travel weekly magazine the 30th issue (12 aug, 2010)

8/9/2019 Travel Weekly Magazine The 30th Issue (12 Aug, 2010)

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OfficialMediaPartnerfor:

Flamboyant Island

to be an impressive destination

in Do Son

Useful tourism information

when visiting Vietnam

How to Overcome Culture Shock

in a Foreign Country
http://www.travelweekly.com.vn/


2/47

Dear Travel Weekly readers!

Welcome to the 30 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-chief

Anh. Nguyen HoangM: +84 904 230 230

E: [email protected]

News

Hang. Bui DucM: +84 979 051 210


AdvertisingQuyen. Nguyen Tu

M: +84 987 622 113E: [email protected]

Sales

Duong. Nguyen

M: +84 904 884 099


Add: #130 Pho Duc Chinh Str.,Ba Dinh District, Hanoi Vietnam

Tel: +84 4 3715 3558 - Fax: +84 3715 3560

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.travelweekly.com.vn

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Kien. Nguyen Trung

Minh. Truong HoangPhuong. Nguyen


Contact us

Editor-in-Chief

Anh. Nguyen Hoang

Little EuropeLittle Europe

12Aug,

2010

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

OfficialMediaPartnerfor:

Flamboyant Island

tobe animpressivedestination

inDoSon

Usefultourism information

whenvisiting Vietnam

HowtoOvercomeCultureShock

ina ForeignCountry
http://www.itehcmc.com/


3/47

08. Come and experience the new Mv-enpick Hotel Saigon

02.VND 300 billion for four-star hotel in

Tay Ninh

VIETNAM NEWS

06.Hotel Equatorial HCMC in top

hotel list

03.Mekong Deltas tourism industry to

grow up

10. International Sailboat Festival 2010postponed until last year

Useful tourism infor-

mation when visiting

Vietnam

16 - 17Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula,

Vietnam is an attractive destination for tourists with a

beautiful natural landscape, and a unique culture and

cuisine. Towards 1,000 years of Thang Long Hanoi,

TravelWeeklys Editor Board sends you some specific

instructions to help you have a perfect trip to Vietnam.

With the investment of DasCo Vietnam Group, the Hoa

Phuong Island (Flamboyant Island) will become the first

an artificial island in Vietnam and is divided into 5 re-

gions representing the 5 petals of the flamboyant flower

and the central region representing its pistil.

Flamboyant Island

to be an impressive

destination in Do Son

FEATURES02

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Thursday 12.08.2010

Culture shock is defined as the feeling of disorienta-

tion, insecurity, and anxiety one may feel in unfamiliar

surroundings. Values, behaviors, and social customs

we routinely take for granted may no longer serve us in

our new environment. To adapt to a foreign culture and

effectively manage culture shock, one should keep in

mind as below article.

How to Overcome

Culture Shock in a

Foreign Country

04 - 05

38 - 39

11. The eighth Vietnam - Japan CulturalExchange Days to be held

12 . Da Nang boosts investment in tourismindustry

14.Vietnam Culture to be shine in

Grand Celebration

15. Hanoi Expo 2010 to marks millennial

anniversary

1,000 YEARS OF

THANG LONG - HANOI

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

20.Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao opens inmid September

21.Asia Fitness Convention 2010 to beheld in Bangkok

22.Sofitel Fiji announces fifth arts festival

23.Japan increasingly attractive to Aus-

tralians

26.STB launches YourSingapore in

Thailand

29. THAI passengers entitled to shopping

discounts

30.Qantas eyes China as hub for Europe

AVIATION NEWS

32.Asiana Airlines named Airline ofthe Year

35.Polish airline to fly to Vietnam inNovember

36 - 37.10 Thai Customs to Know BeforeVisiting Thailand (part 2)

40 - 41.Exciting Times to be in MedicalTourism

42 - 44.1. Ninh Chu Beach

DO YOU KNOW

DESTINATIONS

BUSINESS ADVICE

MEDICAL TOURISM


4/47

VIETNAMNEWS

Thursday 12.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

Saigon Investment Group (SGI)

kicked off construction on building

SGI Lao Hung Hotel in Sam Nua

district, Hua Phan province, Laos

on 30 July. This will be the first inter-

national standard hotel in Hua Phan

province; covering on a site of 5,642

square metres has a total invest-ment of 5billion dong. The project

is expected to be in operational by

2012.

