Travel

Solutions sought to further boost Hanoi’s tourism recovery and development

Published

5 months ago

October 24, 2022

Despite the strong recovery recorded recently, Hanoi’s tourism industry has still faced many challenges and difficulties, especially in luring foreign tourists, prompting insiders to seek more effective measures to further boost the tourism growth of the capital city.

Solutions sought to further boost Hanoi’s tourism recovery and development hinh anh 1

Visitors at pedestrians’ streets around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Hanoi – Despite the strong recovery
recorded recently, Hanoi’s tourism industry has still faced many challenges and
difficulties, especially in luring foreign tourists, prompting insiders to seek
more effective measures to further boost the tourism growth of the capital
city.

Since tourism activities were fully resumed on March 3, 2022, the tourism
market, especially the domestic market of Vietnam in general and Hanoi in
particular, has seen a growing trend. As of August, the number of domestic traveler
was estimated at 79.8 million, 19.8 million higher than the target set for the
whole year.

Hanoi alone welcomed 10.62 million tourists in the first
seven months of this year, 3.6 times higher than the figure recorded in the same time
last year, exceeding the city’s set target for the period.

Total revenue from tourism activities in the period is
likely to reach 31.9 trillion VND (1.36 billion USD), up 3.9 times
year-on-year, the department reported.

In July alone, the capital city served 1.94 million
tourists, earning 6.15 trillion VND (263.3 million USD).

Hanoi’s tourism sector set a target of welcoming 9-10 million visitors
in 2022, including 1.2-2 million foreigners. Its total revenue is expected to
reach 27.84-35.84 trillion VND.

According to experts, the greatest difficulties that the
tourism industry of Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular is facing is a
modest number of foreign tourists. To date, the country has welcomed about 1.8
million foreign visitors, much lower than the figure in the same period of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and
fulfilling only one-third of the target.

For Hanoi, as of September, the city has received about 766
foreign arrivals, well below the goal.

On October 24, Ha Noi Moi Newspaper and the city’s Tourism Association are jointly organising a seminar to talk measures to further promote tourism recovery
and development of the capital city after COVID-19 pandemic.

The seminar is expected to clarify challenges that the city
is countering during and after the recovery period, and seek solutions to
attract more visitors, especially foreigners, in the future, thus turning tourism a spearhead economic sector of Hanoi.

In order to make the tourism industry thrive, earlier this year,
the city has built a plan to welcome foreign tourists in the new normal, which
aims to ensure safety and contribute to the city’s tourism recovery and
development.

The city will bolster tourism promotion activities in key
markets with high level of safety in COVID-19 prevention and control, namely
European and ASEAN countries, India, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China,
Australia, the US and Canada.

To raise efficiency, the capital city’s tourism sector will
boost cooperation with other sectors and localities for safe and substantial
tourism development, making sure that tourism activities are resumed in a
concerted and consistent manner.

In particular, it will join hands with diplomatic corps and
Vietnamese trade offices abroad and international organisations to arrange
investment, trade and tourism promotion activities. The sector at the same time will roll
out activities connecting with tourism localities in the northern and central
regions, Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces to build programmes serving
foreign holidaymakers.

Communications will be promoted to popularise tourist
destinations and new tourism products of Hanoi via traditional methods, TV
channels at home and abroad, websites and social media sites like Youtube and
Facebook, under the themes ‘Hanoi – Travel to Love’ and a safe and attractive
tourist destination.

The city will collaborate with embassies and representative
offices abroad and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and carriers to hold
tourism promotion events at major markets, as well as welcome delegations of foreign
reporters and travel companies in Hanoi.

Hanoi is working to improve the quality of tourism products
at heritage and relic sites and craft villages and compile introduction in five
foreign languages of English, French, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Due attention will also be given to nightlife activities and new pedestrian zones will be opened around Son Tay ancient citadel; at an
urban area in Hoang Mai district; and around Hai Ba Trung district’s Tran Nhan
Tong street and surrounding areas, including the bank of Thien Quang Lake. Nightlife
tourism products will be created in line with traditional cultural values./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/solutions-sought-to-further-boost-hanois-tourism-recovery-and-development/240589.vnp

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Travel

Travel demand to surge during coming holidays

Published

11 mins ago

March 26, 2023

TienphongNews

Outbound tours are preferred by Vietnamese travellers for the coming holidays starting on April 29, according to travel agents and tour operators.

