Domestic tourism increases three fold

VietNamNet Bridge - Since the beginning of the year, the number of domestic tourists has increased three fold over the same period last year, tourist companies in Ho Chi Minh City said.

It is one month since the city participated in a promotion by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to stimulate domestic tourism.
Tourist companies participating in the program set up promotional package tours, with flights to southern and central provinces cut by 30-40 percent.
Coach tours have not grown as the promotional price has not been attractive enough with five to 10 percent discounts.
The discount is part of plan drawn up by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and a group of domestic travel businesses involving over 200 hotels, resorts, restaurants and transport companies in 18 provinces and cities.
If the plan is taken up fully, the cost of coach tours this summer will be cut by 20 percent.
VietNamNet/SGGP

Gambling, fortune-telling and rubbish ruin festivals

VietNamNet Bridge - Gambling, fortune telling and commercialism are ruining northern Viet Nam’s cultural and religious festivals, complains Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hoang Tuan Anh. ( Tourists enjoy a traditional dance with Mong ethnic people in the northern province of Lao Cai, where gambling and commercialism have not spoilt the atmosphere.)

The minister delivered his judgement at a meeting to assess the quality of the festivals in Ha Noi last Wednesday where he said his ministry intended to provide models for their organisation and management.
Ministry officials would classify the festivals to provide a basis for the models, he said.
The ministry’s chief inspector, Vu Xuan Thanh, told the meeting that the latest checks of festivals showed that documents sent to localities setting guidelines for the festivals had been ignored.
Overcrowded and often disorderly festivals were popular at many pagodas, he said.
These included the historical Dong Pagoda in Thai Binh Province, the Yen Tu Pagoda in Quang Ninh Province, and Ha Noi’s Huong Pagoda.
Gambling, fortune telling and pickpocketing was also rife at Nam Dinh Province’s Vieng Market and Binh Duong Province’s Ba Pagoda.
The pagodas and historic sites were littered with rubbish and some scenic spots were partially destroyed.
The chief inspector said hundreds of violators had been fined a total of VND286 million and more than 40,000 pirated porn discs and unacceptable cultural products confiscated.
Stopping cheats
"But it hasn’t been enough to create order and stop the cheats at the festivals," he said.
Duong Thanh Lan, 60, of Ha Noi echoed the minister and inspector’s views.
"I like taking part in traditional festivals in pagodas and temples that have not been commercialised," she said. "But I have been the victim of cheats and pickpockets and know have to be vigilant in these places. It makes me uncomfortable."
Festival traditions and features were very different from the past, she said.
Bac Ninh Province’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department director Nguyen Dang Tuc told the meeting specific regulations and punishments were needed to restore order at the festivals.
Interim guidance documents were not enough to stop the illegal activities.
The ministry’s Culture and Information Department Nguyen Dao Toan said the responsibility of each agency in overseeing the festivals was necessary.
Otherwise, the blame was always shifted from one to the other.
Hai Duong City Culture, Sports and Tourism Department director Dang Viet Cuong said municipal officials would now make specific plans for festivals up to 2015.
These would identify those responsible for organising festivals.
VietNamNet/VNS

Deferral of tax hike proposed to shore up tourism services

VietNamNet Bridge – The Tourism Working Group has insisted on a delay for the increase of the Special Consumption Tax (SCT) as this will make life more difficult for many companies in the hotel/resort industry.(Last year, Vietnam drew 4.25 million international travelers, up a mere 0.6% over 2007.)

