The May 2 session of Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019 on tourism Private sector considers visa a roadblock to tourism In the morning on May 2, at the session about tourism in the Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019, travel enterprises and functional authorities have discussed the barriers to development to attract 17-20 million international visitors by 2020. During the discussion, visa emerged as one of the major roadblocks to private sector representatives. In his keynote opening speech for the session, Ngo Van Tuan, vice chairman of the Central Economic Commission, affirmed that 99 per cent of travel enterprises are from the private sector. Tourism is a wide economic sector and needs to be developed as a key economic sector to boost the development of each region. Truong Tan Son, representative from Saigontourist, said that to develop tourism in Vietnam, the country should extend its visa exemption policy to more countries or even consider individuals. Vietnam … [Read more...] about Private sector suggests wider visa exemptions
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Keys for Vietnam tourism to take off
The session on accelerating the development of the local tourism sector, which took place in the framework of Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019 According to Luong Hoai Nam, deputy general director of Viet Star JSC and member of the Tourism Advisory Council, visa is crucial in tourism development and receives foremost attention in tourism policies of countries around the world. Addressing the session, Dinh Viet Phuong, deputy CEO of fledging budget carrier Vietjet, reported that the number of the company’s international routes is even higher than its domestic routes and that swifter and smoother visa proceedings, particularly e-visa, is always one of the top issues for investors. Phuong cited the example of South Korea, which offers a five-year visa to residents living in Vietnam’s three major cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang), while Vietnam also provides visa exemption scheme to Koreans. This mutual easing of visa policies brought a 45 per cent jump … [Read more...] about Keys for Vietnam tourism to take off
Huge investment to touch down in Da Nang
The central city aims to accelerate economic growth from 7.68 per cent to 12 per cent, while more drastic measures and administrative reforms are needed to turn the city into an as a destination to investment and tourism. The city’s Party Secretary, Truong Quang Nghia, spoke at the Spring Dialogue 2019 on Friday, stating that this year will be a benchmark for the socio-economic Master Plan in 2030. Despite the existence of 27,000 businesses with total investment of VND193 trillion (US$8.5 billion), Da Nang contributed just 1.55 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “The city will focus on five key industries, including tourism and service and real estate; sea port and logistics; hi-tech industries and innovation; information technology and digital economy and hi-tech agriculture,” Nghia said at the dialogue. “Da Nang will dismantle barriers in administrative procedures to support local residents and the business community as well as … [Read more...] about Huge investment to touch down in Da Nang
Southeast Asia, local resort towns top New Year travel destinations for Vietnamese
The Lunar New Year holiday runs from February 2 to 10, and during the period, based on tour bookings, Cambodia and Myanmar are popular destinations, Bui Luu Thu Mai, director of Blue Sky Travel company, told VnExpress. Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) are also among the top 10 destinations, according to Agoda, a leading online travel booking platform. Thailand’s popularity among Vietnamese is due to its close proximity, low cost and the fact they do not need a visa, Nguyen Cong Hoan, deputy general director of Hanoi Redtours company, told VnExpress International. "Thailand has a warm climate and a lot of religious and recreational places. It is suitable for many families." More distant places like Japan, South Korea, Dubai, and Europe are also popular choices this year. Many people have booked tours to Japan since the holidays coincide with the plum blossom season there, Mai said. There have been some changes in outbound travel choices for this year. … [Read more...] about Southeast Asia, local resort towns top New Year travel destinations for Vietnamese
Tourism sector seizes opportunities to foster development
Vietnam’s tourism sector continued to witness impressive growth in 2018 as the number of foreign arrivals hit a new record of more than 15 million and the total revenue from tourist services is expected to reach more than VND600 trillion. Although there are still many difficulties and challenges, the sector has grasped opportunities to advance further. Delegates at a ceremony held in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province, on December 19 to welcome the 15 millionth foreign tourist to Vietnam. Advancing impressive growth A welcome ceremony for the 15 millionth foreign tourist to visit Vietnam was held in Ha Long City, in the northern province of Quang Ninh, on December 19, marking the first time that Vietnam’s hospitality sector has exceeded the target of welcoming 15 million international visitors a year. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of domestic tourists in 2018 is expected to reach over 80 million and the total revenue from … [Read more...] about Tourism sector seizes opportunities to foster development