Travel demand to surge during coming holidays hinh anh 1

Tourists at a beach in Da Nang City (Photo: VNA)

HCM City – Outbound tours are preferred by Vietnamese
travellers for the coming holidays starting on April 29, according to travel
agents and tour operators.

Working people will enjoy five consecutive days off from April 29 to May 3 to
celebrate the commemoration of the Hung Kings (the nation legendary founders)
that falls on April 29, the National Reunification Day on April 30 and
International Labour Day on May 1, which has prompted a surge in tour bookings.

Tran Phuong Linh, marketing and IT director of BenThanh Tourist, said some
customers can arrange to extend their holiday to nine days for long-haul
outbound destinations.

BenThanh Tourist reported an increase of 30-40% in tour bookings for the coming
holidays compared to last year.

Tours to Hong Kong and Taiwan have been fully booked one and a half months
ahead of the Reunification Day and International Labour Day holidays, Linh
said.

Saigontourist is offering more than 200 inbound and outbound tours for the
holidays.

The company expects to serve more than 100,000 leisure and MICE (meeting,
incentive, convention, exhibition) customers.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, marketing director of Vietravel, said more than 3,000
customers have booked tours for the Reunification Day & International
Labour Day holidays, with outbound tours accounting for 70% of overall tour
bookings.

Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan
Island, and Dubai are favourite destinations, Khanh said.

Nguyen Minh Man, marketing and communications director of TSTtourist, said
domestic tours to islands and beaches as well as tourist destinations in the
Central Highlands, and central and northern regions were mostly chosen for the
coming holidays.

The company expects to serve 2,000 customers during the holidays, Man said.

The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) will operate additional 52 train
services between April 28 and May 3 to meet rising travel demand for the
holidays.

In the north, it will add 22 train services connecting Hanoi with Lao Cai, Hai
Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Dong Hoi, and Da Nang.

In the south, it will add 28 train services connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Da
Nang, Quang Ngai, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, and Phan Thiet.

It will also run two more trains connecting Hanoi and HCM City during the
holidays./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/travel-demand-to-surge-during-coming-holidays/250129.vnp

Travel

HCM City looking to recover int’l tourist market

Published

8 hours ago

March 25, 2023

TienphongNews

Ho Chi Minh City posted strong socio-economic recovery last year after a long period of grappling with COVID-19, with its tourism sector recording rapid and impressive growth.

The city’s tourism sector began to prosper following the Government’s decision to reopen borders and welcome international visitors from March 15, 2022.

It welcomed nearly 3.5 million foreign visitors last year and over 31.5 million domestic travellers.

Total tourism revenue exceeded 130 trillion VND (equivalent to over 5.5 billion USD) for the year.

Despite this recovery and the city proving to be among the most popular destinations nationwide, there remain a host of concerns.

Despite these obstacles, HCM City is maximising efforts to recover the international tourist market.

The city is focusing on investment to create new tourism offerings, upgrade tour packages, and promote tourism activities.

Though the tourism sector failed to reach its goals in 2022, results were still much more positive than in the previous year.

HCM City expects to welcome 5 million international visitors this year.

Though this goal is relatively modest compared to pre-pandemic levels, the local tourism sector is working to improve entry and visa policies as well as air and road transport links, and to promote tourism activities to welcome back a large number of foreign holidaymakers./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/hcm-city-looking-to-recover-intl-tourist-market/250024.vnp

Travel

Unique beauty of Hang Pagoda in Trà Vinh

Published

13 hours ago

March 25, 2023

TienphongNews

A panoramic view of Hang Pagoda. — Photo thamhiemmekong.com

Lâm Giang

As a province with many ethnic Khmer people living, Trà Vinh Province has a distinct beauty expressed through its unique architectural works.