An international performing arts

festival kicked off 9 August in Hanoi.

The lineup includes artists from

the Netherlands, Thailand, the US,

Australia, Myanmar, Japan, and Ma-

laysia, as well as nine Vietnamese

artists including Nguyen Phuong

Linh, Bill Nguyen, Le Huy Hoang,Lai Dieu Ha and Vu Duc Toan. The

festival promoted experience shar-

ing and creativity in performing arts

and will last until 14 August.

Phan Thiet City in Binh Thuan Prov-

ince will hold the traditional Nghinh

Ong Quan Thanh Festival from 30th

August to 1st September. The event

will begin with important rituals at

Ong Pagoda including a Buddhist

prayer ceremony, whale worship-

ping and a ceremony where peoplerelease lanterns on the river to pray

for good life. The festivals highlight

is the procession of Quan Thanh De

Quan, accompanied by about 1,000

people doing folk performances in

the city centre on 1st September.

Ho Chi Minh City is eager to kick start river tours along its

historic rivers. A new tour to the painting village along Sai Gon

River, District 2 will get underway in September to begin the Sai

Gon Chu Chi Binh Duong route. The route is also an impor-tant part of plan to develop riverside tourism over the next ten

years in HCMC.

Currently, some operators offered short tours, otherwise, the Ben

Nghe Nha Be and Bach Dang Binh Quoi route have become

popular with the introduction of six floating restaurants and threeyachts.

Medium-distance tours are from the Sai Gon Dong Nai Sai

Gon Binh Duong and Bach Dang Cu Chi route. Long-dis-

tance tours start from HCMC to a few Mekong Delta provincesas well as Phnom Penh and Shihanoukaville in Cambodia.

Petrocapital and Infrastructure Investment JSC, or Petroland,

said a four-star hotel in the southern province of Tay Ninhwas built on 8 August 2010, marking its first step into thehospitality sector.

Bui Minh Chinh, General Director of Petroland, told that the

realty firm would invest some VND300 billion to develop thePetroland Tay Ninh Hotel on Hoang Le Kha Street in the heartof Tay Ninh Town, some 100 km from HCMC.

The project, covering some 1,2 hectares on Hoang Le KhaStreet in the heart of Tay Ninh Town, some 100 km from

HCMC, is designed with two blocks of 18-storey buildings,including a 14,400 square meters for office space and a sec-

tion for the hotel with 144 guest rooms. Besides, there will beserviced facilities for conference, restaurant, fitness centerand spa among others.

Bui Minh Chinh, General Director of Petroland, told that therealty firm would invest some VND300 billion to develop the

Petroland Tay Ninh Hotel and scheduled for completion bythe third quarter of 2012.

Established in 2007, Petroland is active in investment andconstruction fields including housing, office and hotel proj-

ects, infrastructure development and property trading.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and

Tourism has approved a plan to

promote Vietnam tourism on both

local and international media. A

survey will be carried out to help lo-

cal tourism develop a trans-national

caravan tourism route from Vietnam

to Laos, Thailand and Cambo-

dia. The programme will include

exhibitions and other promotional

events in foreign countries as well

as documentaries on a new journey

connecting Vietnam with Laos,

Cambodia and Myanmar.

Saigon Invest builds

hotel in Laos

VND 300 billion

for four-star hotel in

Tay Ninh

Hanoi hosts intl per-

forming arts festival

Traditional Festival to

be hold in Phan ThietIntl promotion for car-

avan tours approved

2

HCMC keeps an eye on

riverside tourism

Petroland hotel project in Tay Ninh


5/47Thursday 12.08.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

Mekong Deltas

tourism industry to grow up

Mekong Deltas

tourism industry to grow up

VIETNAMNEWS 3

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and

Tourism has approved a plan to de-velop tourism as a key economic sectorin the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

According to the ministry said whichwith the aim at diversifying tourism

products and fully exploit the countrystourism potential, the plan will extends

to 2020, supporting the economictransformation of the country and helpreduce hunger and poverty.

Under the plan, the Mekong Delta

region would focus on the overseasVietnamese community and South-east Asian tourism market, especially

Cambodia, while maintaining currentmarkets in Northeast Asia, Western Eu-rope and North America. Domestically,

the area aims to attract more tourists aswell, particularly from HCM City andHanoi and the southeastern region.