Experts discuss ways to ensure tourism flows in the right way
Deputy culture minister Le Quang Tung speaks at a two-day Travel & Tourism Summit which started in Ha Noi yesterday. — Photo vnexpress.net Various problems in Viet Nam’s tourism sector were discussed by experts at the two-day Travel & Tourism Summit that began in Ha Noi on Wednesday. The event gathers some 1,500 participants including CEOs from leading groups in the world, domestic and foreign tourism experts and nearly 1,000 enterprises. Participants will hear reports and analyses by leaders in domestic and foreign tourism. At the first session yesterday afternoon, deputy culture minister Le Quang Tung admitted Viet Nam needs to re-structure the sector. “In 1990, the country received 250,000 foreign tourists while in 2017, it welcomed more than 13 million foreign visitors and 73 million domestic tourists,” he said. “So from 1990 to 2017, the number of foreign tourists increased 52 times while domestic tourists increased 72 times.” However, … [Read more...] about Experts discuss ways to ensure tourism flows in the right way
Overseas Vietnamese talents find fulfillment back home
Travelling around the world to find our way back home "We travel overseas to find our way back home," said Nguyen Le Tung. The 37-year-old market development manager at Boston Scientific, a leading manufacturer of medical devices with offices across 100 countries, studied and worked abroad for many years. He got his Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Webster University, Thailand, and got a scholarship from Arizona State University, the U.S., where he got a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering. He spent eight years in the U.S. After returning to Vietnam, he moved to Singapore to work for four years. He gained valuable insights into different working environments and cultures, and this experience has helped excel no matter where he goes. But, "each time I returned, I deeply felt that I was miles away from where I originally started. Since 2009, Vietnam has gone through significant changes in working environment and quality of life, which … [Read more...] about Overseas Vietnamese talents find fulfillment back home
Cities must go cashless to go smart
Cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City could see billions added to their budgets through cashless payments, Photo: Le Toan When wearable digital payments company Tappy Technologies Ltd. showcased its new contactless payment solution for everyday expenses at the Visa Asia-Pacific Security Summit in May, it mesmerised attendants with how digital payment functionality can now be embedded into traditional timepieces and jewellery. Money is now literally sitting on the wrist or a finger of a consumer, readily available on the go. “We embed a very flexible chip, which is waterproof and certified by all the payment card schemes, inside the form factors that you can see here [there was a plethora of watches, wristbands, and bracelets on display] – everything here is a payment device. So when you go to the store for a coffee and you’re wearing this nice watch – not a smart watch, it’s a regular watch – you’d just need a tap and that’s it, … [Read more...] about Cities must go cashless to go smart
Foreign arrivals to Việt Nam top 6.7m in five months
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Foreign arrivals to Việt Nam surpassed 6.7 million in the first five months of this year, up 27.6 per cent annually, the General Statistics Office announced on Tuesday. In May alone, the figure topped 1.16 million, down 13.5 per cent month-on-month. The number of Asian tourists hit over five million in five months, up 33.3 per cent while those from China was up 37 per cent, South Korea (62.1 per cent), Japan (6.6 per cent), Malaysia (12.5 per cent), Thailand (9.1 per cent) and Singapore (5.4 per cent). Meanwhile, the number of European visitors rose by 11.8 per cent year-on-year, including those from Russia (up 9.2 per cent), France (13.1 per cent), the UK (9.6 per cent), Germany (8.5 per cent) and Italy (18.3 per cent). Visitors from America and Oceania were up 13.8 per cent and 12.1 per cent, respectively. Major tourist localities saw a surge in tourist arrivals. The central city of Đà Nẵng … [Read more...] about Foreign arrivals to Việt Nam top 6.7m in five months
Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay
Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay, illustration photo With globalisation encouraging visa-free travel all over the world, only 24 countries have visa exemptions in Vietnam, while other countries in the region have much higher numbers: 168 in Indonesia, 162 in Malaysia, 159 and Singapore and the Philippines, and 57 in Thailand. In order to attract more foreign tourists, the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) sent a letter to the Vietnamese prime minister recently, asking for more visa exemptions for international tourists, especially ones from developed countries, who might indulge in long stays and luxury spending. According to TAB, since mid-2015, the visa waiver for tourists has helped raise the number of foreign visitor arrivals by 20 per cent, but difficulties have been caused by a lack of clarity regarding the visa waiver programme for five European countries – the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy – which will expire at the end of June. Talking to VIR, a … [Read more...] about Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay