Vietnam Visa Exemptions For More International Visitors

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will propose more visa exemptions to the authorities for visitors from certain markets in North America, Europe, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia, while extending the visa-free duration for other markets to attract more foreign travelers to Vietnam.

The proposal was forwarded to VNAT after a meeting between representatives of local tourism and trade agencies, tour operators, transport companies, big hotels and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) in Hanoi, 10 July.

At the meeting, experts said visa exemptions were limited and needed to be widened to include more countries to boost tourism.

The meeting noted that even the visa-on-arrival facility was complicated and required travelers to complete some advance paperwork to ensure it worked properly.

It is also likely that Vietnam will increase the visa-free stay from 15 to 30 days for citizens from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

VNAT has also urged the government to streamline visa-on-arrival procedures and introduce electronic visas.

Similar changes were also suggested by the Tourism Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum at a mid-term dialogue between the government and the business community in Hanoi last month.

Vietnam already allows nationals of 17 countries to enter the country without a visa. The length of stay differs.

Citizens of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan get a visa-free stay of up to 30 days. Citizens of the Philippines get 21 days. Citizens of Brunei and Myanmar get 14 days.

Citizens of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Japan, and South Korea get 15 days.

All travelers can visit Phu Quoc for 30 days without a visa, but they must, either enter through the island’s seaport, or through its airport after transiting through Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City’s international airports.

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Mekong Delta supports increasing tourism

Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports will set up a Tourism Coordinating Office to support Mekong Delta tourism cooperation and increase tourism to the region.

Vice Minister Ho Anh Tuan told local media that the administration will implement the programme to create specific tourism products for the region.

“Tourism has not been managed professionally in the region. There is a severe shortage of employees and no agencies to coordinate activities.”

Communities in the Mekong Delta need to forge closer links among themselves to develop regional tourism products and services.

Critics suggested that communities should focus on promoting ecotourism in Cham Chim National Park, Lang Sen Wetland Reserve, Ca Mau mangrove swamp and Phu Quoc island district.

In addition, village tourism should be developed in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long and Hau Giang provinces and CanTho city, while spiritual and cultural tourism should be the focus in An Giang, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh.

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s Hotel Department deputy head, Vu Van Thanh, said there was a need to develop home stay tourism, but communities would need to take the lead.

In 2013, the region welcomed 1.5 million international tourists.

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New Resort in Bai Dai Beach by Russian Company

The Russian State Development Company is building a five-star resort on Bai Dai Beach, Cam Lam district, in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.

According to local media reports, earlier this week,  the Flowers Resort will have 256 rooms, 10 bungalows, 111 apartments and 56 luxurious villas on a site just north of the Cam Lam peninsular.

The US$88.83-million resort is the first five-star project in Bai Dai, but another 30 projects have been approved.

Last year, Khanh Hoa received more than 3 million holiday makers, an increase of over 29% in 2012. They were mostly domestic visitors, but of the international arrivals the Russian market is the strongest.

It accounted for 150,000 arrivals, last year and the growth is driven mainly by direct airline flights between Russia’s Far East and the province’s Cam Ranh airport and another linking Moscow and Nha Trang City.

The province should welcome 3.4 million tourists in 2014 including 840,000 foreign arrivals.

Khanh Hoa province, on Vietnam’s south central coast, has a thriving tourist industry mainly around Nha Trang bay where a new port is under construction. Noted for its attractive beaches and natural landscape the province is famous for its deep water bays the most noteworthy Cam Ranh. It is also close to Cam Ranh International Airport one of the busiest in the country.

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SriLankan Extends Network To Vietnam

Expanding a long-standing partnership with Malaysia Airlines, SriLankan Airlines said it has extended its network in the Australasian Region adding seven new codeshare destinations in Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

To cater to growing demand between Australia and Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines will provide daily services to Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth via Kuala Lumpur.  Daily connections to Sydney and Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur already exist. With this addition SriLankan will provide code share services to five major cities in Australia. 

