the 37 Issues of Travel Weekly

1000 YEARS OF THANG LONG - HANOI

07 O

ct, 2

010

www.travelweekly.com.vnwww.travelweekly.com.vn

16-21

3322-23

International Travel Expo 2010 was biggest ever

Hanoi Ancient Citadel Relic Complex

Important ITB Asia 2010 Media Information

Official Media Partner for:

www.travelweekly.com.vn

1000 YEARS OF THANG LONG - HANOI

07 O

ct, 2

010

www.travelweekly.com.vnwww.travelweekly.com.vn

16-21

3322-23


Hanoi Ancient Citadel Relic Complex


Official Media Partner for:

Dear Travel Weekly readers!

Welcome to the 37 Issues of Travel Weekly!

First of all, on behalf of all the members at Travel Weekly Magazine I would like to say thank you very much for supporting and sharing with us your ideas since the early days of our magazine.

Born to bring our readers useful and up-to-date information about Travel Busi-ness in Vietnam and around the world to your desktop every Thursday, today, Travel Weekly becomes a part of your daily works for all travel executive as well as travel lovers those who cares about the tourism industry.

We understand that saving a tree is the responsibility for everyone who inter-ested in the environmental disaster as what the Business Travel operators call “Responsible Travel”, therefore, towards the eco-friendly environment, Travel Weekly call our each issue is Eco-Friendly Magazine because we design and “print” and/or publish our magazine in PDF format which allows us to send you immediately via e-mail as well as distribute our magazine to global read-ers. Moreover, at our website, there is even a better way to read our magazine without download which let you choose the first read and then deciding to keep it on your computer for store or further review.

We do hope that everything we do is just to give you everything in travel news for your works and your care. We are looking forward to receive your supports and share with us in the coming time. Thank you for travelling with us!

Editor-in-chiefAnh. Nguyen HoangM: +84 904 230 230E: [email protected]

NewsHang. Bui DucM: +84 979 051 210E: [email protected]

AdvertisingQuyen. Nguyen TuM: +84 987 622 113E: [email protected]

SalesDuong. NguyenM: +84 904 884 099E: [email protected]

Add: #130 Pho Duc Chinh Str., Ba Dinh District, Hanoi – VietnamTel: +84 4 3715 3558 - Fax: +84 3715 3560Email: [email protected]: www.travelweekly.com.vn

DesignKien. Nguyen TrungMinh. Truong HoangPhuong. NguyenE: [email protected]

Contact us

Editor-in-Chief Anh. Nguyen Hoang

http://www.itehcmc.com/

09. Elegant Villa FB introduces modern fine dining through October offers

04. Hilton manages second property in Vietnam

VIETNAM NEWS

06 - 07. Major sailing event coming to Nha Trang

05. Director recognises Ha Long Bay’s potential

10 - 11. Countries of CLMV join hands for tourism development

Hanoi Ancient Citadel Relic Complex 22 - 23

The relic complex of Hanoi ancient citadel is regarded as the most significant historical and cultural relic in Vietnam and has been officially added to UNESCO’s world heritage list. It has brought honour and pride to every Vietnamese citizen as part of the nation’s cultural history.

International Travel Expo 2010 was biggest

ever

FEATURES04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

14

16

17

19

22

23

24

25

27

29

30

31

33

34

36

37

38

Thursday 07.10.2010

The Trade Show for the Asian market – will take place Wednesday, 20 October to Friday, 22 October 2010 at Suntec, Singapore. ITB Asia will feature hundreds of ex-hibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel.


16 - 21

33

14. Ana Mandara Hue to open its doors in Hue

24. Thua Thien Hue hosts photography exhibition to celebrate capital’s 1,000th birthday

25. Arts in spotlight as youth mark millennium

1,000 YEARS OF THANG LONG - HANOI

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

30. Dubai talks over tourism solutions

31. ITB Asia attracts nearly half new buyers

32. Malaysia to be host the World Tourism Conference 2010

34. WTM Thursday Programme Tackles Biggest Headaches Facing Industry

40 - 41. Yen Island

DESTINATIONS

International Travel Expo 2010, the largest tourism event in Vietnam, opened its doors on September 30 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center. The Exhibi-tion, was organised by the Vietnam National Administra-tion of Tourism; HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; VINEXAD; and IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd, is bigger and better than before.

SPECIAL

36. SIA to offer Full in-flight connectivity

AVIATION NEWS

38. American Airlines traffic climbs in September

39. Qatar Airways expands Flights to Bangkok and Vietnam

Thursday 07.10.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

VIETNAM NEWS

Vietnamtourism, Saigontourist, Viet-nam Airlines, and many other tour-ism companies like La Palanche, Bai Tho Junks, and Vietventures took part in the 32nd International French Travel Market Top Resa tourism exhibition held in Paris from September 21 to 24. The event at-tracted 600 companies from around the world operating in tourism, transport, and hospitality.

The Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee and Moscow authorities will jointly hold “Moscow Days in Hanoi” from 8-10 October to cel-ebrate Hanoi’s millennial anniver-sary, and it’s as part of the activities to strengthen Hanoi-Moscow coop-eration. During the event there will be a variety of activities including a photo exhibition, a book exhibi-tion, and an art performance by the world-famous Pyatnitsky Russian Folk Chorus.

Vietnam firms attend French tourism expo

“Moscow Days” to be held in Hanoi

New luxury hotel launched in Hanoi

The southern province of Binh Thuan will host the international sailing festival from 8-11 December. This event is to mark the National Tourism Year in the Southern Cen-tral Coast – Phu Yen 2011 and the 15th anniversary of the establish-ment of the Binh Thuan tourism industry, aiming to develop a world-class sailing industry and promote tourism in the province, seek to showcase the attraction of travelling by sea to Vietnam and Binh Thuan to local and foreign visitors.

The five-star Grand Plaza hotel has opened in Hanoi. The property, which is owned by South Korea’s Charmvit Group, will feature 620 rooms in the city’s Cau Giay dis-trict. The hotel is part of the Grand Plaza Hanoi mixed-use develop-ment, which also includes a depart-ment store and office space.

Binh Thuan to host sail-ing festival

The famous Bat Trang pottery village in Hanoi’s Gia Lam District is marking the capital’s millennium anniversary by producing and showcasing 1,000 stoneware items.The stoneware will be exhibited from 5-10 October at the village.“The exhibition aims to celebrate Bat Trang Pottery’s cultural and artistic values and its talented potters,” said Gia Lam Dis-trict’s Culture and Information Department head Do Van Thinh.Themed Bat Trang Pottery – Traditional and Contemporary, the exhibition brings together antiques and commercial items, which account for 30 and 70 per cent of the pieces, respectively.The crafts are dragons from the Ly dynasty, which established Hanoi as the capital; a carved portrait of King Ly Thai To’s histor-ical edict to relocate the capital to Hanoi; and a 3.15m-tall vase.

