Tourism Indochina: Vietnam visitors drive tourism stats

Vietnam visitors drive tourism stats

International tourist arrivals to Cambodia increased nearly 28 per cent during the first quarter of the year compared with the corresponding period of 2011, Ministry of Tourism data shows.

The country drew more than 995,000 tourists from abroad during the three-month period, up from 778,467 a year earlier, according to figures obtained by the Post.

Leading the industry in numbers were almost 179,000 Vietnamese tourists, or 18 per cent of the market.

Officials attributed continued Vietnamese dominance in Cambodia’s tourism market to proximity, while expressing a hope Chinese visitors would acccount for a greater share.

“In recent times, we see the Vietnamese at the top of the market because this nation is close to us and they can access Cambodia [by boat, plane or land],” ministry general director Tith Chantha said yesterday.

“In the future, we hope that Chinese tourists will hold the record.”

Government officials said last week Cambodia hoped to attract a million Chinese tourists by 2020.

About 250,000 visited last year.

Tourism officials told the Post this month a recent bilateral trade agreement between China and Cambodia could have a significant impact on the volume of Chinese tourists entering the country.

Doubling the bilateral trade to $5 billion a year – an agreement made during a recent visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao – could lead to more Cambodia tourism marketing in China, the Post reported.

More than 151,000 Korean tourists, or 15 per cent of the market, visited Cambodia from January to March. Chinese, Japanese, Russian and UK tourists followed in market share.

About 50 per cent of tourists flew into the country, but arrivals by land and sea grew by 38 per cent. Only four per cent of tourists arrived on boats, data shows.

Data for increases in tourism revenue is not available, but Cambodian Association of Travel Agents president Ang Kim Eang said growth was comparable to the jump in visitors.

A leakage in tourism revenue to other countries was worrying, Ang Kim Eang said.

Many tourism products such as souvenirs were imported from other countries and hotel investment was inadequate, he said.

“Khmer hotel investors don’t buy international brand names. This doesn’t help advertise our hotels, and guests don’t come to stay.” Source: PPPost

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...

Vietnam Travel, Vietnam Tour: Vietnam on sale to lure tourist

Vietnam Travel, Vietnam Tour: Vietnam on sale to lure tourist

TourismIndochina(Date : 2010-08-05): A two month campaign to reduce prices during the low season has been launched in the major cities of Vietnam in an effort to draw tourists to the country.

A number of shops, hotels, restaurants and transportation firms in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang have signed up to 'The Grand Sale' and agreed to reduce their prices by ten to 40 per cent during August and September, reported the Vietnam News.

"This is a good campaign," Hanoitourist director Luu Duc Ke told the news agency.

"Our company will co-ordinate with transport companies and hotels to provide discounts of 10 to 30 per cent."

Upon the presentation of their passport, tourists will receive a Tourist Privilege Card or shopping coupons for participating merchants.

As part of the larger 'Vietnam: Your Destination 2010' campaign, The Grand Sale is hoped to bring in increased revenue from tourist spending.

The Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) with the Trade Promotion Department, the Ministry of Industry and Vietnam Airlines introduced the campaign following the success of similar programmes in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...

Vietnam Airlines to open direct flight to the US in 2010

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced a new plan to open direct flights to the U.S in 2010 if conditions are right, three years later than its earlier plan which was delayed for three years.

Vietnam Airlines confirmed that it would open direct flights to the U.S once the carrier is again economical strong enough.

At the moment, the airlines is preparing the market and planes to reach the goal of direct flights to the US by 2010.

According to the Vietnam Aviation Department, the US is a difficult market, and that aviation authorities in the country impose many conditions on airlines wanting to open direct flights to the country.

Besides making the airlines follow the US’ tight security and safety regulations, US aviation authorities also require airlines to supply a passenger list with personal information on all passengers on-board the planes four hours before take-off. This is an unprecedented condition, not require by most other countries. However, the US remains the number one aviation market, so most airlines in the world want enter it. That is why Vietnam Airlines is trying to open direct flights to the country, even in this time of worldwide economic crisis.

Like other airlines around the world, Vietnam Airlines’ number of passengers and cargo flights are decreasing.

In the first quarter of 2009, the number of international passengers traveling with the airline fell 5%, and the airline has set a target to carry only around 9.4 million passengers in this challenging year of 2009.

Last year, Vietnam Airlines carried nine million passengers.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/
More about Cambodia Rice Exporter, please visit: http://www.cambodiaorganic.com/

Read more...

Vietnam Tourism Remains Strong through Economic Crisis

There has been plenty of tourism news coming out of Vietnam recently, ranging from forum announcements to arrival figures, discounts and promotions to a new visa waiver, fuel surcharge cuts and a focus on Japanese arrivals.