Additionally, Saigon and Hanoi in Vietnam and the islands of Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia have also been added as codeshare destinations via Kuala Lumpur.

“SriLankan is consistently looking at improving air connectivity between Sri Lanka and the Austral-Asia Region, which in effect will increase the number of visitors to Sri Lanka.  These new code- share destinations will further enhance our service to this fast growing region which according to official figures, had the highest growth of tourist traffic of 25.3 percent in 2013,” said SriLankan’s Head of Commercial Operations Mohamed Fazeel.

Traffic between Sri Lanka and Vietnam is expected to grow as Vietnam’s socio-economic stability and close cultural ties are increasingly attracting visitors between Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

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More Flights to Danang by Dragonair

Dragonair, a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, will add frequency between Danang and Hong Kong from four to six flights starting 30 March and using Airbus A320s.

The airline launched the route last March making Danang the airline’s second destination in Vietnam after Hanoi.

Dragonair said Danang, the gateway point for beach resorts and the heritage coastal village of Hoi An, are popular destinations with visitors from Hong Kong.

Also, Danang is making headway attracting small to medium-sized events from the region particularly corporate meetings and incentives from Hong Kong.

The central region is noted for its UNESCO-recognized World Heritage sites of My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An ancient town, and Hue’s imperial palace complex, as well as many other cultural and historical sites.

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Vietnam And Thailand Establish Cooperation

Vietnam’s Danang City and Thailand’s Khon Kaen province recently signed a Letter of Intent to establish cooperation in tourism, education, culture, investment and trade.

The coorperation was inked 16 January to encourage both destinations to improve competitiveness.

Danang, located in the central region of Vietnam, and Khon Kaen in the centre of Northeast Thailand are on the East-West Economic corridor linking Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

They have seen modest trade exchanges in previous years. Their export-import turnover was about US$31.2 million in 2012. Only one company from Thailand has so far invested in Danang and three enterprises have opened representative offices.

Danang University also officially included the Thai language in its curriculum in 2006.

Danang welcomed 3.1 million tourists last year, of which 750,000 were foreigners. Only 45,000 tourists from Thailand visited the central city and other destinations in the central region.

Khon Kaen is a major commercial town on the main highway and rail line linking Bangkok and Vientiane the capital of Laos.  At the heart of the northeast region it is known for its universities, commerce and agricultural trade.

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Tam Dao Provides Free Wi-Fi

Tourists, who visit Tam Dao, 86 km from Hanoi, can enjoy free Wi-Fi access according to the Provincial Department of Information and Communications.

The provine invested around US$700,000 in its free Wi-Fi project in an effort to lure more tourists to the region.

Various destinations in Vietnam are improving Wi-Fi access for visitors believing it is an essential service that will ultimately improve Vietnam’s ability to attract more international tourists.

According to the department, visitors and residents will enjoy free Wi-Fi service until 2019. After that they will have to pay for the service.

“The free Wi-Fi project will help visitors to research information on the region on the spot making it easier to explore attractions and that helps us to draw more foreign tourists,” an official explained.

Due to mountainous terrain, Wi-Fi hotspots have been placed at hotels, or high buildings in the centre of Tam Dao town.

Tam Dao tourist area is located in Tam Duong district, 86 km from Hanoi, covering Ban Thach, Thien Nhi and Phu Nghia mountains.

Vietnam has introduced free Wi-Fi for visitors in Hoi An, Danang, Halong, Hue, Da Lat, Cat Ba and at Saigon Railway Station.

Over the next two years Quang Ninh province will provide more free Wi-Fi at economic and tourist hub cities such as Uong Bi, Cam Pha, Van Don and Mong Cai.

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New service to Laos by Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, has opened a new service linking Vinh with Vientiane, the Laos capital, 12 January.

The airline said the service will offer four flights a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, using a 70-seat ATR72 aircraft.