From April 1, higher SCT rates will apply to some tourism-related services, including golf associated revenues, from 10 to 20%, and body treatments, from 15 to 30%.
"The Government should be looking for ways to stimulate additional spending on domestic goods and services, not raise taxes so as to deter it," said Baron R. Ah Moo, chairman of the Tourism Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum.
The upcoming changes in the SCT are not being well received by the tourism community in Vietnam, according to the Tourism Working Group.
Ah Moo said in a statement sent to the Daily that the percentage of repeat international visitors after their initial visit was relatively low compared to Thailand and Indonesia.
"Vietnam's tourism industry already faces difficulties in visas and a lack of proper infrastructure," said Ah Moo, who also serves as chief executive officer for Indochina Hotels and Resorts and Danao International.
"By increasing the SCT, you have now impacted one of Vietnam's last sustainable competitive advantages, its appeal as an affordable leisure destination," he said.
The group said the National Assembly voted to temporarily reduce value-added tax (VAT) from 10 to 5% for hotels and related services in an effort to encourage discretionary spending and the SCT increase seemed to contradict this policy.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reported that Vietnam attracted over 688,700 international visitors in the first two months of this year, down 10% compared to the same period last year.
The tax increase also coincides with the start of the low season for travel to Vietnam, where demand is anticipated to be significantly down.
"I would appeal to the Prime Minister to delay or defer the implementation of the increase in SCT to a later date in an effort to minimize the impact on an already struggling hospitality industry," Ah Moo said.
He said tourism was a US$4.5-billion industry in Vietnam and accounted for 11% of the total employment in the country and suggested that removing burdens such as the SCT should be the country's highest priority.
The tourism sector is looking to around 25 million travelers, including 4.3 international visitors, and revenue of around US$3.7 billion this year. Tourism experts said these targets will be hard to reach.
Last month, the number of Chinese visitors was down nearly 13%, just over 41,000, and the number of international visitors was down 0.8% to nearly 343,000.
Last year, Vietnam drew 4.25 million international travelers, up a mere 0.6% over 2007.
VietNamNet/SGT

Hotels spoil plan on low-cost tourism

VietNamNet Bridge – The bottom threatens to fall out of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)’s strategy to create low-cost tours amid the economic downturn as hotels fail to honour their commitments to reduce prices.

The VNAT announced the strategy after foreign tourist numbers plunged 12 per cent in January to 370,000 and analysts predicted things to get worse. It announced a national campaign to last until the end of September under which tour package prices are to be cut by 30 to 50 per cent to attract foreign tourists to the country.
It sought a commitment from travel agencies and hotels to cut room charges by up to 50 per cent and persuaded Vietnamese airlines to join.
Seventeen hotels and 14 travel firms in HCM City signed up, promising to offer discounts of 30 to 50 per cent.
But only a handful have so far honoured their commitments, though with much lower discounts than promised.
The Bong Sen-Sai Gon Hotel was one of the earliest to reduce room charges, offering thus far 10 to 25 per cent discount to 50 groups of foreign travellers coming through travel firms.
Tao Van Nghe, general manager of the five-star Majestic Hotel in HCMC, said his hotel too had reduced tariffs but he was worried about the programme’s efficiency.
The HCM City Tourism Association said the discounts of 10 to 30 per cent did not make a "strong impression" on tourists when many countries in the region were offering up to 80 per cent rate cuts.
Defending high rates
The hotels that have failed to honour their commitments justify their action.
Some said they did not honour their commitment because they were still waiting for the Government’s incentives for those involved in the campaign, mainly related to taxes and electricity and water prices.
Dietmar Kielnhofer, general manager of Sheraton Sai Gon - which is not part of the campaign - told Viet Nam News that since all businesses and market segments were affected by their own set of market conditions, rather than participating in an overall rate reduction strategy, the hotels chose to support the initiative by individual case-by-case discussions.
"We are meeting with our stakeholders and customers to access each and every one of their business and market situations, to work out how we can best partner them at this time. This is a very detailed approach, but one we feel ensures what we do at this time is relevant and appropriate for each and every one of our partners," he said.
"For this type of protracted economic crisis, there is no one-size-fits-all solution."
Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy executive director of the Furama Resort Da Nang, said Furama had not participated in the campaign because its room prices were already reasonable.
"To ensure the hotel’s profit and staff’s income, we have maintained the current rates but sometimes we make some reductions for group tourists," Quynh said.
Some hotels did not want to reduce their prices because it could affect their prestige, while others were afraid that if they cut tariffs now, they would be unable to raise them in the future, he said.
Globally, tourism was hit badly last year and analysts forecast a zero or negative growth rate in the first haft of 2009, adding Viet Nam would be similarly affected.
"It is fair to say that business is not as strong as last year for the entire hotel market," Keilnhofer said.
"I do feel Viet Nam is in a more sheltered position and so the market here may not feel the severe affects that some other Asian centers may feel, however there is certainly a reality to the conditions."
To stimulate growth, the Government needs to be more proactive in marketing Viet Nam overseas and drive the tourism sector more aggressively forward, he said.
It is imperative that the tourism ministry, in conjunction with the private sector, pulls out all stops to generate a positive, tourist friendly image of Viet Nam, he added.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Experiencing shark and squid fishing around Dao Ngoc

