JAKARTA: Indonesia’s aviation safety record has come under the spotlight again after a Lion Air flight with 189 people on board crashed into the sea off Indonesia’s island of Java on Monday morning (Oct 29). Lion Air, a low-cost Indonesian airline, has been involved in a number of incidents in recent years. (Photo: AFP/Adek Berry) Flight JT610 was en route to Pangkal Pinang from Jakarta when it lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff. Indonesia, which relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands, has seen several fatal crashes in recent years. Last year the Indonesian air traffic controllers association revealed that the rate of take-off and landings in Jakarta allowed by state-run air navigation company AirNav was more than the airport could handle, increasing the chance of accidents. The country's carriers have also in the past faced years-long bans from entering European Union and US airspace over their safety records. Recently, a … [Read more...] about Lion Air crash casts spotlight on Indonesia’s aviation safety record
Garuda indonesia travel fair
More than 2,000 tourists evacuated after Indonesia quake kills 98
Hospitals on Lombok were also hit hard by the quake, with doctors forced to tend to patients outside AFP/ADEK BERRY The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake sparked terror among tourists and locals alike, coming just a week after another deadly tremor surged through Lombok and killed 17 people. Rescuers used diggers and heavy machinery to clear debris and search for survivors on Monday. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said it expected the death toll to rise once the rubble of more than 13,000 flattened and damaged houses was cleared away. Power and communications were severed in some areas, with landslides and a collapsed bridge blocking access to areas around the quake epicentre in the north - forcing rescue teams to bring in the heavy machinery. The military said it would send a ship with medical aid, supplies and logistics support. National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said there were fears a number of people were trapped in the ruins of a collapsed mosque … [Read more...] about More than 2,000 tourists evacuated after Indonesia quake kills 98
Travex travel fair 2019 to take place in Quang Ninh
At the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2018 (Photo: vietnamtourism.gov.vn) Travex is among the most long-standing annual travel fairs in ASEAN as part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF). Quang Ninh province will host the ATF 2019 from January 14-19 next year under the theme “ASEAN: The Power of One”. The travel exchange will feature 450 pavilions of ASEAN nations, including 100 booths of host Vietnam. It provides a platform for tourism firms of Vietnam and ASEAN to meet and strengthen cooperation with more than 400 international buyers and reporters from major tourism markets such as the US, Europe and Northeast Asia, among others. First launched in 1981 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ATF is the biggest annual and alternated event under the ASEAN tourism cooperation umbrella with a view to promoting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one tourist destination. It involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 ASEAN member states, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, … [Read more...] about Travex travel fair 2019 to take place in Quang Ninh
Vietnam Airlines wins travellers’ choice award
Vietnam Airlines is named one of the best airlines in Asia for its quality service. — Photo VNAViet Nam News HÀ NỘI — National carrier Vietnam Airlines was named one of the best airlines in Asia in the annual Travellers’ Choice Major Awards by travel website TripAdvisor. The other airlines named in the same category include five-star airlines from Asia---Singapore Airlines, ANA, Korean Air, Garuda Indonesia and Cathay Pacific. The results are based on the objective assessments of airlines by passengers from around the world over 12 months. Started in 2016, the TripAdvisor Airline Reviews has attracted a large community of travellers. TripAdvisor’s website features more than 900,000 reviews of over 550 airlines in the world, in which Vietnam Airlines has received nearly 4,000 reviews in 26 languages. TripAdvisor reviews airlines based on eight criteria, including customer service, seating, leg space, hygiene, food and drinks, flight procedures, … [Read more...] about Vietnam Airlines wins travellers’ choice award
Vietnam International Travel Mart 2018 opens
The event has attracted 670 travel businesses of 45 local provinces and cities and 21 countries and territories, such as Russia, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the State Steering Committee on Tourism affirmed that tourism will be the key economic sector of Vietnam. The travel fair is considered as a bridge between people from different countries to meet, exchange, strengthen and promote the mutual understanding, the cooperation, friendship and solidarity, he said. The growth rate of the tourism industry in Vietnam and other countries has been maintained over the past years. Vietnam has a huge tourism potential and hopes to join hands with countries and other economies in the region and around the world to promote sustainable tourism development in the future. The success of the tourism sector of Vietnam and other countries thanks for opening and reform policies between nations and economies, Mr. Vu … [Read more...] about Vietnam International Travel Mart 2018 opens