Flights will depart from Vinh airport at 08:40 and from Vientiane airport in Laos at 10:40 (local time), with an estimated flying time just one hour.

Currently, the airline offers 93 international routes to 29 international and 21 domestic destinations.

According to tourism data, around 160,000 to180,000 people travel by road annually between Vietnam’s north central region and the Lao capital, passing through Nam Can (Nghe An), Cau Treo (Ha Tinh), and Na Meo (Thanh Hoa) border checkpoints.

The airline believes there is potential to capture this market and encourage more trade between the two cities.

There are three airlines flying to Vinh: Air Mekong (from Buon Ma Thuot, Ho Chi Minh City, Pleiku); Jetstar Pacific Airlines (from Buon Ma Thuot); and Vietnam Airlines (from Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City).

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New Services to Danang by Dragonair

Dragonair, a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, will raise its weekly flights between Danang and Hong Kong from four to seven starting 18 December.

The airline launched the route late March, this year, making Danang is the airline’s second destination in Vietnam after Hanoi.

During the past nine months, the airline has transported more than 30,000 passengers, mostly from Hong Kong to explore major tourist attractions in central Vietnam.

Dragonair said the central region of Vietnam, especially Danang, the gateway point for beach resorts and the heritage coastal village of Hoi An, are becoming popular destinations with visitors from Hong Kong.

The central region is noted for its UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Sites of My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An ancient town, and Hue’s imperial palace complex, as well as many other cultural and historical sites.

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New Tourist Center in Vietnam

Vietnam plans to set up tourists support centres nationwide particularly in localities that welcome 1 million tourists or more each year.

 

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, support centres will have a hotline number and staff who can speak foreign languages to help handle tourists’ problems around the clock.

The hotline number 119 has been assigned for the time being but could be replaced in the future.

The centres will open in major tourist destinations such as Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City where there have been complaints of tourists being robbed or cheated.

Police are beefing up their presence and are checking tourism-related businesses to ensure they are legal and adopt clear policies on pricing and food safety. There are also projects planned that will offer language tuition to taxi drivers.

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New JW Marriott Hotel in Hanoi

Marriott has expanded its portfolio of JW hotels in Asia, with the opening of the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi.

The 450-room, 75,000 square meter (800,000 square foot) JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi is a 'reverse skyscraper' designed by acclaimed architecture practice Carlos Zapata Studio.

 The impressive structure was inspired by the country’s magnificent coastline and evokes characteristics of a dragon – a modern interpretation of a symbol from Vietnam's past.

The hotel is located in Hanoi’s new central business district and is adjacent to the National Convention Center.

JW Marriott Hanoi features a total of six restaurant and bar outlets. Dining venues include the French Grill, a French inspired outlet serving fresh seafood and prime cuts of steaks along with a variety of premium wines and spirits; and a Chinese restaurant specializing in Cantonese fare (open in January 2014). Guests can also sample fare from across the globe throughout the day at JW Café. Meanwhile, Antidote Bar is aiming to become one of the most sought after nightspots in the city.

With over 3,600 sqm (38,750 sq ft) of flexible meeting space built for large corporate and association events, JW Marriott Hanoi is well placed to cater to the flourishing market for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) in Vietnam. The hotel has a total of 17 meeting rooms including two Ballrooms of 1,000 sqm (10,763 sq ft) and 480 sqm (5,166 sq ft) with extensive public foyers. All meeting facilities are located on the ground floor with a dedicated entrance and parking.

“Hanoi has earned itself a coveted spot as a must-visit destination for travelers and we are thrilled to join the city in this exciting time,” said Mitzi Gaskins, Vice President & Global Brand Manager for JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts. “Of the 30+ hotels in our current pipeline, 50% are in Asia, which speaks to our commitment to investing in dynamic markets like Vietnam.”

The General Manager of JW Marriott Hanoi is Bob Fabiano.

