history Phan Huy Le is the consultant.

This 45-minute film was begun 18 months ago. It focuses on the history of the Ly – Tran – Le dynasties, through archaeological discoveries, historical books and research works of leading experts.

The general director of this project, Nguyen Long Hung, went to the US to learn experience from big film firms in Hollywood like Discovery and Walt Disney. The movie will include interviews with government officials and researchers.


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Yen Tu Spring Festival attracts thousands

Thousands of people flocked to the opening ceremony of this year’s Yen Tu Spring Festival in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on February 4, the tenth day of the first lunar month.

Among those present at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, who were joined by thousands of pilgrims.

Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns and followers and visitors offered incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293, and joined the opening prayer.

Yen Tu welcomed 150,000 visitors during the first nine days of this year’s first lunar month.

Yen Tu Mountain is located about 50km from Halong City. The route of the pilgrimage, which winds from the foot of the mountain to its highest peak, is almost 30km.

The area’s beautiful natural landscape and awe-inspiring scenery, along with the ancient pagodas and hermitages that are dotted around, are said to have been the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong passed the throne to his son so that he could devote his life to living as a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu Mountain. Whilst there, he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect, which has led to Yen Tu being recognised as the country’s leading centre for Buddhism.

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Floral street welcomes spring to HCMC

The Nguyen Hue avenue of HCMC is undergoing a major transformation to become a floral street to welcome the nation’s biggest festival – Tet (Lunar New Year), which will fall in late January this year.

This year’s floral festival is the sixth ever so far hosted by the HCMC People’s Committee and financed by the city’s businesses. It has become the city’s most awaited festival every spring.

About 100,000 pots of flowers and bonsai will be brought in from different regions nationwide, not including fresh flowers supplied by flower growing centres in Dalat central highlands city and the southwestern region, to decorate the 800m long road.

The one-way floral road will begin with a garden of 100 ancient trees of apricot trees with yellow flowers, the traditional Tet flower in the southern region.

The road then will be divided into seven sections with different themes depicting Vietnam’s countryside with stacks of yellow straw, green bamboo trees, rice fields, make-shift bridges crossing small canals.

The road will ends at the Bach Dang Port with a field of green watermelon plants and a 5m high artificial watermelon fruit.

In addition to various arts and music performances along the floral road, the festival also includes a 15-minute firework in the New Year’s eve.

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