ASEAN Tourism Forum



The 2009 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), considered the most important event in the ASEAN tourism co-operation framework, will be held in Ha Noi from January 5 to 12.

Around 1,500 delegates from around the world will participate in the eight-day forum, themed "Towards New Heights".



Ancient Hoi An Receives 450,000 Tourists



The ancient city of Hoi An received approximately 450,000 tourists, including 320,000 foreigners in 2008.

To attract tourists during the Christmas and New Year season, the Hoi An Culture, Sport and Tourism Centre is holding a number of traditional art performances, a street festival, an ethnic cultural fair and meetings with foreigners.

Visitors can enjoy a street festival on New Year’s Eve and a cultural fair showcasing each ethnic group.



Tour Operators Slash Prices as Economic Crisis Decreases Demand



Many Vietnamese tour companies are attempting to offset the damage of the global economic crisis by offering enticing discounts and other promotions.

Cholontourist Company said it has reduced the prices of some tours by US$50-60 and is considering further reducing profit margins in order to keep regular customers.

Vietnamese tour operators said the number of groups booking their services has dropped from an average of 25 a month to two or three.

Although December-February is usually the peak tourist season for the Asia-Pacific region, the outlook thus far is not looking good.

While Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific have been offering low-cost domestic fares in recent months, international tickets to Vietnam remain high.



Vietnam Waives Visas for Russians Tourists Next Month



Russian visitors with valid passports will no longer require visas to come to Vietnam as of January 1, 2009, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.

Vietnam will be the third Southeast Asian country after Thailand and Laos to waive visas for Russian citizens visiting for tourism purposes.

For a visa waiver for stays of 15 days or less, Russian visitors must have a valid passport and a return or onward ticket.



Cathay Pacific Airways Cuts Fuel Surcharges for Long-Haul Services



Cathay Pacific Airways will significantly cut passenger fuel surcharges from US$25.1 to $13.8 for short-haul flights and from $106.7 to $64 for long-haul services in Northeast and Southeast Asia including those in Vietnam.



Viet Nam Remains Popular with Japanese tourists



Vietnam will be listed among the key destinations in Japan’s tourism promotion programme in the near future, according to the Japanese Association of Travel Agents.

Despite being in the throes of the global economic downturn, 400,000 Japanese have visited Vietnam YTD.

Vietnam Airlines said that the co-operation of Japanese travel agents and official agencies to hold cultural and tourism events will prove vital in attracting Japanese tourists to Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines operates six direct flights from Ha Noi and HCM City to Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Vietnam Tourism Remains Strong through Economic Crisis

There has been plenty of tourism news coming out of Vietnam recently, ranging from forum announcements to arrival figures, discounts and promotions to a new visa waiver, fuel surcharge cuts and a focus on Japanese arrivals.



ASEAN Tourism Forum



The 2009 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), considered the most important event in the ASEAN tourism co-operation framework, will be held in Ha Noi from January 5 to 12.

Around 1,500 delegates from around the world will participate in the eight-day forum, themed "Towards New Heights".



Ancient Hoi An Receives 450,000 Tourists



The ancient city of Hoi An received approximately 450,000 tourists, including 320,000 foreigners in 2008.

To attract tourists during the Christmas and New Year season, the Hoi An Culture, Sport and Tourism Centre is holding a number of traditional art performances, a street festival, an ethnic cultural fair and meetings with foreigners.

Visitors can enjoy a street festival on New Year’s Eve and a cultural fair showcasing each ethnic group.



Tour Operators Slash Prices as Economic Crisis Decreases Demand



Many Vietnamese tour companies are attempting to offset the damage of the global economic crisis by offering enticing discounts and other promotions.

Cholontourist Company said it has reduced the prices of some tours by US$50-60 and is considering further reducing profit margins in order to keep regular customers.

Vietnamese tour operators said the number of groups booking their services has dropped from an average of 25 a month to two or three.

Although December-February is usually the peak tourist season for the Asia-Pacific region, the outlook thus far is not looking good.

While Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific have been offering low-cost domestic fares in recent months, international tickets to Vietnam remain high.



Vietnam Waives Visas for Russians Tourists Next Month



Russian visitors with valid passports will no longer require visas to come to Vietnam as of January 1, 2009, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.

Vietnam will be the third Southeast Asian country after Thailand and Laos to waive visas for Russian citizens visiting for tourism purposes.

For a visa waiver for stays of 15 days or less, Russian visitors must have a valid passport and a return or onward ticket.



Cathay Pacific Airways Cuts Fuel Surcharges for Long-Haul Services



Cathay Pacific Airways will significantly cut passenger fuel surcharges from US$25.1 to $13.8 for short-haul flights and from $106.7 to $64 for long-haul services in Northeast and Southeast Asia including those in Vietnam.