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New Air Route to Da Lat by Vietjet Air

On the occasion of the Da Lat Flower Festival and the 2013 Da Lat Cultural Tourism Week, VietJetAir opens the new route Vinh – Dalat, its second route out of the resort city. Vietjet already serves the air route Hanoi – Dalat. The airline will offer 1,080 seats per week offering three return frequencies per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flight is scheduled to take off at 08:05am from Vinh and arrive in Da Lat at 09:35am. On the way back, the flight is scheduled to depart at 10:10am from Da Lat and land at Vinh at 11:40am.

With a duration of 90 minutes, this route does not only connect two cities that are rich in history and culture, but also contribute to their commercial and tourism growth and meet travel demand.

Dalat celebrates its 120 anniversary of its founding. A large festival is due to be held from December 27 to 31 with France participating as one of the highlights of the Vietnam – France Year. Since April 2013 and until the first half of 2014, France and Vietnam jointly celebrate 40 years of dimplomatic relations. Dalat is part of the celebration as the city was totally created by French as a cool mountainous resort.

Major events include a festival, the fifth Da Lat Flower Festival and a ceremony to launch the 2014 Central Highlands - Da Lat National Tourism Year. Among the renovations conducted in Dalat are new lighting and new pavement as well as two new shopping malls. Local authorities are now building more parks, including Tran Quoc Toan park, the city’s first ever cherry blossom park, while renovating a range of ancient colonial style villas to host the tourists to the festival.

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Vietnam Holidays To Be Bloomed

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism estimates the country attracted 628,695 international visits in October representing an increase of 15.1% over the same month last year.

Thailand’s outbound trips to Vietnam ranked in eighth spot with 21,263 up 4.4% from last year.

China continued to lead the field with 176,852 trips improving 30.6% followed by South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

 All of the country’s top markets are in the Asia/Pacific region with the exception of the US (fifth), Russia (seventh), the United Kingdom (ninth) and France (10th).

The bulk of arrivals in October (478,318) passed through two main aviation gateways Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

For January to October, international tourist arrivals reached 6,118,969 increasing 10.4% over the same period last year.

VNAT updated its data on its website, Monday, sourced from the government statistic office.

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New Routes in Vietnam by Jetstar

Jetstar Pacific airline will open two new domestic air routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang and Phu Quoc starting 15 December.

According to the airline, the new domestic routes will meet growing travel demand between the destinations.

An Airbus A320 will fly the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang and Phu Quoc daily.

Jetstar Pacific will purchase an additional two Airbus A320s in early December this year and late January 2014 to cope with increasing numbers of passengers.

The Jetstar Group operates up to 3,000 flights a week to around 64 destinations and carried more than 23 million people in 2013 fiscal year.

Jetstar Group is made up of Jetstar Airways in Australia and New Zealand (subsidiary of the Qantas Group), Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam, Jetstar Japan in Japan and from 2013  Jetstar Hong Kong.

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Plan For Walking Street In Sapa

North Vietnam’s Sapa will soon have its own walking street after the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province said it would limit vehicle access to Sapa’s main street at the weekends.

 The idea is to give space for folk culture and entertainment on weekends on Sapa’s main street which has in the past has been limited to shopping for handicraft and souvenirs.

Most of the tourists are from Hanoi but Sapa also attracts foreign tourists who are interested in ethnic minority groups.

Limiting vehicle assess to the street will give more space for entertainment and folk performance s and make the town centre more attractive to visitors.

Sapa is a small town perched on a hillside and is a popular resort town for visitors from Hanoi who want to enjoy a cool climate and study ethnic minority lifestyles in the area. It is a popular base for treks and close to the border town of Lao Cai that stands at the foot of the hills on which Sapa stands. It is home to Hmong, Dao (Yao), Giay, Pho Lu, and Tay ethnic minority groups. Lao Cai is on the border with China and is the last main train junction for rail services to Hanoi.