Hilton International Manage LLC and its partner Bach Dang Ho-tel Complex Trading Service Co announced a deal on manage-ment of a hotel in the Bach Dang project in the central coast city of Danang.The U.S.-based hotel management firm will run the five-star Hilton Danang Hotel, a second property in Vietnam’s hospitality market under Hilton’s management after the one in Hanoi.Than Ha Nhat Thong, board chairman of Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading Service Co, told a news briefing in HCMC on Wednesday that the company had worked with various interna-tional hotel management firms over the past three years, and finally picked Hilton.Thong said the company, a 70:30 venture between 508 Company Limited and Bach Dang Guest House under the Command of Military Zone 5, had invested some VND750 billion to develop the project on 7,000 square meters along Bach Dang Street in Hai Chau District in Danang.The Bach Dang Complex Project has a 25-story hotel with 226 rooms, a 17-storey building with 15,600 square meters of office space and serviced apartment, and 10,500 square meters of retail podium.Guy Phillips, vice president development of Hilton Worldwide for Asia Pacific region, told the Daily that Hilton was looking for a property in HCMC for management in the coming time to expand its presence in the country.He said Hilton wanted to bring to the country other hotel brands among its ten to cater to different needs in the coming years.Thong said the project was scheduled for completion by the last quarter of 2012.

Hilton manages second property in Vietnam

4

Famous stoneware showcased

Hilton Hanoi Opera House


VIETNAM NEWS

Hilton manages second property in Vietnam

5

Famous stoneware showcased

The Director of New7Wonders Founda-tion, Jean-Paul De La Fuente, has called on Vietnam to launch a national campaign to promote Ha Long Bay’s image and attempt to gain the title of a New7Wonders attrac-tion.

Jean-Paul made the statement in an inter-view with The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports & Culture) newspaper after concluding a working session with the Ministry of Cul-ture, Sports and Tourism on October 4.

He said the publicity campaign was neces-sary in the final rounds of the competition to increase public awareness of the elec-tion, which should involve the Government. Brazil’s President took part in voting for its key natural attraction as it was part of the national pride and honour, said the chief of the world body evaluating new world wonders.

He said he understood that at this point, all Vietnamese considered Ha Long bay as the biggest wonder of the nation, which he said needs massive promotion and election campaigns to promote its image.

Jean-Paul advised Vietnam to avoid

routines in campaigning while creating special initiatives to attract public attention, especially the young generation, to vote.

He said pictures of the site were not con-vincing enough as his body had received numerous beautiful pictures from 28 candi-dates around the world.

These pictures should be accompanied with strong messages, he emphasised.

Colourful figures should be invited to pose in the scene and take part in voting and messages on Ha Long Bay should be conveyed to international tourists, Paul advised.

The voting in the final round will be ex-panded to telephone calls and messaging, in addition to the internet.

He said he expected the Vietnamese people would bring their national spirit, which he saw with his own eyes in the Thang Long-Hanoi millennium anniversary, to the Ha Long Bay campaign.

The competition will not be decided by a group of people but by a majority in the world, Jean-Paul emphasised.

Director recognises Ha Long Bay’s potential


VIETNAM NEWS6

Some of the world’s most skilled yachtsmen will set a course for Nha Trang next month, when the fifth Vina-Capital Hong Kong to Viet-nam Race terminates on the shores of this seaside city.

Organized by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) and supported by Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa and Saigontourist Travel Services, the four-day sailing event begins Oct. 20 and covers 656 nautical miles, making it the longest Category One race in Asia.

“I can’t think of a better place for such a gruelling offshore activity to end than in one of the world’s most beautiful bays,” said Scott Hodgetts, general manager of the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa, the event’s official hotel and site of the awards celebration. “Add Nha Trang’s nautical heritage to the equation and you’ve got the

perfect finish line.”

Of course, Hodgetts is both biased and privileged. The 30-story Sheraton, opened less than six months ago, stands astride the bay and Nha Trang skyline like a glimmer-ing titan. Guests and race officials perched on any of the hotel’s 284 room balconies will have first sighting of the winning boat, scheduled to come into view from around Hon Tre Island on Oct. 23.

The VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race forms part of the renowned China Coast Race Week and is an officially ap-proved and sanctioned qualifying com-petition for the Rolex Sydney to Hobart, an iconic Australian sporting event that takes place every December and is widely considered one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.

This year’s edition of the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race — which debuted

in 1996 and was resurrected in 2004, when the biennial format was established — also coincides with the full moon, which will add to the atmosphere as the boats race along at 20 knots during the hours of dark-ness.

“Nha Trang has developed into a real tour-ist destination, with accommodation and bars in reasonable supply, and ample an-chorage and shelter for the boats,” said Lindsay Lyons, the race’s promotions man-ager. “Plus, of all the destinations to which we run races, Nha Trang is definitely the most family-friendly, attracting partners and kids to travel down from Hong Kong to make a holiday of it.”

Only boats at least 10 meters in length and crews with documented proof of sufficient offshore training are eligible to participate in the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race.

Major sailing event coming to Nha Trang


VIETNAM NEWS 7

For more information about the VinaCapi-tal Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, visit www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkvietnamrace.htm. To book accommodation at Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa, go to www.sheraton.com/nhatrang or call +84 58 388 0000.

About Sheraton Hotels & ResortsHelping guests make connections at more than 400 hotels in 75 countries around the world, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is in the final stages of a $6 billion worldwide, multi-year revitalization program. This effort includes a $4 billion investment in North America, with over $2 billion in new hotels, $1.5 billion in renovations and $400 million in signature brand initiatives around the Sheraton brand. Sheraton is owned by and is the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with over 980 properties in more

than 100 countries and 145,000 employ-ees at its owned and managed proper-ties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the follow-ing internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Star-wood Hotels also owns Starwood Vaca-tion Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.star-woodhotels.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts World-wide, Inc.Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and lei-sure companies in the world with 1000 properties in nearly 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its

owned and managed properties. Star-wood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following inter-nationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

http://www.sofitel.com/gb/home/index.shtml


VIETNAM NEWS 9

Villa FB, an elegant restaurant which combines old-world charm from the restored 1930s French colonial villa with contemporary

touches from its monochrome décor, is introducing modern fine dining through its special October promotions, including Weekend barbeque dinners and Canadian Thanksgiving set menu.

With these first ever Weekend barbeque dinners, foodies could tuck into the most luscious spread of as much delicacies as anyone could possibly manage. Taking place every Saturday and Sunday from 6pm to 10pm, Villa FB’s tropical garden beguiles on balmy evenings, complete with the tantalising smell of chargrilled mixed seafood skewers or succulent pep-pered steaks wafting in the air. The entic-ing terrace beckons diners to sit down under the starry sky for an alfresco meal with a glass of vino or four, reminiscent of laid-back summer nights in Europe and North America. Or you could choose to sit indoor, by the white shutters looking out to the yard, to appreciate the interior of one of the top 5 most beautiful restau-

rants in town, while others may want to be seated in the glass room, “where you feel like dining in the middle of an exotic rain forest with the water running down on glass walls” as one gourmet visiting Villa FB has aptly put it. This palatable “all you can eat” deal costs $30 per person, and is valid from now until 31 October 2010.