VietNamNet Bridge – Con Dao, also known as Dao Ngoc (Pearl Island), in the East Sea about 97 nautical miles from Vung Tau City, is endowed with lovely beaches shaded with evergreen trees, fresh air, clear blue waters, primitive forests and abundant wildlife. These days Con Dao also offers fishing and squid fishing services, which are becoming increasingly popular with tourists.

Con Dao has 20 sandy beaches, some of which are attached to primitive forests creating a poetic landscape. White sand dunes slope gently to the blue and clear water of the sea, inviting visitors to swim, play in the waves and discover the beauty of coral reefs with scuba diving. Tourists are also encouraged to try fishing, and in particular squid fishing.
Fishing is an option both day and night; however squid fishing is only available at night. Unlike many areas where the fish and squid are found in deep waters or hiding behind stone falls, fish and squid are abundant around Con Dao and are easy to catch.
Tour guides are available to direct fishing groups and supplies, such as boat, fish rods and bait, as well as high-tech fishing equipment like a Global Positioning System (GPS) and a FishFinder, can easily be hired locally. There are many types of fish to catch and families and friends often gather together for seafood parties.
Ca Map (Shark), 43, Lo Voi (limekiln) and Ong Dung capes can be reached overland and boat, junk and canoe trips which can also be arranged from Con Son town center or Ben Dam Port to Bay Canh (seven sceneries), Cau (areca), Bong Lan, Tai (talent), Tre Lon (big bamboo), and Tre Nho (small bamboo) islands, where visitors can indulge in the splendid island sceneries as well as freely drop their fishing rods and relax after a tiring work day.
At night the shimmering lights, gaudy colors and fake squid lure the squid swimming in the darkness of the sea. The best places for squid fishing are 914 Pier, Ben Dam Port, Mui Dai Cape, to name just some off-shore-sites.Nhat Beach on Love Top is known for romantic sunsets as well as wonderful shark fishing. This is the best place for fishermen hoping to conquer a shark.
Deluxe accommodation in Con Dau is available at Sai Gon-Con Dao Resort. Poulo Condore Restaurant offers excellent seafood and rents out all necessary fishing equipment.
For more information, contact Sai Gon-Con Dao Resort at 18 Ton Duc Thang Street, Con Dao District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. Tel: (064) 3630 979, email: sgtcd@hcm.vnn.vn, or Saigontourist Travel Service at 48 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, HCMC. Tel: (08) 3827 9279, email: info@saigontourist.net, website www.saigontourist.net
VietNamNet/SGT

Vietnamese officials visit Russian accident victims

VietNamNet Bridge – A Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) delegation on March 23-24 visited and presented gifts to Russians injured in a bus accident in central Binh Thuan Province ten days ago.

Ho Hong Lien, a VNAT representative, said that the visit to the injured currently being treated in Moscow was made at the request of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and during the delegation’s participation in the 16 th Moscow International Travel & Tourism Show (MITT-16).She also said it was regrettable that they could not visit the injured Russians in other localities.According to the Russian Emergency Ministry, by March 23, 15 Russian tourists were still hospitalised, including ten in Moscow, two in Saint Petersburg and three in Surgut.The accident occurred on Dai Ninh Pass on the night of March 13, killing nine Russian tourists and a Vietnamese tour guide, while injuring 15 others.
VietNamNet/VNA

Ba Na telpher named in Guinness World Records

VietNamNet Bridge – The Guinness World Records will present the world record certificates to the Ba Na – Suoi Mo telpher system in the central city of Da Nang on March 25, the inauguration day of the system.