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Rosewood Phnom Penh plans to launch in 2015

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed by Cambodia-based property developer Vattanac Properties to manage Rosewood Phnom Penh, scheduled to open in 2015. This latest signing is Rosewood's seventh management agreement in Asia. Rosewood Phnom Penh will join the upcoming network of Rosewood ultra-luxury hotels in the region that will also include Beijing, Chongqing, Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta and Bali.

The hotel will occupy the top 14 floors, with dedicated high-speed elevator access, in the 188-meter-high, 39-storey Vattanac Capital Tower One. Prominently located in the heart of the capital's Central Business District along Preah Monivong Boulevard, this world-class commercial complex will also include Grade-A offices and Cambodia's first luxury retail mall.

Rosewood Phnom Penh will offer a panoramic view of the city and the fabled Mekong River from its position within the tallest building in the capital, whose architectural form takes the fluid shape of a rising dragon oriented towards the East. The Royal Palace, National Museum, Central Market and Phnom Penh's other most fascinating historic landmarks will be within easy reach.

Rosewood Phnom Penh will feature 148 rooms and suites which will be amongst the largest hotel guestrooms in Phnom Penh. Also offered will be an additional 27 luxury serviced residences for long-stay visitors to the Cambodian capital. Dining options will include a 120-seat bistro, a 60-seat lobby lounge, two specialty restaurants and a sky bar on a cantilevered terrace. Recreational facilities will feature Rosewood's signature Sense(R) spa with five treatment rooms, a 20-meter swimming pool on the 33rd floor and a fully equipped fitness center. Meeting facilities will include The Pavilion residential-style meeting and function space and multi-functional meeting rooms.

Guided by Rosewood's A Sense of Place philosophy, the property's interior will be designed by Indonesia-based Jaya International Design for the public areas and guestrooms together with Japan-based Bond Design Studio for the food and beverage spaces.

"We believe that Rosewood's A Sense of Place(R) concept of embracing local history and culture throughout the property will be beautifully expressed in this exotic and vibrant country," says Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. "We are honored that Vattanac Properties has given us this opportunity to introduce Rosewood to Cambodia and provide a window into this fascinating world for visitors."

"Vattanac Capital is an important landmark development in the Kingdom of Cambodia," says Sam Ang Vattanac, executive director of Vattanac Properties. "We are excited and proud to bring the ultra-luxury Rosewood to our capital. This collaboration will redefine ultra-luxury hospitality in the kingdom, whilst reaffirming the upscale positioning of Vattanac Capital as Cambodia's most exclusive commercial complex. We look forward to welcoming international investors and travellers to this hotel in Phnom Penh."

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New service to Udon Thani with special fare

Bangkok Airways sells a promotional start-up fare on its new service to Udon Thani due to start 29 November.

The airline will operate two flights daily to Udon Thani, an important commercial town, just 80 km short of the Thai Lao border at Nong Khai. Travellers fly to Udon and then board mini-bus for transfers to the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge to pass through immigration. Vientiane the Lao capital is just 20 km up river from the checkpoint.

The overall cost of the domestic fare and bus transfers is less than half of the roundtrip fare Bangkok-Vientiane. It takes four hours to complete the entire journey.

A one-way fare exclusive of airport taxes costs Bt450 in B Class and Bt990 in G Class.

Passenger can book the fares until 30 November to travel 29 November to 31 December this year. Passengers travelling G Class can use the tickets until 31 January 2014.

The early morning flight, PG351 will depart Bangkok at 0725 and arrive in Udon at 0830, while the return flight will depart Udon at 0915 and arrive in Bangkok at 1020. An evening flight, PG355, will depart Bangkok at 1845 and arrive in Udon at 1950 and depart Udon at 2035 to arrive in Bangkok at 2140.

Nok Air has the highest frequency to Udon Thani with six flights daily, while Thai AirAsia offers three daily flights.

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