In addition, Villa FB presents an exqui-site Canadian Thanksgiving set menu, featuring meticulously presented dishes including cream of pumpkin soup with seared Alaska scallop and green oil as entrée. Main course features deep fried scampi with passion fruit sauce, mashed yam and seafood ravioli, or for the traditional-minded gourmets: roasted turkey breast with onion puree, crushed potato and cranberry jus. Canadians or not, everyone would love the dessert of maple syrup upside down cake with vanilla ice cream. This set menu, costing US$30 per person and runs on Monday, 11 October 2010, is real haute cuisine, a work of art itself on elegantly laid table, and is a testament to the skills of the chef.

“We are very proud of our well-earned reputation as a top-notch restaurant, creat-ing scrumptious dishes using only the freshest local produce with an interna-tional flourish”, Mr. Nguyen Vy Minh, Villa FB’s owner, said “These two special events of Weekend barbeque dinners and Canadian Thanksgiving set menu will not only appeal to nostalgic expats, but also to local food connoisseurs. Every dish we present, from five-spice barbequed pork skewers to seared foie gras with berry compote and toasted brioche, is inspired by classic cuisines but created with a modern flair”.

With these tempting offers, October is the time to dine at Villa FB, to enjoy modern fine dining at its best.

For further information, please contact:Villa FB79 Suong Nguyet Anh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh CityTel: +84-8-6290 6571Email: [email protected]: www.villafb.com

Elegant Villa FB introduces modern fine dining through October offers

Canadian Thanksgiving set menu

High-ranking tourism officials of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, often referred to as CLMV,

announced in HCMC that they had agreed to join hands in many activities to develop tourism in the four countries.

The four Tourism Ministers agreed on the cooperation in a meeting as part of the sixth International Travel Expo in HCMC, which kicked off in HCMC September 30.

Tran Chien Thang, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the four sides would join hands in marketing activities, in organizing tourism investment forums, and developing human resources.

The four ministers also agreed on con-certed efforts to make transport easier for citizens and international tourists to travel to and from the countries, and would seek ways to links tours between the four des-tinations. Efforts would also be made to open air routes linking the region’s world heritage sites.

The four ministers also agreed to organize the ministerial meeting in every two years to further discussions about the coopera-tion.

“We want to use the tourism industry as a lever to reduce poverty,” said Somphong Mongkhonvilay, tourism minister of Laos.

Tourism cooperation among the three countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam was formally initiated in 2007, when the three tourism ministers signed an agree-ment to this effect. The cooperation is now further widened with the participation of Myanmar this year.

The Laos minister said that the three coun-tries were doing well in joint promotion activities, in organizing caravan tours, and

making transport easier for citizens and in-ternational tourists.

“The number of flights between the three destinations is increasing. Overland trans-portation is easier. We are talking with the Governments to open more border gates for tourists to travel through,” he said.

Tourism officials said transportation is very important to help develop the tourism in-dustry.

“Making transport easier is very impor-tant especially for visitors from outside the

region. We should help them get visas in international border gates. We are talking with Governments to build more highways for better transportation,” said Thong Khon, Cambodia’s tourism minister.

The tourism ministers of Laos and Cam-bodia said that international tourists to the two countries can make visa procedures at international gates. Meanwhile, for Viet-nam, tourists can get visa at the embassy or at international gates, but in the second way local travel firms must be there to as-sist such visitors.

The travel expo kicked off on Thursday at the Saigon Convention and Exhibition Cen-ter in District 7. Along with the exhibition, buyers and sellers are continuing business meetings there.Countries of CLMV

join hands for tourism development

11


VIETNAM NEWS

Hanoi has held its inauguration ceremony for the city’s ceramic mosaic mural and re-ceived a Certificate for the largest Ceram-ic mosaic by the Guinness Book of World Records, on October 5.

The mosaic mural came from an idea by Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, a journalist and

painter who works for the Hanoimoi news-paper. She was then given full support by the city authorities.

The work of art was made from 2007-2010, involving 20 Vietnamese and 15 foreign artists, and 500 children from across the country and around the world plus 100

artists from traditional ceramic villages, in-cluding Phu Lang, Bat Trang, Chu Dau and Binh Duong.

At the ceremony, the Guinness Book of World Records Representative, Beatriz Fernandez, presented the certificate and confirmed that the similar record, held by China, covers 1,494.4 m2, has been bro-ken.

Now, with its one section alone from An Duong Terminal to Tan Ap Terminal on Yen Phu Street, covering 1,570,2m2, the Hanoi mural has set a new Guinness World Re-cord.

Hoa Anh Dao Tourist JSC held a ground breaking ceremony for a tourism complex project in the southern coast province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau over the weekend, adding to the province’s growing list of resorts under construction.

The developer said it invested some VND1,150 billion to develop the Oceanami Resort & Luxury Home project in Phuoc Hai Town in Dat Do District, near historic Minh Dam mountain, where the Vietnamese mili-tary base used to be.

The project, covering 21 hectares on nearly one kilometre of beach, is designed with a five-star hotel with 200 guest rooms, 28 bun-galows, two blocks of five-story buildings with 100 apartments and some 180 luxury vil-

las. The plans include a convention centre, restaurant, spa, swimming pool and marina.

Speaking at the event, Ho Van Nien, vice chairman of the province, elaborated on Ba Ria-Vung Tau’s plan, saying the province has done everything possible to exploit its 100km coastline.

Nien said the investment environment has improved with a lot on offer to attract interna-tional investors to the province. There about 100 tourism property projects underway in the province, including the Oceanami Resort & Luxury Home.

The project is scheduled for completion by 2012, with villas priced between US$364,000 to US$1.3 million per unit.

12

Hanoi ceramic mosaic sets Guinness World Record

Work starts on tourism property project in Vung Tau

mailto: [email protected]

http://www.la-residence-hue.com/

http://chenla-resort.com/en-us/


VIETNAM NEWS

A Vietnam Premier Resort extends its brand to the Ancient City of Hue. This coming October will see the inauguration of the exclusive Ana Mandara Hue, located directly on Thuan An Beach just a scenic 20-minute drive from central Hue. The quiet sounds and vistas of the sea will welcome guests to this establishment, distinguished as the only beach resort with pool villas in the area.

With an extension of 2.8 hectares and 400 metres of beachfront, Ana Mandara Hue offers an open sensation of space, with the largest vil-las and rooms in the area. The property has a total of 78 keys, includ-ing beach pool villas, beach villas, duplex rooms and deluxe rooms in a wide range of styles and décor designed with the most complete and modern facilities. Unique experiences available include private rice paddy dinners, beach BBQ’s and cruises through the local fish farms.

Located in a recondite enclave, Ana Mandara Hue offers a unique spa area, a piece of paradise that offers a wide selection of pleasing therapies, including facial and body massages, exotic body exfolia-tion, aromatherapy and the recognised Ayurveda therapy. Inspired in Asiatic rituals, these treatments help recuperate energies as well as relax mind and spirit in one of Hue’s most original spas.

