During the Tet holiday, the number of international and local tourists to Ha Noi increased, according to the city’s Culture, Sport and Tourism Department, adding that the number of overseas Vietnamese who visited Viet Nam for the Tet holiday rose dramatically due to visa exemptions.

Non-Vietnamese arrivals reached 183,000, up 16 per cent over the same period last year, while overseas Vietnamese arrivals totalled nearly 700,000. The department also predicted the number of tourists from traditional markets including China, Japan, France, Australia, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries would increase in the first quarter of the year.

Domestic tourist numbers to Ha Noi during the Tet holiday rose 40 per cent over the same period last year or about 1.8 million visitors. The Huong (Perfume) Pagoda festival and the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic site attracted the largest number of tourists.

The ancient capital of Hue in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue also welcomed 51,000 tourists, a 40 per cent increase during the one-week Tet holiday against last year’s figures. As a result, the city’s tourism industry made a turnover of more than VND23 billion (about US$1.1 million) during the week.

Targets for 2012

Viet Nam ‘s tourism industry expects to welcome 6.5 million international tourists and 32 million local visitors this year, for an estimated turnover of VND150 trillion ($7.1 billion), the VNAT said.

To reach these targets, the industry will launch campaigns to raise awareness for community-based tourism. Tourism development must bring benefits for the community and boost the local economy in a sustainable way. Indigenous people will not run tourist businesses but will participate in their services. Tourist companies will run tourist services and have a duty to contribute 10 per cent of their profits to the local authorities.

Also, the 11-million-euro ($14.35 million), five-year responsible environment and society tourism (ESRT) development programme, funded by the European Union (EU) last year, set up ESRT services during the 2011-15 period. This will support the implementation of the Viet Nam Tourism Development Strategy and financially contribute to the implementation of key tourism development programmes.

Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh predicted travel to increase in popularity and international tourism to continue growing. According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2012 the number of international tourists will reach one billion, and the total income of the world’s tourism service is estimated at over $1 trillion. Viet Nam’s tourism industry will continue to promote growth and sustainable development with an average yearly growth of 11.5-12 per cent between 2011 and 2020.

Viet Nam hopes to receive 10-15 million foreign tourists and 47-48 million domestic tourists by 2020. The industry also expects to obtain a total revenue of about $18-19 billion, contributing from 6.5 – 7 per cent of GDP, creating three million jobs including 870,000 workers directly employed by the tourism trade. Minister Anh also said the industry should focus on improving the quality of services and develop unique tourism experiences to compete with other countries both in the region and throughout the world. Viet Nam should promote maritime tourism, heritage tourism, eco-tourism in the future and tourism companies should strengthen links between regions and localities towards the formation of specific regional tourism products to attract visitors.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Demand weak

Worshiping together with traveling on the first days of the spring seems to be the spiritual need for many people. Therefore, in previous years, the demand for transport services was always very high after Tet. The vehicle rent jumped by 15-30 percent, from ordinary days. Especially, on auspicious days, which Vietnamese people believed were good for the departures, the rent might increase by 40-50 percent.

However, things seem quite different this year. In the economic downturn, transport companies now do not have many jobs to do. Meanwhile, many families use their private cars.

Deputy Director of Tien Thanh Trade, Tourism and Service Company Tran Ngoc Thanh complained that the number of customers reduces dramatically in comparison with the last year.

“Customers only booked services on the first 10 days after Tet. In previous years, people rushed to book the tours departing n 22nd-23rd of January. However, to date, we have got contracts until the 16th only,” Thanh said.

Director of Tuan Minh Trade and Tourism Company Nguyen Kien Cuong, also said he feels discouraged because the number of customers hiring vehicles on the 6th day of the new Lunar New Year was so low, even though this was considered an auspicious day. Especially, businesses and agencies – the biggest clients expected, did not book services.

“The number of vehicles booked for the departures in the first 10 days of January decreased by 40 percent in comparison with the same period of the last year,” he complained.

Nguyen Thi Thoan, Director of An Truong Phat Trade and Service Company, has noted that people now tend to order big cars. The number of clients ordering 45-seat cars has increased significantly. “Travelers may gather in big groups and rent big cars, which helps reduce the costs,” Thoan said.

