Russians flock to Vietnam

HANOI, 22 May 2013: Vietnam should map a careful strategy to maximise profits from a booming Russian travel market, according to Sai Gon Tiep Thi (Saigon Marketing) a local media outlet.

In the opinion piece, the publication said Russian tourists were flocking to coastal destinations in Binh Thuan province, Ninh Thuan province and Nha Trang town turning the market into one of the most important travel sources for the country.

It quoted a local tour company based in Ho Chi Minh City, Lua Viet Tours’ chairman Nguyen Van My who said destinations were almost entirely relying on Russian visitors.

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Danang tackles scams

DANANG, 21 May 2013: Six agencies in Danang will collaborate to crackdown on tourist related scams to help build tourism competitiveness.

The city’s six agencies are: Public Order Police Department; Danang’s 115 Emergency Centre; local market management agency; Transport Department’s traffic inspectors; Aviation Security Centre; and Danang Visitor Centre.

They will support local police to deal with accidents, robberies, fraud, rip-offs that involve foreigners.

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Vietnamese Island lacks hotels

KIEN GIANG, 21 May 2013: An island destination near the Mekong River delta, Phu Quoc, needs more hotel rooms and better airline connectivity from neighbouring countries.

Kien Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism director, Le Minh Hoang, told the local media that due to the growth in tourism, Phu Quoc Island needed around 3,000 new hotel rooms over the next two to three years to meet increasing demand.

Phu Quoc Island welcomed around 38,000 tourists per month at the start of the year, but the monthly visits are now 70,000. The island has approximately 2,900 rooms, with only 600 rooms that are star ratings.

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Vietnam tightens road safety

BINH THUAN, 20 May 2013: Car and motor cycle rental firms come under the hammer after Binh Thuan province authorities warned they will clamp down on foreigners renting and driving vehicles without driving licenses.

The provincial People Committee deputy chairman, Nguyen Thanh Tam, said the crackdown was needed due to a rise in accidents involving tourists.

“We consider security at tourist spots and tourists’ safety a top prioriy…If people are offering motorbikes for rent and are breaking the law we will slap them with a heavy fine or revoke their license.”

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Tax schemes could revive travel

HANOI, 9 May 2013: Vietnam tourism authorities are presenting a tax reduction proposal to the government to boost tourism to the country.

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has sent a request to the Prime Minister asking for a reduction of 50% on the Value Added Tax and 50% on income tax for the remainder of the year.

“The scheme should help businesses in the tourism sector to build growth during difficult times,” the ministry spokesperson told local media.

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Vietnam tourism slips

HANOI, 3 May 2013: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reports a slight decline of 2.4% on April’s international tourist arrivals that totaled 613,919 trips.

Thailand’s outbound trips to Vietnam ranked sixth with 28,269 trips improving 70.30% over the same month last year.

China continued as the top source in the fourth month of the year supplying 153,051 trips and growing 25.88% from 121,580 followed by South Korea, Japan, the United States and Malaysia.

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Taxis blamed for tourism dip

HANOI, 2 May 2013: Vietnam  is considering installing microchips in licensed taxis to ensure they only operate from designated points such as major airports.

The scheme will attempt to clear illegal taxis from airports as complaints of malpractice and cheating are damaging the country’s tourism image. Technology will be used to monitor taxi movements to ensure they are not trespassing on airports.

Once taxis can be tracked through GPS and microchip technology, authorities will be able to crackdown on those that are picking up passengers from airports. Only authorised taxis are allowed to pick up passengers at airports.

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Minister frets over fees

HANOI, 30 April 2013: Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affair has threatened to pull the plug on its visa-free policy for visitors from seven Asian and European countries claiming the tourism industry has not taken advantage of the concession.

It accused the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism of failing to take advantage of the policy to promote tourism.

The comments were aired in the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, which claimed the ministry’s deputy minister, Nguyen Thanh Son, had accused  tourism related agencies of not promoting “Vietnam’s strong tourism potential.”

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Flying with an attitude

HANOI, 24 April 2013: In an effort to increase airline competitiveness, Vietnam authorities are urging local carriers to improve inflight services and staff attitude to their customers.

According to a Tuoi Tre media report, Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has sent messages to Vietnam Airlines, and private low-cost carriers, Jetstar and VietJetAir, asking them to improve the attitudes of stewards and stewardesses as well as offering better inflight services after receiving substantial complaints.

The carriers have been asked to prepare plans on how they intend to meet the ministry’s demands. The ministry also filed a request to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam to provide training to stewards and stewardesses working for all local airlines.

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HCMC hub feels the heat

HO CHI MINH CITY, 24 April 2013: Tourism experts say poor infrastructure  and declining safety are deterring tourists from visiting Ho Chi Minh City.

According to local news media, critics claim Ho Chi Minh City is losing its status as a tourism hub with many foreign visitors choosing to bypass  it to fly directly to more attractive and safer spots in the country.

The tourism department reported there were 3.8 million visits to the southern city accounting for a 56% market share of all arrivals down from more than 60% in the past.

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