Guests will also enjoy the close proximity to Hue City where a dy-nastic citadel still stands untouched. The old imperial city along the legendary Perfume River contains the tombs of the Nguyen kings, recognised by Unesco Heritage of Humanity.

This is the first project managed by Hotel Collection Indochine, a new hotel management company in Vietnam which strives towards delivering the latest in hospitality concepts. The company plans to inaugurate its second resort in January 2011, Ana Mandara Ninh Binh, located south of Hanoi, and it also has other projects planned in dif-ferent locations along the country.

Ana Mandara Hue to open its doors in Hue Ana Mandara Hue to open its doors in Hue

14

Ana Mandara Da Lat


VIETNAM NEWS

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has approved the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s suggestion to grant visa exemptions to foreign tourists from October 1 to the end of the year.

It is hoped this will attract more foreign visitors to Vietnam, and ensure the stable development of the country’s tourism industry, especially in view of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

The normal cost of a tourist visa to enter Vietnam was US$25 per person. Last year, the Government allowed visa exemptions for tourists joining the “Impressive Vietnam” programme from mid-May to the end of 2009.

The program consists of seven campaigns, in-cluding the “Impressive grand sale 2010” in Ha-noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City; “Friendly Viet Nam welcomes you”; and the “Back to the origin” for overseas Vietnamese in Australia, France, the UK and the US.

The above campaigns have helped to rev up the number of foreign arrivals to the country by 34.2% in 9 months against the same period last year, or some 3.73 million arrivals.

Besides, Vietnamese tourist firms have also launched a series of impressive promotion cam-paigns on the occasion of the 1000th birthday an-niversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Foreign tourists granted visa exemption

15

Ana Mandara Da Lat

NAGAWORLD - CAMBODIA


Travel Weekly’s Partner: Defenit Journey Co., Ltd.

Travel Weekly & Ms. Tue Trinh - Sales & Marketing Manager of Palm Garden Beach Resort & Spa

Vietnam Airlines Pavilion

Vietnam Crafts Village Pavilion

International Travel Expo 2010, the largest tourism event in Vietnam, opened its doors on September 30 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center. The Exhibition was orga-nized by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism; HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; VINEXAD; and IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd. This year’s ITE HCMC was spread across 4,500 square meters at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Min City. A total of more than 180 exhibiting companies from 14 countries and regions participated at this year’s show.

Said Mr. La Quoc Khanh, vice director at the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, “I am very pleased with the performance of this year’s exhibition, which has grown 5 percent from last year despite the challenging environment.”

This year marked the 6th edition of ITE HCMC. The exhibition is respected as the platform for the Greater Mekong sub-region to showcase its newest tourism and travel products and services, as well as to network with fellow peers. Thailand was the guest country for this year’s ITE HCMC. However, the groundbreaking news of at the exhibition was the inception of Myanmar, which joins Cambodia, Lao, and Vietnam to form the new “4 Countries One Destination Bloc.” The agreement between all four countries was inked at the ITE HCMC ministerial press conference, which was held just after the opening ceremony. The tourism bloc is aimed at promoting the countries of Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, and Vietnam as a singular tourist destination.

In total, ITE HCMC 2010 had 5 country pavilions and 11 provincial pavilions. The country pavil-ions included Cambodia, Lao, China-Macau, Malaysia, and Thailand, while provincial pavilions included An Giang, Baria-Vungtau, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Dong Nai, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, and Tien Giang. Major exhibitors for ITE HCMC 2010 included Vietnam Airlines, Saigon Tourist, VNAT, Ministry of Tourism Cambodia, Nagaworld, Tourism Au-thority of Thailand, Tourism Malaysia, Turkish Airlines, Macau Government Tourist Office and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Thuan, Baria-Vungtau, and Dong Nai among others.

Among the other notable features of the exhibition were the hosted buyers program consisting of a select group of more than 120 internationally-renowned tour operators, and the hosted media program, whereby the different trade publications around the world were invited to publicize Viet-nam’s largest tourism event through their respective media channels. These special visitors of ITE HCMC had the opportunity to go to their respective pre- and post-show tours, whereby they were able to see the special sights, sounds, and unique cultural influences of Vietnam.

ITE HCMC 2010 concluded on October 2 in Ho Chi Minh City at the Saigon Exhibition and Con-vention Center.

Exotissimo Pavilion

days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi


Hanoi Ancient Citadel Relic Complex – The Trace from Time Immemorial

Now that Thang Long Citadel has been officially added to UNESCO’s world heritage list, experts hope the site will get the necessary backing to turn it into a well-preserved tourist siteWhen an announcement was made at 8.30pm on July 31 in Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil, people in Hanoi were jumping for joy. It would have been sometime after 6.30 in the morning when people officially heard that the Thang Long Imperial Cita-del’s central complex site had been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as the world’s 900th heritage.“This is a great honour and pride for all Vietnamese people. There is a big potential for Hanoi to develop the site and will

help raise the prestige of the city in particular and of Vietnam in general,” said historian Le Van Lan. “This is also a big tribute to our ancestors who established and constructed the soul and body of Thang Long- Hanoi,” he said.The site was recognised for its long-lasting cultural and histori-cal values, its continuity as the country’s power centre and its multi-layered foundations, which offer insights into the many dif-ferent dynasties that ruled in feudal times. Located at 18 Hoang Dieu, a substantial part of the Thang Long Royal Citadel was accidentally discovered in December 2002 during the initial phases of construction on the new National Assembly building.



Voices of the pastThe excavations have uncovered a complex of foundations for palaces, pavilions, water wells and drainage systems and several million artefacts such as ceramic, porcelain and metal wares and human bones, some of which date back to 1,300 years ago, when Vietnam was known as An Nam and under the rule of the Chinese Tang dynasty.All the overlapping architectures from the ensuing periods were built with the most high-end materials of the times. It is estimated that the site used to be home to 36 palaces and 49 pa-vilions in the Ly dynasty (1010 - 1225), 22 palaces and 13 pavilions in the Tran dynasty (1225 – 1400) and six palaces and 32 pavilions in the Le dynasty (1533 - 1789).“The artefacts reflect the long his-tory of Thang Long-Hanoi between the seventh and 18th centuries,” says Nguyen Van Son, director of the Co Loa – Hanoi ancient citadel preserva-tion centre. “The finds also show that the past’ palaces and pavilions had sophisticated decorations. Assorted tiles, ceramics, porcelains and stones were used. The construction skills were very high.”By the late 19th century, Vietnam was already under French rule, and parts of Hanoi citadel were destroyed to enlarge Hanoi’s streets. Now, only the foundation of Thang Long citadel’s Kinh Thien Palace and Doan Mon (main gate) and the Hanoi citadel’s Bac Mon (north gate) and Ky Dai (flag tower) can be seen.“All the artefacts have proved that Thang Long – Hanoi has been consis-tently a political, cultural and econom-ic centre of Vietnam for 13 centuries, with very special cultural and histori-cal values,” Lan said.