Vietnam attends India’s travel fair SATTE 2018
Running through February 2, the event is South Asia’s leading tourism fair and aims to allow tourism businesses, airlines and hotels to meet and seek partnerships. Vietnam’s booth introduced tourist destinations in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam. The Vietnamese booth at SATTE 2018 On the sidelines of SATTE 2018, Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Tourism Department Bui Ta Hoang Vu met with Joint Secretary of India’s Ministry of Tourism Suman Billa. Vu briefed his host on the city’s tourism development policies, noting that the city is focusing on improving its services to meet the demands of Indian tourists. He expressed hope that tourism management agencies of the two countries as well as Ho Chi Minh City and New Delhi will create optimal conditions for people of both sides to travel to each other’s country. Vu revealed that Vietnam is working to soon open a direct air route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and New Delhi. He also invited … [Read more...] about Vietnam attends India’s travel fair SATTE 2018
VNAT recognizes ITE as national travel fair
VNAT recognizes ITE as national travel fairBy Dao Loan - The Saigon Times DailyHCMC - The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has recognized the annual International Travel Expo HCMC, or ITE HCMC, as a national travel event to attract international buyers to the country.La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of HCMC’s Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism as the fair’s organizer, confirmed that his department had received a decision to this effect from the national tourism authority.“In the document, VNAT said that from this year the national tourism authority will not organize any international fair in the country to gather its strength for organizing ITE HCMC as a national event,” he said.Since this fair, VNAT will join forces with the organizer to hold the fair in HCMC, and will also contribute a budget to carry out promotion activities during the fair, Khanh said.“The first activity is that VNAT will handle familiarization trips for two groups of … [Read more...] about VNAT recognizes ITE as national travel fair
Indonesia to boost tourism, trade links with Vietnam
Indonesia will make use of its advantages to enhance tourism, trade and investment cooperation with Vietnam in the years to come, Indonesian diplomats said. Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Pitono Purnomo said as the two countries were home to world-recognized sites of great cultural and natural values, such as Yogyakarta and Bali in Indonesia and Hue and Halong Bay in Vietnam, travel agencies were able to cooperate on package tours covering these destinations. Airlines can join in by providing more air services between the two member nations of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Purnomo told the Daily at a Media Informal Gathering between Indonesian diplomats and local reporters in HCMC on Tuesday that Garuda Indonesia would resume service to Vietnam soon after the Indonesian national carrier had to call off its daily Jakarta-Singapore-HCMC flight since late November.Syamsudin Sidabutar, minister counselor at the Indonesian embassy, said that Garuda Indonesia … [Read more...] about Indonesia to boost tourism, trade links with Vietnam
Four international tourism fairs to be held in 2013
(Cinet)- On March 05, in Ha Noi, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has a working with some provinces and cities on preparations for international tourism fairs in 2013. This is the first time that four international tourism trade fairs are held in a single year. They are Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) Hanoi 2013 from April 18 to 21, Nha Trang Sea International Fair from June 6 to 8, Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo from September 12 to 14, and Hai Phong – Red River Tourism Fair scheduled in October and November. Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Hoang Tuan Anh, asked provinces and cities to consult the successes and experiences from ITE Ho Chi Minh City. He suggested making gastronomy a highlight in fairs to build a specific trademark. Fairs need connections together with Vietnam Airlines and good communications for promotion, he affirmed. Also at the meeting, the Minister highlighted the objectives and … [Read more...] about Four international tourism fairs to be held in 2013
Vietnam attends Asian travel fair in Japan
(Cinet)- Vietnam has participated in the 2011 Asian Tourism Fair, which was held in the capital city of Dhaka by the Bangladesh Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism from September 29-October 1. As the first large-scale travel fair in Japan after the country was devastated by earthquake and tsunami in March, JATA World Travel Fair attracted the participation of tourism management units, travel agencies, hotel operators and airlines from 144 countries and territories around the world. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, Hue city and several Vietnamese travel agencies introduced beautiful images about the land and people of Vietnam . They also provided visitors with information about well-known tourist attractions in Vietnam and tourism products of domestic travel agencies. The same day, VNAT and Vietnam Airlines co-hosted a workshop to promote Vietnam ’s tourism in Tokyo , which was attended by a large number of … [Read more...] about Vietnam attends Asian travel fair in Japan