The Delta region is expected to wel-come 2,7 million international arrivals

and 5,3 million domestic tourists by

2015. By 2020, the region expects toreceive 3,9 million foreign tourists and6,5 million local visitors. By 2015, therewould be 37,150 hotel rooms and a total

of 50,000 by 2020. The aim is to employ154,700 people in the Mekong Deltatourism sector by 2015 and 236,600 by

2020. Officials estimate that revenue

in the region would reach US$723.1million, with a GDP of $491,6 million by2015, and revenue of $1,35 billion, with

a GDP of $877,1 million by 2020.

The Mekong Delta region would focus

on developing rural tourism (orchardand river tours combined with home-

stays); cultural tourism (explorationof ethnic cultures), eco-tourism (toursof ecological systems in the area),

and high-quality spa therapy tourism(including Kien Giang Provinces Phu

Quoc Island and Ha Tien Town).

Tourism growth

According to Huynh Vinh Ai, DeputyMinister of Culture, Sports and Tourismsaid the Mekong Delta has attained sig-

nificant achievements in tourism. Spe-cifically, the number of foreign visitorsreached VND1,2 million, a three-fold

higher than 2000, local tourists gainedVND8 million, contributing in revenueof VND2 trillion for the tourism industry.

The countrys coastal areas have lurednearly 70 percent of foreign visitors and

more than 50 percent of local tourists,accounting for nearly 70 percent of thegross income of the countrys tourism

industry.


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VIETNAMNEWS


Flamboyant Island

to be an impressive

destination in Do Son

Model of the Flamboyant Island project - Hai Phong



VIETNAMNEWS 5

Its the first time an artificial island has appeared in Vietnam. With its advantages in

location, terrain as well as exceptional value, the Hoa Phuong Island (the Flamboyant

Island) becomes the ideal space for living, relaxation and financial investment.

Located in Do Son - Hai Phong with the investment of Dasco Vietnam Group, the Flam-

boyant Island not only inherits brilliant and pretty scenery of Do Son but also creates its

own pure, unique and elegant beauty.

The Flamboyant Island has a total area of nearly 60 ha. Its designed into a luxuriousresort community with the first 5 star hotel in Hai Phong and about 150 villas for sale. The

Flamboyant Island is divided into 5 regions representing the 5 petals of the flamboyant

flower and the central region representing its pistil.

* Apollo Villa areaIf Apollo is a sound-mind, talent God of Light, Truth and Art, Apollo villa is a spacious,

luxurious and precise place. 56 villas are located on a land facing the sea in the front andpoetic mountainous view of Do Son behind. The lake and green park right in the center

of this area create one ideal living space for people keen on a peaceful landscape. Total

area: 47,910m2

* Poseidon villa areaPoseidon, the powerful God of the Sea, who quakes the earth. His power and capacity

dominate in every villa here. Locating along the main road with the width of 12m, this isthe most convenient villa area for the traffic. Nature is airy and romantic, clouds run end-

lessly. With a boundless beach, the lapping of the waves dissolving into a whisper of the

pine forest on the hill, 61 Poseidon villas are valuable gif ts for anyone that knows how toenjoy his life. Total area: 61,941 m2

* Helios villa areaHelios, God of the Sun, a powerful God using a metaphor to express potential power,

energy and brilliant values of Helios villa area. The Helios area is next to the 5-star hotel,

harbor, and seaplane landing place. Moreover, Helios has various natural beaches which

are built to serve residents in the Flamboyant Island. This is a large area with 50 of the

most luxurious and splendid villas. Some villas are facing the sea to welcome the gentle

breeze while others are looking towards the flower garden. Helios becomes an abso-lutely beautiful petal in the overall Flamboyant Island. Total area: 75.884 m2

* Eros area

Eros area includes villas for lease, a marina serving residents on the island, and recre-ation places such as: a club, sport house, large-scale swimming pool, medical aid station

and kindergarten. Nothing is more enjoyable than having our body served by perfect

caring service in fanciful light and scenery of the sea and sky in Do Son. Total area:63,475 m2

* Zeus five-star hotelZeus is the king of Gods; Zeus area concentrates every super-utility serving personal pur-

poses of the Flamboyant Island owner: harbor, Water Park, seaplane landing space, and

airport. Zeus hotel area is also the only place having gentle waves which are appropriatefor building a natural beach. Located beside the beach is a five-star hotel with 28 stories

in the shape of a sail filled with wind. The unique and modern structure of Zeus hotel is

the most outstanding point on the Flamboyant Island. Total area: 80,028 m2

* Trade centerCenter of the project is the pistil planned to be a trade center and food street having

modern two-storey architecture with a wavy Teflon (ETFE) roof. This is a recreation andshopping area for residents on the island or an ideal place for holding conferences.