The old Hanoi Citadel areaAfter bulldozing many parts of the old citadel complex, the French used the 138,657sqm area as a military com-pound. In 1886 they razed the Kinh Thien Palace, which was the most im-portant and sacred palace of the kings to build a two-storey artillery com-mand post.Between 1954-2004, the area served as the Vietnamese Army’s central head-quarters. The most important build-

ings were the two storeys Dragon House, the D67 House and the T78A House. The first two houses were used by the Politburo, General Vo Nguyen Giap and General Van Tien Dung, dur-ing Vietnam’s decades-long struggle for independence. Here historic de-cisions were made, marking brilliant milestones of Vietnam’s revolutionary history, strategising the 1968 General Tet Offensive, the 1972 General Of-fensive and the April 30, 1975 Ho Chi Minh Campaign, which led to reunifi-cation of Vietnam.

Preservation issuesHowever, preserving and protecting the Thang Long royal citadel is a big challenge. Seven years after being discovered, the excavation pits are protected only by makeshift roofs, while some of findings are temporar-ily stored.But, Son says that the solutions are just temporary, because scientists have yet to decide on a preservation plan and the citadel is now still being exca-vated and studied. “A permanent plan to preserve the relics and a master plan to preserve the whole citadel will be made. We hope that UNESCO will help us to preserve the relics,” Son says.He says that the relics are being af-fected by the environment, because they have been underground for cen-turies and now are exposed to light and air.Moreover the finds are made from different materials, each of which re-quires different methods of preserva-tion. Regardless, the citadel complex will be open to visitors during the celebration of 1,000 years of Thang Long – Hanoi.



Thua Thien-Hue hosts photography exhibition to celebrate capital’s 1,000th birthday

The Thua Thien-Hue municipal People’s Committee organised a photography exhibition on 4 October to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. The exhibition aims to show the close solidarity between Hanoi, Hue and Saigon. On display were 100 black-and-white and colour photos, including 70 of Thang Long-Hanoi and 30 of Thua Thien-Hue. The exhibition will last until October 15.



Arts in spotlight as youth mark millennium

Young people will hold many activities from art performanc-es to exhibitions and street festivals across the country on Oct. 8 to celebrate the 1,000th birthday of Hanoi.

At a press briefing in Hanoi on Oct.5, the Ho Chi Minh Com-munist Youth Union Central Committee said celebrations start in Hanoi with an incense offering ceremony at the King Ly Thai To statue in Hanoi and an art performance of 3,500 children and young people of Hanoi and 65 young foreigners around the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi.

The programme continue with a performance of drums and clarinets as well as singing and dancing at the same time in Hanoi, the central city of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.

Also in the morning of the day 1,000 children drew paintings following the theme “I love Hanoi” around the Hoan Kiem Lake, while performances of songs and dances took place at universities, colleges and senior high-schools nationwide.

As part of the programme, an exhibition of photos and ob-jects held around Thien Quang Lake in Hanoi. Over 600 photos, documents and objects displayed under the theme of “Vietnamese Youth – proud of 1,000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi and National Construction”.

A three-day festival of young people of ASEAN+3 (ASEAN countries and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) held from Oct. 6. Participants of the festival plan to take this occa-sion to boost exchanges and establish cooperation in many fields.

Young people from the northern province of Bac Ninh bring a collage painting, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, to the festival.

In the evening of Oct. 8, a street festival will be held with singing, dancing and a parade around the centre of Hanoi.

An exhibition of Bat Trang ceramic craft village of Hanoi opened from 5-10 October to celebrate Hanoi birthday. Also on display at the exhibition are products from other tradi-tional ceramic craft villages in the country.

In the same vein, an artistic photo festival of 15 northern mountainous provinces also opened on Oct. 5 in Dien Bien Phu city, Dien Bien province.

Exhibits are 205 photos selected from 1,219 entries to the festival, capturing the beauty of nature, the people and their daily lives. Of these photos, 24 were awarded with prizes.

Also, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the northern prov-ince of Thai Binh jointly opened an exhibition of 120 photos of Hanoi and Thai Binh.



A major exhibition of calligraphy takes place at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi from 4-14 October.

Two hundred and fifty calligraphic pictures on paper, pottery and bamboo will be shown.

The exhibition also displays a 217-kilogram book which is 1.6 meters long, 1.1 meter wide and a bronze work “Chieu doi do” (Proclamation on moving capital) which is three meters long.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to watch artists perform calligraphy; listen to legends and historical stories about calligraphy.

Many famous Vietnamese calligraphers will participate in the exhibition.

Calligraphy exhibition to open in Hanoi



Vie

tna

me

se i

n G

erm

an

y C

ele

bra

te H

an

oi’

s m

ille

nn

ium Gatherings have been held by many

overseas Vietnamese associations in Germany to mark the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.On October 3, the capital’s 1000th birth-day was celebrated at the Dong Xuan Trade Centre in Berlin, with represen-tatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany, the Association of Fellow Countrymen, the Business Association and the Vietnamese Servicemen’s As-sociation attending the event along with hundreds of members from the Hanoians’ Association.After the salute to the flag, the partici-pants observed a minute of silence to commemorate their predecessors who had laid down their lives to build Hanoi-Thang Long over the past 1000 years.In his speech, Vice Chairman of the Ha-noians’ Association in Germany, Nham Huu Phuong, highlighted important land-marks in the 1000-year-old history of Thang Long Hanoi since King Ly Thai To transferred the capital to Dai La Citadel, opening up new opportunities for nation-al construction and development.Counselor and Head of the Committee for Community-based Activities, Phan Y Nhi, praised the Hanoians’ Association for launching a variety of activities to celebrate the capital’s millennium which bear all the hallmarks of Hanoians.Earlier the same day, a fourth get-togeth-er was held by the Kinh Bac Association of Fellow Countrymen in Germany to mark the anniversary, in the presence of the Vietnamese Ambassador to Germa-ny, Do Hoa Binh, and his wife.During the meeting, participants enjoyed folk songs and performances of Vietnam-ese arts recognised by UNESCO as part of humankind’s intangible culture.



http://itcmchina.com/



http://caravellhotel.com/


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) conducted its first ever Medi-cal Health & Wellness Road Show in Muscat. The event, hosted at the Majan Continental Hotel, was the first of seminars & presentations the TAT plans to hold in GCC countries from 4-11 October to promote Thai-land’s medical tourism products. The Oman edition of the roadshow included discussions with leading Omani specialists, medical tourism-focused operators. Similar events will now be held in Doha, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, before participates in the 3 days Kuwait Medical Tour-ism Conference & Exhibition.

Bali Museum is in line for a IDR3 billion (US$330,000) renovation project. According to the Antara news agency, the 100 year-old facil-ity in Denpasar will undergo repairs to its three main buildings, while new audio-visual exhibits will also be created to enhance the visitor experience. Toilets will also be up-graded to international standards, the report added.