Among the famous landscapes and monuments in the province, Hang Pagoda is a must-visit destination.

The pagoda, also called Kompông Chrây Pagoda, was established in 1637. It is 5km from Trà Vinh Town.

The 2ha-pagoda is completely covered in green forest.

It is called Hang (Cave) Pagoda because the western side gate, facing National Highway 54, is built like a system of three caves. The middle gate is a large cave, and the two sides are small caves. All three gates are solidly built with 12m thick walls, creating the feeling of standing in the gate like a cave.

The arched pagoda gate is an artistic architectural work that distinguishes Hang Pagoda from the rest of the Khmer pagodas in the province. It contains a deeply religious and historical value.

The cave gate is a ‘relic’ showing that Trà Vinh Khmer Theravada Buddhism has a certain inheritance of Brahminism because, in the old days, Brahmin monks often lived quietly in dark and deserted caves.

There are rows of ancient trees at the pagoda’s gate. — Photo thamhiemmekong.com

The main hall of the pagoda was built on high ground, with many steps leading up, decorated with many patterns and motifs. The roof of the main hall is composed of many overlapping layers, on top of which is a majestic tower.

Inside the main hall are two rows of tall columns, and in the middle of the hall is the altar of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Opposite the main hall is a population of 12 animals arranged in an arc shaped like a boat.

Like other Khmer pagodas, Hang Pagoda is not only a place of worship and belief but also a place of learning, moral education, and preservation of the traditional art and culture of the Khmer people.

In the pagoda, there is a fairly large school and about 20 small stilt houses for the Khmer in the area to come to pray and practice here.

The main hall of Hang Pagoda. — Photo thamhiemmekong.com

The properties of Hang Pagoda cover an area of about 7ha. It is really a primaeval forest with many endemic plant species such as bamboo, rare wood trees. They are crammed into many different layers, which are very valuable in terms of the biosphere and are a natural source of genes for future generations.

Another attraction of this pagoda to visitors is the wood carving workshop that has been operating for nearly 30 years, with many products that are famous in the Vietnamese fine art market and a strictly protected “bird sanctuary”, home to many different kinds of birds and bats.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the forest on the properties of Hang Pagoda has been inhabited by many bats and crows. At night they go out to look for food. During the day, they hang from the branches of the trees.

However, after that, not many bats were left for unknown reasons.

From the 1990s onwards, the forest of Hang Pagoda has become home to many kinds of birds. The pagoda sets out very strict regulations on protection of birds and trees in the forest, creating a peaceful natural environment for flocks of birds to live. There are nearly tens of thousands of birds of all kinds. Most are white storks, ivory storks, red-necked storks and herons.

Hang Pagoda is home to many birds and bats. — Photo huongsacmientay.com

Loved and protected by people, more and more birds have arrived in the pagoda. They make their nests even in the newly planted bonsai area in front of the main hall and the monks’ house.

Visiting Hang Pagoda, visitors will have the opportunity to witness the monks of the wood-carving workshop to create unique artworks from tree roots.

Wood-carving artists at work at Hang Pagoda. — Photo thamhiemmekong.com

During nearly 30 years of operation, the art wood-carving workshop has produced thousands of works of different sizes. All works from the workshop are imbued with the traditional visual arts of the Khmer ethnics.

After visiting the workshop, tourists stroll around the pagoda. In the morning, the birds soar to the sky, spreading to find food in the fields and rivers nearby, creating a noisy atmosphere for the whole forest.

Trà Vinh boasts about 150 pagodas of the Khmer and nearly 60 pagodas of other ethnic groups.

Visitors feel like they are lost in the “Land of Buddha”, being immersed in the unique spiritual and cultural space of the Khmer with unique ancient architecture of their pagodas.

For tourists who love to learn about spiritual culture, Trà Vinh is the ideal choice. VNS

Source: http://ovietnam.vn/travel/unique-beauty-of-hang-pagoda-in-tra-vinh_342701.html