She also said that in previous years, clients mostly made 2-day-and-1-night tours to Yen Tu-Cua Ong. However, nowadays, they tend to depart early in the morning and return home late.

Due to the low demand, Tien Thanh has raised the service fee by 200,000-400,000 dong per route. The cost for the travel to Yen Tu pagoda is 2.2 million dong, to Huong Pagoda 1.6-1.9 million dong, Tran Temple 1.6 million dong.

Tuan Minh has announced the rent of 5-6 million dong per day for 45-seat car to Bai Dinh-Trang An pagoda on weekend. Thoan said she may have to reduce the rent for the trips to depart after the 15th of January.

Travel firms scramble for short tours

After offering two tours from HCM City to Yen Tu, Huong and Bai Dinh Pagodas at 7.7-8.1 million dong (4 day tour), Du Lich Viet is selling the six day tour HCM City – Hanoi – Tuan Chau Island – Sa Pa. The travelers, who book the tour, will have to pay 9 million dong.

Meanwhile, Saigontourist is selling 10 tours to the northern, central and southern regions by air and road, which would depart in February and March, 2012.

“We are waiting for the airlines to accept the preferential airfares. Hopefully that the tour fees would not increase,” An said.

In Hanoi, on the ancient streets, travel firms organize short distance tours every day with low tour fees and flexible conditions. Vuong Manh Tien, a senior executive of Vietnam Open Travel, said one has to pay 400,000-500,000 dong only to go to Yen Tu, Huong and Bai Dinh pagodas, not including the tickets for suspension cable.

A Vietnam Airlines representative said on Feb. 7 that the total number of domestic passengers was over 646,500, up 6.8 percent while the number of foreign visitors rose by 7.3 percent. The volume of cargos and parcels reached over 11,200 tonnes.

During the period, Vietnam Airlines operated 8,423 flights with an average of 385 flights per day, up 13 percent from the previous Tet holidays.

However, unfavourable weather, especially at Cat Bi, Dong Hoi, Vinh and Hue airports, resulted in a rise in the number of delayed and cancelled flights.

The national flag carrier plans to continue developing new products and launching promotional programmes in the near future./.

TalkVietnam

The beach is a nine-kilometer stretch of smooth sand and is famous for its fresh atmosphere and blue water.

The beach has been voted one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet by American business magazine Forbes. The Australian magazine, Sunday Herald Sun, also ranked the 900m-long My Khe Beach in the top 10 Asian beaches, saying that Australia is endowed with so many beaches but they can’t forget the first impression of My Khe with its crystal-clear blue water and long sandy beach.

Behind the beach is a dark green poplar forest. The beach is next to the city center and is easily accessible by road and various means of transport. It also has resorts, restaurants, bungalows and various abundant services right on the beach, creating favorable conditions for tourists to relax on the seashores with all home comforts.

The sea water in My Khe is cool with small waves so tourists can bathe all-year round, especially in summer from May to August. Han River suspension bridge has been completed and links the east area to the west area, making transportation easy. As a result, My Khe Beach is an attractive resort for tourists.

SGT

In economic difficulties, tourism relating sectors can live well

Though travel firms made a fat profit last Tet holiday, analysts believe that the tourism sector would not see a higher growth rate in 2012, because people would have to fasten their belt amid the forecasts about economic difficulties.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism VNAT proves to be reserved when setting modest targets for 2012: receiving 6.5 million foreign tourists, up by 8.3 percent over 2011, and serving 32 million domestic travelers, up by 6.67 percent over 2011.

However, service providers do not think that way. Vo Quoc Khang, the owner of a shop of cars for rent in Bien Hoa City keeps optimistic about his business in 2012.

“Local residents in the city now like traveling more than going to cinema. They would go traveling if they have one or two days off work. Therefore, I think that carrying travelers would bring good income to me in 2012,” he said.

Khang said that he uses the cars to carry students to schools and from schools every day. Meanwhile, on the weekends, he usually receives orders to carry travelers.