Dubai government is using the power of debate to boost the tourism sector following the launch of The Dubai Partnership Agenda (DPA).The DPA launched by the Executive Council of Dubai is an open platform to encourage interaction between the private and public sectors to ultimately produce policy recommen-dations to support the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, Khaleej Times reported. Crowned Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Execu-tive Council Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said he is in complete support of the project and is proud to launch the platform and receive useful and con-structive responses.“We are looking forward to the first outcomes of the DPA on the tourism industry,” he said.“We will review and initiate action on appropriate recom-mendations.”General Secretariat Secretary General Abdulla Al Shaibani said the two groups now have a forum to work together to reach one shared goal. “The DPA will foster collaborative interaction, encourage out-of-the-box thinking, and build consensus by exchange of knowledge and expertise,” he said.However Mr Shaibani said the communication efforts will not just go without purpose, hoping the feedback from both sectors would “generate concrete recommendation for our leadership to review and facilitate action”.

Centara Hotels & Resorts latest property in Phuket will open its doors at Karon Beach on 15 October. Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket features 262 rooms and villas all offer-ing views across the Andaman Sea.The family resort features 90 Deluxe Ocean-Facing rooms which can accommodate a family of two adults and two children, while the Deluxe Pool Suite – The Club offers a private pool and space for a family of four. For larger groups, the One-Bedroom Pool Villa can accommodate up to five people, while the Two-Bedroom Pool Villa can accommodate up to seven. The newly-built resort also offers a tennis court, fitness centre and a 10-treatment room SPA Cenvaree.

The Shanghai Metro system car-ried more than 7 million people on Sunday - a record for the 15 yearold underground transport network. The number exceeded the 6.96million passengers carried on 21 September, the previous peak day.

A major new tourism development has broken ground on the south coast of Cambodia. The US$5 bil-lion project in Koh Kong, being un-dertaken by the Chinese Union De-velopment Group Co, covers 36,000 hectares of land in Botum Sakor and Kiri Sakor districts, and will include an airport, seaport, golf course, eco-tourism site, hotels, restaurants and retail stores. The company has allowed up to 25 years to complete the development.

TAT starts Middle East medical tourism road-show

Upgrades planned for Bali Museum

Dubai talks over tourism solutions

New passenger record for Shanghai Metro

Work starts on major Cambodian tourism project

30

Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket to open this monthCentara Grand Beach Resort Phuket to open this month


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Messe Berlin (Singapore) has an-nounced that 47% of hosted buyers

at ITB Asia 2010 will be new buyers. The majority of them have been recommended by exhibitors.Some 62% of all hosted buyers scheduled to attend will represent travel markets in Asia Pacific. ITB Asia organizer, Messe Berlin (Singapore), expects Europe will supply 26%, up from 16% last year. Some 7% of buyers will come from the Middle East, 4% from the United States and 1% from Africa.A full 43% of buyers will represent the MICE sector, up from 32% last year. Some 47% of all buyers will represent leisure travel companies and 10% are primarily interested in corporate travel.“We listened to our exhibitors,” said Nino Gruettke, Executive Director of ITB Asia (left). “They told us they wanted more MICE buyers and more buyers from Eu-rope this year.”Gruettke said that MICE buyer repre-sentation had spiked this year due to ITB Asia’s Association Day, 20-21 October. The specialist event will focus on best practise, the latest operational realities and new opportunities in the association event sector. Association Day attendees

from four continents, representing over 17 countries are expected to attend ITB Asia, which takes place in Singapore in October.Messe Berlin (Singapore) this year emphasized the importance of quality buyers. In addition, the diversity of buyers and sellers at ITB Asia and the insights they bring will create ideas and strategies for new business.“At ITB Asia we plan to get updated on trends which will help us provide strate-gic direction for our future,” said Charles Tee, CEO of T3E Global Singapore.Another new buyer, Beverley Pridmore, Regional Product & Contracts Manager for TUI UK, highlighted the importance of Asia as a driver for global travel growth. “We are seeing a big upsurge in travel demand from consumers in Asia. I believe ITB Asia has an important role in show-ing the latest world travel products to the Asian travel market,” she said.Asian buying power and the new products in the region were a key factor in attract-ing Asia Escape Holidays from Australia to ITB Asia for the first time.

31

Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket to open this month

ITB Asia attracts nearly half new buyers


INTERNATIONAL NEWS32

The World Tourism Conference 2010 (WTC2010) will be hosted by Malaysia after its record breaking suc-cess in 2007, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

She said hosting the international event again proved that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) – a United Nations agency – had great con-fidence in the country.

“It is indeed an important event for our country to be hosting an international conference. It provides a platform where world leaders can share with us their successful tourism stories,” she said.

“We believe that by sharing the experiences with over 43 countries, it will help increase total world tourism. It is about creating opportunity,” she added.

Ng said the WTC2010 entitled “Tourism Success Stories and Rising Stars” would bring together a wide range of world leaders from the tourism industry, high-level policymakers, specialists and experts to put forward ideas and provide guidance for future tourism development.

“The conference aims to uncover the secrets of tour-ism’s leaders, learning from those destinations and organisations which have succeeded in tourism plan-ning, development and marketing,” Ng told reporters at PWTC yesterday.

WTC2010 is organised by the Tourism Ministry, the Government of Sabah and UNWTO from Oct 4 to 6 at Magellan Sutera, Sutera Harbour, in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Ng added that Sabah was chosen as the venue as it is an established eco-tourism state.

The conference will be graced by Deputy Prime Min-ister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin.

WTC was held for the first time in Manila, the Philip-pines, in 1980, followed by Acapulco, Mexico, in 1982. After an absence of 25 years, the WTC returned for the third time in Kuala Lumpur in 2007.

Malaysia to be host the World Tourism Conference 2010


INTERNATIONAL NEWS 33

Malaysia to be host the World Tourism Conference 2010

The Trade Show for the Asian mar-ket – will take place Wednesday, 20 October to Friday, 22 October 2010 at Suntec, Singapore. The show is being organised by

Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd, and is supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. ITB Asia will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel.WIT - Web In Travel 2010 will be held in partnership with ITB Asia in Suntec. Lead-ers in the travel distribution, marketing and technology sectors will gather to discuss the latest trends and debate the hottest top-ics that are driving change in this dynamic environment.This year’s WIT will comprise the WIT Con-ference (19-22 October) and the WIT Ideas Lab (8.30-11a.m., 21 & 22 October) and the WIT Clinics (3-5p.m., 21 & 22 October).In a first in Asia, more than 25 speakers will address Association Day (20-21 October). The specialist event is dedicated to under-standing and growing the association meet-ing sector in Asia.Journalists attending ITB Asia can also attend Association Day and WIT free of charge.