Viet Nam Remains Popular with Japanese tourists



Vietnam will be listed among the key destinations in Japan’s tourism promotion programme in the near future, according to the Japanese Association of Travel Agents.

Despite being in the throes of the global economic downturn, 400,000 Japanese have visited Vietnam YTD.

Vietnam Airlines said that the co-operation of Japanese travel agents and official agencies to hold cultural and tourism events will prove vital in attracting Japanese tourists to Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines operates six direct flights from Ha Noi and HCM City to Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Vietnam Tourist Arrivals Number 2.6mln

Vietnam received more than 2.6 million international visitors in the first seven months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 10.6 per cent, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). Foreign tourists to Vietnam mainly came from Thailand, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), the Philippines, China, France, Singapore and Malaysia.


International arrivals from the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore rose sharply over the same period last year with 55 per cent, 41.6 per cent and 27.5 per cent, respectively, while those from China, the RoK and Japan decreased.


"In order to fulfill its target of welcoming five million international tourists this year, the tourism sector will simplify international travel business procedures and strengthen land tourism cooperation with its neighbours Laos and Cambodia," Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Chien Thang said.


The sector plans to coordinate with airlines and enterprises to organise tourism promotion activities and diversify tourism products, he added. It will also continue investment in upgrading infrastructure and training human resources in an effort to improve service quality, thus increasing the number of tourists with long-time residences.


Currently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is preparing for the 2009 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2009) scheduled to be held in Vietnam from January 5-12. One of the major activities is building a website providing tourism information on Vietnam.


This will be the first time Vietnam hosts such a large-scale event in the framework of ASEAN tourism cooperation, Thang said. The ATF was considered a big opportunity for Vietnam to promote tourism and expand tourism cooperation with other regional countries.


During the ATF 2009, the ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting, the ASEAN Tourism Ministers meeting with dialogue countries and the ASEAN Tourism Fair will be held. Vietnam is expected to welcome around 1,500 international delegates during the next year's ATF, including representatives of 400 travel agencies from key markets in Northern America, Europe and Northeastern Asia.


Source: VNA

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Vietnam Hanoi welcomes over 1 million foreign visitors

Hanoi welcomes over 1 million foreign visitors


The number of foreign tourists to Hanoi in the first 11 months of this year is estimated at 1.15 million, equivalent to 95% of the city’s yearly plan and up 11.5% over the same period last year.


Strong growths have been seen in the numbers of visitors from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, France and the US.


The Hanoi Tourism Department has designed many new tours such as health treatment tours, helicopter sightseeing and visits to local celebrities.


The department is working on a file to propose that the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognise the Thang Long Imperial Citadel as a world cultural heritage.


(Source: VNA)


Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

The five leading countries posting great number of foreigners to visit Vietnam

In the first nine months of 2007, HCMC greeted an estimated 1.9 million foreign tourists, an increase of 13.7% year on year, reaching 71.6% of the yearly target, said the city’s Tourism Department. Of this figure, about 1.5 million foreigners visited the city by air, up 11% year on year, 25,000 foreigners came by sea, up 38%, and the overland visitors were up 25%.

The number of foreign tourists surged over the nine months because the trans-Asia road route has been completed, more international border gates have been upgraded in the North-Western and Eastern provinces as the city’s promotion of caravan tours got underway.

The five leading countries posting great number of foreigners to visit Vietnam are the US (up 8%), Japan (up 15%), Taipei (up 8%), the Republic of Korea (up 33%), and Australia (up 37%) year on year. In spite of not listing in top ten, the Russian tourists, mainly via MICE (meeting, incentive, conference, and exhibition) type, achieved a high growth (81%) and this is expected to develop strongly in Vietnam if the Vietnam tourism promotion campaign is carried out successfully.


Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Vietnam on sale to lure tourist

A two month campaign to reduce prices during the low season has been launched in the major cities of Vietnam in an effort to draw tourists to the country.

A number of shops, hotels, restaurants and transportation firms in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang have signed up to 'The Grand Sale' and agreed to reduce their prices by ten to 40 per cent during August and September, reported the Vietnam News.

"This is a good campaign," Hanoitourist director Luu Duc Ke told the news agency.

"Our company will co-ordinate with transport companies and hotels to provide discounts of 10 to 30 per cent."

Upon the presentation of their passport, tourists will receive a Tourist Privilege Card or shopping coupons for participating merchants.

As part of the larger 'Vietnam: Your Destination 2010' campaign, The Grand Sale is hoped to bring in increased revenue from tourist spending.

The Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) with the Trade Promotion Department, the Ministry of Industry and Vietnam Airlines introduced the campaign following the success of similar programmes in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...