According to Ba Na Hills Company, the operator of the telpher system, the Guinness World Records organization has recognized two world records related to the Ba Na – Suoi Mo telpher system: The world’s longest one-wire telpher network in the world (5,042.62m) and the telpher with the highest gap between the lowest and the highest stations (1,291.81m).

This telpher also holds the record for the largest departure station in Southeast Asia, which has entertainment facilities, a showroom of photos and objects about Ba Na’s past and present. At the last station, visitors can see one of the largest sitting Buddha statue in Asia, which is 27m high, in the Linh Ung pagoda.

With a total investment capital of VND300 billion, the Ba Na telpher has 24 pillars, 94 cabins, and can serve 1,500 visitors per hour. It takes only15 minutes for visitors to go from the foot of Ba Na Mountain to the Ba Na ecological tourism site, at 1,487m above sea level. This tourist site experiences four seasons within one day, and has an abundant fauna and floral system.

It is expected that Ba Na will welcome approximately 1 million visitors a year, compared to 200,000 in the past, when the telpher was not built.

Hai Chau

HCMC Tourism Festival set for next month

VietNamNet Bridge – HCMC Tourism Festival 2009, organized by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the HCMC Tourism Association, will take place at Dam Sen Cultural Park from April 3 to 5.

Cable car service in Ta Cu Mountain, Binh Thuan Province.

The festival will feature a Tourism Fair with 120 counters, southern culinary fair with 50 kiosks, the fifth HCMC Tourism Golden Voice contest, a game show called “HCMC spotlight of Asia” and a tourism photo exhibition.
In addition, restaurants and hotels owned by Ben Thanh Tourist, a prestigious brand in tourism, will organize many activities, promotion programs and game shows at counters at the festival.
Ben Thanh Tourist will also take this occasion to offer tourists new local and international tours. A cluster of tours to North and Central Vietnam will feature splendid landscapes, ancient pagodas and cultural and historic relics.
They include the four-day tour to Hanoi, Halong and Yen Tu priced at VND4.299 million per person, five-day tour to Hanoi, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Yen Tu and Halong priced at VND4.347 million per person; four-day tour to Danang City, Hoi An ancient town, My Son Sanctuary, Ba Na and Hue priced at VND3.199 million per person; and a five-day tour to Danang, Hoi An, Ngu Hanh Son, Lang Co and Hue priced at VND4.185 million a person.
As a special promotion, the four-day tour to Malaysia-Genting will include accommodation at the five-star ParkRoyal hotel for the price of a three-star hotel.
To mark the upcoming 20th anniversary, Ben Thanh Tourist is also introducing discounted tours to celebrate Liberation and Labor Day (April 30 and May 1). A tour to Ta Cu Mountain, Mui Ne, Con Dao, or just to Con Dao, promises a fascinating trip for discovering marine life, meanwhile the tour to Nha Trang City will be a relaxed holiday of stunning beaches, white sand dunes and diverse seafood.
For those interested in discovering ancient relics and learning more about Vietnamese culture and history, the Danang-Ba Na-Hue-Phong Nha tour, or the Hanoi-Ha Long-Yen Tu-Sapa tour are both good options.
International tours to Asian countries will include destinations such as Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia, and deluxe tours to European countries will include Germany, Austria, Netherlands, the U.S. and France.
The HCMC Tourism Festival will present animated programs and games with attractive gifts, and Ben Thanh Tourist will hand out vouchers worth VND200,000 to VND500,000 to enjoy outstanding culinary programs at the Liberty Hotel and Vien Dong Hotel, and VND50,000 vouchers for breakfast at Ben Thanh restaurants.
For more information, contact Ben Thanh Tourist at 86 Ly Tu Trong Street, HCMC’s District 1. Tel: (08) 5202020, web: www.benthanhtourist.com.
VietNamNet/SGT