RegistrationPre-registration onlineLegitimate travel and business journalists are welcome to enjoy free access to ITB Asia, all official ITB Asia social functions, the Convention, WIT and ACTE events. Please register before 8 October to enable us to prepare your press badge and to avoid queuing onsite at Suntec. Your media regis-tration form is available at www.itb-asia.com/press under “Accreditation”.Press registration onsite at SuntecPress registration is open onsite at Suntec from Tuesday 19 October until Friday 22 October. Members of the press may register at the media registration counter on level 1 (ground floor) at the main entrance of Suntec. You will need to present a Press pass or a business card, or an appropriate letter of authority from an editor or publisher. Your registration is not transferable and is valid only when presented together with the holder’s ID. Press passes are strictly for journalists and not for advertising or publish-ing representatives.Media CentreThe media centre of ITB Asia is located on level 2 of Suntec in room 209, and is open to editorial representatives. Journalists can use the available computers and receive the latest ITB Asia Press releases, photos, cata-logues and exhibitor news here. Opening

hours are: Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 October from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Your contacts for all information, photo mate-rial and interview requests are Astrid Ehring, Press Officer ITB Asia, and her team.Press ConferencesA series of Press conferences will take place in the Press conference room (room 208) adjacent to the media centre. Full details will be sent to media soon. Event organizer Messe Berlin (Singapore) and the host city, Singapore Tourism Board, are among the or-ganisations that will hold Press conferences.Important dates for the Press20 October 20108.30 a.m. Access to Suntec Singapore, level 2Ribbon Cutting and Guided show tour:10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m., starts in front of the main exhibition hall entrance, level 6.Opening Press Conference 11.00 a.m. on level 2 in the press conference room (room 208).Updated Press informationThe latest Press material, such as Press releases with coverage of the ITB Asia Con-vention and photos are also available online at “www.itb-asia.com under “Press Service” and “Press Releases & News” and “Photos”. Please visit the ITB Asia online media centre for latest information (www.itb-asia.com)

Important ITB Asia 2010 Media InformationImportant ITB Asia 2010 Media Information


INTERNATIONAL NEWS34

crisis have all proven that the directive is simply not working. “It has become a nightmare of non-stop confusion, a complete muddle that is causing con-siderable hardship and heartache to both consumers and the industry. The EU says that more than half of all people who buy flights, hotel rooms and hire cars online risk being left without compensation if companies fail under outdated law. A total of 56% of travellers are estimated to use the Internet, rather than high street travel agents to organise their own trips, but protec-tion safeguards have not been put into place to deal with the digital age. ABTA director John De Vial is chairing the debate and confronting the difficulties are law professor, David Grant, Nikki White, ABTA’s Head of Destination Strategy and Services, insurer, Alan Lumsden and Sue Hurdle, Chief Executive of The Travel Founda-tion. The session ‘Sustainable Excursion’s’ is at ExCeL London NG Room 4/5 at 11.00 am on 11 November. Although the WTM World Responsible Tourism Day keynote events will take place on the actual day, Wednesday 10 November, an expanded Thursday programme will also challenge and examine some of the problems facing responsible tourism. The question of how the industry can be sure that the economic benefits of travel and tourism go to the communities that most need them will be dealt with in ‘Poverty Private Sector, Beyond Trickledown (12.30, NG Room 6/7, Thursday 11 November). Chaired by Prof. Harold Goodwin, speakers are; Adam Stewart, CEO, Sandals Resorts International; Richard Hearn, Village Ways; Gavin Bate, founder of Adventure & Alternative and the Moving Mountains Trust; and Amy Carter-James, of Galudo. Later in the day, the WTM World Responsible Tour-ism Thursday Programme will delve into an equally controversial subject which, unlike the EU Directive, has received little publicity. Tourism to Sacred Sites Tourism to sacred sites is a fast growing sector, often related to ancient places of worship. Sacred destina-tions and places of pilgrimage associated with the mainstream faiths such as Christianity, Islam, Hindu-ism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism will be exam-ined in this important and intriguing session, chaired by Dr. Simon Woodward, International Centre for Responsible Tourism (‘Travel to Sacred Sites’,14.00 , NG Room 8, Thursday 11 November). Joining him will be The Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove, The Dean of Durham Cathedral and a noted theological author, talking about the cathe-dral and surrounding World Heritage Site; Nayef Al Fayez, Managing Director, Jordan Tourist Board on the Baptism Site in the Jordan Valley; Ozgul Ozkan Yavus, Director for Tourism & Promotion, Istanbul 2010 on the principal mosques in Istanbul; and Fleur Burrows, Consumer Marketing Manager, Tourism Northern Territories, Australia, who will speak about Uluru, the ancient Aboriginal site, better known as Ayers Rock. For more information or to apply for a WTM World Responsible Tourism 2010 logo, log on to www.wtm-wrtd.com. Alternatively contact the WTM WRTD co-coordinator Araminta Sugden on the WRTD hotline telephone +44 (0) 1892 535943.

As evidence mounts about the failure of the EU Package Travel Directive, WTM World Responsible Tourism Day’s Thursday programme is to try to unravel the problems causing what is described as “a nightmare of non-stop confusion, a com-plete muddle.” A pile of evidence has been collated by the EU on the issue with countless submis-sions by industry associations. World Travel Market hopes that by highlighting it at the event, attended by more than 100 tourism ministers, the session will help play a part in its resolution. “Time and again consumers are coming unstuck about what are their rights, while at the same time, the industry is not even sure who should be paying refunds when travel companies go bust”, said Fiona Jeffery, chairman of World Travel Market. “The failure of struggling companies, the ever present threat of holidaymakers who go online to buy several travel products and incidents such as the volcanic ash

WTM Thursday Programme Tackles Biggest Headaches Facing Industry

27

Tailor-made Travel SpecialistinVIETNAM - CAMBODIA - LAOS

Add: 130 Pho Duc Chinh - Ba Dinh DistrictHanoi - VietnamTel: +84-4 37153538

Fax: +84-4 3715 3540Email: [email protected]

http://www.itb-asia.com/

www.littleorienttravel.com


AVIATION NEWS

C ustomers travelling on Singapore Airlines flights will soon be able to stay connected at all times, even at 35,000 feet.

The multi-million-dollar collaboration with inflight connec-tivity provider OnAir includes a full suite of onboard com-munication offerings, providing the Airline’s customers with access to Wi-Fi Internet and mobile telephony services. The mobile telephony services will enable customers to send and receive SMS text messages with their GSM-compatible mobile phones, send and receive email messages easily on smartphones and Blackberry devices, and make and receive voice calls.With plans to roll out the services from as early as the first half of 2011, Singapore Airlines will be the first major airline in Asia to launch a full suite of inflight connectivity services. These will be introduced progressively on flights operated by the Airline’s Airbus A380, Airbus A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.“Singapore Airlines was in fact one of the pioneers to intro-duce Internet connectivity on board its Boeing 747-400 air-craft in 2005. Today, with the increasing importance of re-maining connected, and the more affordable charges made possible by the higher usage and more advanced technol-ogy, we are now fitting all our long-range aircraft with the full suite of telephony and Internet features so that our customers can stay connected. Unlike the earlier trial introduction of an Internet service, this suite of features is for full implemen-tation and we are pleased to offer this as an added choice to our inflight programme,” said Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President Product & Services, Mr Yap Kim Wah.“The environment that our customers have gotten used to on the ground can soon be replicated in the air, when they fly with Singapore Airlines on aircraft fitted with this new con-nectivity platform. Travelling on business or pleasure, they are just a click or an SMS away, with access to live informa-tion, social networking and news updates, as well as inflight shopping.”????? Singapore Airlines’ connectivity partner OnAir is jointly owned by Airbus and SITA, the world’s leading provider of global IT and telecommunication solutions for the air trans-port industry, offering global satellite coverage including for the Asian region. One of the most established companies in the field of onboard connectivity, OnAir has roaming agree-ments with about 200 telecommunications companies glob-ally.“We are absolutely delighted to have come to an agree-ment today with an airline of the stature and reputation of Singapore Airlines. The agreement is extremely significant. It sends a strong signal to the industry that inflight passenger communications has come of age - and is a must-have for airlines looking to remain competitive in the future,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. Customers who use the mobile telephony services will see their usage reflected in the monthly bills from their telecom-munications provider where international GSM roaming rates apply. For Internet access, customers can sign up for an access package upon logging in to the system. Details of the charges will be announced closer to the launch.