8/47

VIETNAMNEWS


6

The Vietnam National Administration of Tour-

ism (VNAT) has invited tourism agents, hote-

liers to join a marketing program in Germany,

Belgium and France later this year.

According to VNAT, all international travel

companies and hotels from three-star stan-

dard and more can join the campaign that

will travel to some of Vietnams key targetmarkets. VNAT will promote Vietnam as a

destination in Germany and Belgium during

the Vietnam Culture Week there, and target

France during a French event for Overseas

Vietnamese.

Marketing activities in Berlin from 28-31Au-

gust will include exhibitions, a road show

and meetings with the tourism sector, media

and Overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs.

In Brussels, VNAT will organise a road showon 4 September then travel to France 8 -12

September.

VNAT said more than 2,9 million international

visitors had visited the country as of end-July,up 34.9% year-on-year. Nearly 1,85 million

came for travel, up 44.4% compared to the

same period last year. The top ten markets in

the January-July period included China with

511,800, up 95.4%, followed by South Korea,

Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Cambodia, Thai-land, France and Malaysia.

VNAT invites tourism industry

on Europe campaign

looking forward to extending our highlevel service to even more guests.

Other Vietnamese hotels also mentionedin the list include the Sunrise Beach Resort

Nha Trang, the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi,the Thanh Xuan Hotel in Hoi An City, the

Melia Hanoi, the Renaissance RiversideHotel Saigon, the New World Hotel Saigonand the Metropole Saigon Hotel.

According to the select list of Expedia

Insiders said the hotel Equatorial HCMChas been ranked among over 110,000 besthotel properties around the world. The list

recognised individual hotels that consis-tently deliver excellent services, a great

overall experiences and a notable value.

James Montenegro, General Manager ofEquatorial hotel said: We are pleased

that our efforts have been acknowledgedby Expedia travellers and we are

Hotel Equatorial HCMC

in top hotel list
mailto:%[email protected]



Saigon-Ham Tan Tourism Corporation(SHTC), a member of Saigon Invest

Group (SGI), held the second phaseceremony of Marriott - Ham Tan Court-yard Resort in Tan Binh commune of La

Gi, Binh Thuan province on 8 August 2010.The project is undertaken by Coma9 and

HBC as main contractors.

Saigon-Ham Tan Tourism Complex

Project, total area of 200 hectares, situ-ated on the new upgraded area from 1AHighway to Lai Gi, 150 km away from Ho

Chi Minh City. The total investment ofmore than VND3,000 billion (150 million)and will go into operation in 2012. This is

a complex including work items, com-mercial service, travel services, entertain-

ment, culture and sports resort villas toluxury resort development of advanced,

investment has created jobs, accelerateeconomic development of Binh Thuan andSouth Central regions.

As part of Saigon-Ham Tan TourismComplex Project, the Marriott Ham Tan

Courtyard project will be managed by

by Marriott International, Inc. The proj-

ect with over $150 million USD in capitalinvestment, including 200-room Courtyardwill be unique, consisting of a mix of

standard guest rooms in a series of low-rise buildings as well as semi-detached

bungalows located across the expansive

development. The project is expectedto be in business in 2012 as scheduled,contributing to Binh Thuan economic

development.

VIETNAMNEWS 7

Nha Trang gets go-ahead

to host Miss Earth 2010Le Xuan Than, Vice Chairman of Khanh

Hoa Province announced Deputy PrimeMinister Nguyen Thien Nhan had ap-

proved the proposal of the Khanh Hoa

Province Peoples Committee to host theMiss Earth 2010 in the coastal city of Nha

Trang.

Deputy PM Nhan asked the Provincial

Peoples Committee in co-ordination with

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism;the Ministry of Foreign Affair and other

concerned agencies to ensure security

during the event, contributing to promot-ing Vietnams image.