On Van Le, a taxi driver of Hoang Long taxi firm – Phu Quoc Island, has also said that the works within seven months would bring the revenue high enough to cover the expenses for the remaining rainy months. Airlines are considering providing more flights to Phu Quoc. Not only travelers who go under the tours booked with travel firms, but separated travelers also go to the island, who would be the potential clients for taxi drivers.

A representative of Phu Quoc branch of Vietravel said that the 15 cars for lease of the branch were always fully booked in 2011, while the branch is considering increasing the number of cars this year.

Nguyen Quoc Ky, General Director of Vietravel, said the travel firm has requested airlines, hotels and service providers sign service contracts for the whole year 2012 before December 2011, so as to be secure about the services.

Ky has affirmed that among the choices of people for enjoying life, tourism would be the top choice.

New tourism products designed

Not only targeting high income earners, Vietravel has launched Travelpon that provides services to different groups of travelers, including the ones with low income.

Saigontourist has said it would put the Saigon-Dong Ha, Saigon-Ban Me, Saigon-Rach Gia hotels in the localities it believes would see the number of travelers increasing this year.

In 2011, Saigontourist opened a branch in Quang Ninh province, in charge of bringing tourists from the north to the south. It has just opened a branch in Binh Duong province. The moves show that Saigontourist can foresee the diversification of the tourists in 2012.

According to Tran Duc Thinh, Marketing Director of TST Tourist, travelers, both Vietnamese and foreign, now tend to set up higher requirements, They not only want to travel, but also to learn about the life, culture of every locality. This requires travel firms to provide qualified tour guides and design original products. Especially, travelers now have high demand for enjoying local food. Therefore, if travel firms only offer familiar tours, they would not be able to attract travelers.

A VISA’s survey has also pointed out that the attractive local food and low travel costs would be the main factors that help attract more tourists to Vietnam in the time to come. The survey has also said that Vietnam has become one of the most attractive destinations.

Source: SGTT

Located in Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, Bai Dinh pagoda was built to commemorate King Ly Thai To who moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long.

As a tourist attraction, Bai Dinh pagoda is endowed with both scenic beauty and historical value. It is considered the largest complex of Buddhist pagodas Vietnam, which are either old or new.

The old Bai Dinh Pagoda sits on a 200m high mountain, which has been recognized as a cultural and historical heritage site of Vietnam. The new Bai Dinh Pagoda covers about 700 hectares, near the site of the old one.

Tourists often visit the pagoda area during their sight-seeing tour. Every year, the Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival kicks off on the sixth day of the first lunar month, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

On the way to the old pagoda site, pilgrims have to climb stone steps to small ancient places of worship to pray for good luck and enjoy traditional ceremonial singing performed by local artists.

Through the gate into the new Bai Dinh Pagoda area, visitors will see 500 Arhat statues, each 2.4 m high and weighing about 4 tonnes, standing or sitting on both sides.

The Bai Dinh Pagoda complex boasts having the biggest bronze Buddha statue in Southeast Asia, about 100 tonnes in weight, and three 50-tonne Buddha statues and two huge bronze bells.

Biggest bronze Buddha statue

Huge bell

From Bai Dinh, tourists can go by boat to the nearby Trang An tourist site in Hoa Lu district. Along with the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Tam Coc-Bich Dong caves and Phat Diem stone church are all on the to-see list.

Tran Ngoc

Newfangled tours favored

Right after the Tet holiday that finished on January 28, a lot of couples began choosing destinations for the Valentine Day. Travel firms, which had a bumper Tet season, have renewed tours to attract the special travelers.

Saigontourist said it has launched new attractive tours for Valentine Day, including the tours which allow couples to both enjoy the spring, visit the sites at the pagodas to pray for happiness and a safe and sound year. Most of the destinations offered are famous domestic landscapes such as Sa Pa, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Ha Long Bay and Phu Quoc island.

Especially, the Valentine tours to the orders to be departed from Hanoi to Vinpearl – Nha Trang, Sa Pa, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Ha Long can help couples easily arrange the trips to celebrate their love in the memorable spring. Travelers would stay at high grade resorts and hotels such as Vinpearl in the sea city of Nha Trang, Furama in Da Nang City, or Phoenix Cruiser in Ha Long.