36


AVIATION NEWS

Visa application made virtual with Etihad Airways

Air France to resume direct HCMC flights in November

Forget long lines in council waiting rooms Etihad Airways and TT Services have developed a new online visa process-ing system for passengers flying with Etihad from India to the United Arab Emirates.

Indian travellers are able to research the range of visas us-ing the family computer, submit applications online and pay for the submission via PAYPAL.

The service is useful for both business and pleasure trav-el with a selection of visas ranging from 90 days to hourly trips.

“Our passengers can now benefit from the new visa service which will greatly simplify travel and access when travelling with Etihad Airways,” Etihad Airways General Manager of India Neerja Bhatia said.

Air France has announced plans to relaunch direct flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) on 2 November, six years after pulling out of the route. According to the VNAT, the French national carrier will offer three weekly flights on the route, operated by Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The new services will be in addition to the two weekly flights operated on the route in a codeshare agreement with Vietnam Airlines.

37


AVIATION NEWS

American Airlines traffic climbs in September

American Airlines has reported its performance results for September 2010, with passenger traffic rising 5.6% year-on-year on a 4.8% rise in capacity. This pushed load factor up 0.6 points to 80.1%. The performance was driven by inter-national traffic, which surged 12.2% year-on-year on a 10.1% rise in capacity. Year-to-date, American’s systemwide traffic climbed 1.2%, while capacity grew 0.3%, leading to a 1.5 rise in load factor, which averaged an impressive 82.0%.The International Cruise Council Australasia (ICCA) has launched its own Facebook page. The page will provide a central information source for the cruise industry, with regular news postings from the organisation and its mem-bers. ICCA has also established a ‘members only’ page, which will allow it to communicate directly with members. To follow ICCA, go to Facebook and search for International Cruise Council Australasia.

38


AVIATION NEWS

Qatar Airways expands Flights to Bangkok and Vietnam

Myanmar Airways to launch Bangkok-Singapore flights

Direct air route between HCM City and Istanbul launched

Qatar Airways is to launch a third daily flight to Bangkok, effective 1 November 2010.The increase in capacity comes just three weeks after the airline launches sched-uled flights to the popular Thai resort of Phuket.The Bangkok service will facilitate increasing de-mand from many parts of the world, particularly Eu-ropean and North and South American customers for travel to Thailand.The additional Bangkok service will continue to Vietnam with four of the flights heading onwards to the capital Hanoi and three onto Ho Chi Minh City.Passengers originating in Thailand or Vietnam can also purchase tickets to fly

between Bangkok and both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on Qatar Airways.Beginning 12 October 2010 , Qatar Airways introduces six-flights-a-week to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur. With the Bangkok flights, the airline’s Thai operations will step up from 21 to 27 flights a week across two destinations.By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to serve 120 key business and leisure des-tinations worldwide with a modern fleet of 120 aircraft. Today, the airline’s fleet stands at 88 aircraft, flying to 92 destinations across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North and South America.

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) will launch daily flights be-tween Bangkok and Singapore from 31 October 2010, Xinhua re-ported airline sources as saying on Saturday. Operated by an Air-bus A320 aircraft, the Singapore flights will mark an extension to MAI’s Yangon-Bangkok flights. The airline also plans to start ser-vices to Guangzhou at the end of November, the report added.

Turkish Airlines has announced that it will launch a direct air route from Istanbul in Turkey to HCM City with four flights de-parting every week.The airline said that passengers can connect Eastern and West-ern Europe, West Europe, the East, Africa and the US. The flights will depart at 20:55 o¬n Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and transit at Bangkok in Thailand.

39

FFrom the central coast city of Quy Nhon, the towering cliffs of Yen Is-land look like a giant dinosaur de-fending the city from storms and heavy seas.

The picturesque island, which is also called Phuong Mai Peninsula, is famous for its cliffs and caves where birds build the nests used in the much-prized health-giving birds’ nest soup. To visit the island in Nhon Ly Com-mune, Quy Nhon City take a two hour boat from the wharf on Tan Islet in Hai Cang Ward. The long journey will be rewarded when you see the caves, ten thousands of years old and stone cliffs rising vertically from the waves. The floors of the caves are large but strewn with rocks making it the perfect place for swallows to make their nests.

Once inside the caves you will be overawed by their size of the interior. The bird nests are everywhere, strung about in chains. The mothers feed their hungry young and fan them with their wings, while the little ones

chirp loudly. The sounds of the birds, the dripping of water and the waves below are amazing.there are 30 caves on Yen Island, mainly located in two vil-lages of Nhon Hai and Nhon Ly. In small caves such as Rung Cao, Doi, Ba Nghe, Can and Ham Xe, every year, people col-lect from 100 to 300 bird nests. For the large caves such as Ca, Doi Trong, Doi Ngoai, Luong and Kho, especially, the caves whose mouths open toward the East or Southeast, that are cool and airy and have fresh water dripping from the ceil-ing, locals can collect 14,000 to 15,000 bird nests per year.

In spring when the weather becomes warmer, visitors can see flocks of birds fill-ing the sky. To take the nests from the walls of the cliff and from the cave ceilings, people build bamboo scaffolds often using them like bridges. Some caves are very high so that people use up to 300 lengths of bamboo to make each scaffold that may be five lengths of bamboo tall to reach the ceiling. The way to take the nest is very meticulous. For a nest that is out of reach, people use a stick with a nail on the top for a hook. In the dry weather, before taking the nests, the locals inject water into it to soften it and avoid it breaking.The harvest season starts from April in the lunar calendar as the breeding season is lunar January and February. In lunar April they take the first harvest. The second harvest starts when the nestlings become strong enough to fly. People can collect a few nests in the third harvest stage which has the best quality nests.


VIETNAM NEWS

http://www.travelweekly.com.vn/


VIETNAM NEWS

http://definitejourney.com/

Date post:	07-Nov-2014
Category:	Travel
Upload:	vietnamtw
View:	532 times
Download:	3 times