Meanwhile, other travel firms have designed the tours with the special destinations – the ones associated with love legends. In previous years, couples went to the Valley of Love in Da Lat City, while they now choose the destinations in neighboring countries.

Pham Thi Ngoc, Communication Director of Hanoi Redtours, said that the firm has designed a tour to Kun Ming, Da Li, Li Jiang (six days and five nights), with which, couples would have the chance to climb to Yu Long Xue Shan Mount at the height of 3200 meters to have a view to the snow mountain. People believe that if the couples exchange love vows here would have immortal love.

The couples, who love discoveries and exploration, may choose Free & Easy, a trekking tour to Singapore at Hanoi Redtours with the departures from February 5 to February 14.

Other domestic destinations including Mai Chau and Moc Chau, departing on February 9-14 also promise attractive trips.

The “2 in 1” tours

In the “price storm” period, cutting down spending is the thing that many newly married couples strive to do. Therefore, many of them have chosen “2 in 1” tours, i.e. the ones for both the honey moon and the Valentine Day.

Travel firms have found out that some young couples want to combine the honey moon trip and the Valentine Day trip. They are the ones that organize weddings in the wedding season, from last December until the days near the Valentine Day.

Ngoc Anh, an officer of a company, said that the demand for “2 in 1” is relatively high. “I know many couples, who spent too much money on the wedding; therefore, they decided to combine the honey moon and Valentine Day trips to save money. Other couples have to return to home villages to visit relatives after the weddings. Therefore, traveling on the Valentine Day is the best choice,” she said.

However, not only the couples who want to save money, but high income earners also like the “2 in 1” trips. Duc Nam, a bank officer, who got married one week ago, said that if he had left for the honeymoon trip some days ago, he would not have been able to choose attractive tours. Meanwhile, the most romantic tours would only be launched in some days, for the Valentine Day.

Source: VTC

The couple and their children were among the first tourists to go on the Hanoi Home Visit Tour, a project initiated by non-profit organisation Students in Free Enterprise (SiFE) from Hanoi University . The project provides foreign tourists with a chance to visit ordinary families to see how they live and their traditional features and customs, with the aim of developing and expanding Vietnamese culture. Leader Mai Quang Huy, a junior at the university’s Faculty of Business Administration, said: “While travel agencies offer tours to historical and cultural destinations, we want to help foreigners experience a family dinner in Vietnam .”

The students started the tour in May last year with a team of just five, but quickly recruited more students with a good knowledge of Vietnamese culture and the English language to act as tour guides. “Unlike professional guides, they are in charge of interpreting for the hosts and their guests,” Huy said.

The guides pick the guests up at dinner time from their hotels in a taxi, and take them to a typical Vietnamese home where they are introduced to their hosts. The hosts welcome the guests and takes them on a tour of the house, explaining the history of the building and the family, and the functions of the rooms, focusing on the ancestral altar and prayer room.

Marith Kull recalled her trip to a house on Thuy Khue Street last July. “As we were walking through the little alleyways to their house, it reminded me of the homes in Europe . When we arrived at the house, we were greeted by the whole family. The grandparents showed us how to pour traditional tea, then we talked about different lifestyles and later had a tour of each room in the house. After that, we enjoyed a lovely Vietnamese -style dinner with lots of laughs and fun.”

Usually, traditional Vietnamese food such as stir-fried morning glory, spring rolls and stir-fried dishes with bean sprouts are on the menu. The remaining dishes depend on the hosts, and sometimes suggestions by guests. When registering for the tour, tourists should list any food allergies they have to avoid any problems.

Elsebe and Anthony Vetten from South Africa considered their dinner as one of the most unforgettable moments in the capital. “The food was excellent. We asked for the recipe for the spring roll dipping sauce and will make it here on our next trip.”

Pho Minh Thu, whose family has lived in Hanoi for generations, has welcomed many visitors. All her guests get a general view of past and present Hanoi, and a meal full of traditional dishes cooked by her mother – an original Hanoian, including bun thang (vermicelli with chicken, pork and egg) and bun nem (vermicelli with spring rolls).

“I can’t remember how many guests have visited my house. Most of them were surprised that members of my family still gather in my parents’ room in the evening and talk until bedtime, even though we have our own rooms. An American accountant shared the same opinion as a lot of Vietnamese people, comparing her relationship with her mother-in-law to fire and water. I think that through our conversations, the tourists have learned from us while we learn from them,” she said.

Vu Thu Ha, a student at the Faculty of International Studies, has gained a lot of insight into the similarities and differences between Vietnam and western countries during her three tours. “Some tourists talked to me about the terrible traffic in their countries and the attraction of big cities for immigrants, similar to Hanoi . A few told me about going to church at the weekends while I shared the meaning of the ancestral altar in Vietnam ,” she said.

The tourists also learn about aspects they wouldn’t see on a conventional tour. “I learned that a traditional house is made of multiple homes and most houses have a prayer room. I also learned that Vietnamese people do not eat a lot of pho, but they were nice enough to make it for us,” Marith Kull said. “I always ask a lot of questions and feel a bit intrusive, but on this tour, they welcomed all of our questions.”

Having travelled to 28 countries, the Kulls have come across home stay projects, but never home visits. Marith Kull hopes to take another tour when she returns to Hanoi , and share the fabulous experience with their friends. “Having Vietnamese food with a traditional family is a better experience than eating in a restaurant. You really get to know the people and their kindness,” she said.

With the hope “to make Vietnam closer worldwide”, Each tour includes two to eight tourists, with prices based on the number of foreigners. The hosts receive 75 percent of the tour price to cover costs and insurance, while 25 percent is used by the group on marketing and to support social and community projects they are involved with./.

©VOVONLINE

An official from the Thua Thien-Hue provincial administration says, “As part of the project, research has been conducted into more than 7,100 garden houses, including 800 ancient houses of significant value”. Tran Thanh, who is Deputy Head of the Hue City Cultural Office, reveals that there is a plant afoot to restore 150 typical houses which are in danger of becoming lopsided. However, only 52 have been restored to their former glory, he says.

In 2009, the provincial People’s Committee decided that each garden house owner would receive VND100 million (US$5,000) in financial support to restore the house.

Residents who invest in building garden house can borrow VND5 million per house in five-year preferential terms.

In fact, many homeowners who cannot afford to restore or sell parts of their property to people from other localities did not receive any financial support as the local government had promised.

“We open a houses to the public to view free of charge without any financial support from tourism firms,” says Nguyen Ngoc Trinh, homeowner of Phu Mong-Kim Long tourist site located in Kim Long Commune.

Cultural researcher Nguyen Huu Thong, Head of the Vietnam Culture and Arts Institute’s branch in Hue, mentions the urgent need to preserve garden house.

“New policies will provide a shot in a arm for preservation and restoration efforts”, he added.

A typical garden house in Hue has two main parts: nha ruong (house built with many beams (ruong) and pillars (cot) ) and a surrounding garden, designed according to geomancy (feng shui) stipulations and

their owners’ spiritual orientation.

Another distinctive feature of nha ruong is that all beams and pillars are joined by mortise and tenons, not nails.

Roofed with section tiles, the beams and pillars of “nha ruong” are made of precious, solid wood such as lim (iron wood), gu (sindora) or thong xanh (teranthera pine). The entire house sits with big pillars on a round or square stone base.

Traditionally, a garden house cannot be sole out of as family needs to maintain ancestral links. However, rocketing land values have encouraged some people to sell their land or some parts of their nha ruong.

If this trend continues, a unique feature of the central province will disappear from history and culture books.

©VNS/VOV Online

During their stay in Ha Long, visitors will make the tour of the bay and go to Long Tien pagoda, shop at Hon Gai and Bai Chay markets, see a water puppet show and traditional art programme, and explore the daily life of local fishermen.

Saigontourist is scheduled to receive two more cruise ships shortly; the Spirit of Adventure on its voyage from Ha Long to Ho Chi Minh City from February 24-March 1, and the Columbus sailing from Danang to Hai Phong from February 21-23.

Ha Long Bay has been twice recognised as the World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

©VOVONLINE