According to the plan, about 90 beautyqueens from around world would arrive in

Vietnam on 4 November. They will join in

charity and environmental protection pro-grams in three provinces before arriving

in Nha Trang on 20 November.

The contests final round is scheduled to

take place at Vinpearl Land Resort andSpa, Hon Tre Island on 4 December.

Construction on Second Phase of

Marriott - Ham Tan Courtyard Resort

Miss Earth 2007 - Vinpearl Land


10/47

VIETNAMNEWS


Come and experience

the new Mvenpick

Hotel Saigon

Come and experience

the new Mvenpick

Hotel Saigon

8

The Mvenpick Hotel Saigon Board is

excited to announce the opening of the

Mvenpick Hotel Saigon on 1st August

2010 after a complete renovation of all

guest rooms, public areas and restau-

rants. The hotel are proud to present

a hotel that has been completely trans-

formed, from the exterior of the build-

ing to the guest rooms, from the multi-

tude of food and beverage choices tothe enhanced level of service. A brand

new, modern look will welcome and

surprise from the moment you step into

the lobby.

Come and experience the new Mven-

pick Hotel Saigon and take advantage

of the various opening specials on

offer.



VIETNAMNEWS 9

Guest Rooms

The guest rooms were designed with one goal in mind: Modern design withuncompromising comfort and quality!

To welcome our first guests, the hotel is offering a special introductory roomrate of VND 2,360,000++ inclusive of breakfast and free upgrade to our Ex-

ecutive Club. This exceptional offer is valid for all bookings from 1st

August toSeptember 30th.

IKI Japanese Restaurant

Without a doubt, the most hip and trendy Japanese restaurant in town. An en-

tirely new concept of fresh and affordable Japanese food. Experience IKI andreceive 50% off your current bill for your next visit! This promotion runs for theentire month of August. Dont wait and be one of the first to discover the new

benchmark for Japanese food in Ho Chi Minh City! You will be amazed howaffordable great Japanese food can be!

Lotus Court Chinese Restaurant

With the addition of a new Executive Chinese Master Chef, Lotus Court isdestined to rival the best Chinese restaurants in the city! A culinary journey

through the various facets of Chinese cuisine awaits our guests. If you preferthe traditional or more adventurous approach - Chef Ng has prepared a menuthat leaves no wish unanswered. Do try our Sunday Dim Sum brunch as well

and take a pick from a vast selection of Dim Sum prepared in our show kitchenin front of your eyes!

Cay Da Caf

The freshest bread, cakes and pastries plus an assortment of daily changing

sandwiches and pies. A great selection of the finest coffee and tea special-ties as well as funky fruit and herbal tea smoothies. Come and try our homemade ice cream and choose your favorite ice cream creation from our special

menu. All bakery and pastry items are freshly baked every day, so enjoy a 50%discount on all those items after 6.00p.m.

Get married and enjoy a honeymoon stay in Hanoi

Be one of the first couples to get married in our brand new hotel, the perfect

venue for any wedding and enjoy a free honeymoon trip to Hanoi. The Mven-

pick Hotel Saigon will provide the couple with air tickets, airport transfers and

a two night stay at the stylish Mvenpick Hotel Hanoi. This opening special isapplicable for all weddings confirmed from August 2010 to February 2011.

Mid Autumn Festival Moon Cakes

This year the Mvenpick Hotel Saigon will help you to convey the message

from your heart to your family, friends or colleagues via a vibrant assortmentof colours and flavours. Choose from six distinctive flavours, our moon cakes

come in boxes of four, priced at VND 488,000 net. Special discounts are avail-able on volume order.

Mvenpick Hotel Saigon

Add: 253 Nguyen Van Troi Str., Phu Nhuan Dist., HCMC

Phone:+ 84 8 3844 9222 Fax:+ 84 8 3844 9198

Email: [email protected]


12/47

VIETNAMNEWS


VIETNAMNEWS10

The organising boat for the Mui Ne Binh Thuan International Sailboat Festival 2010decided to put off the event until 8-11 December 2010 instead of 21-24 October 2010, said

the Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism on 5 August.

Ms. Le Thi Thanh Lien, Deputy Director of the Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sport

and Tourism said that the result of postponement is due to the provincial Peoples Com-mittee, concerned agencies and donors need more time to prepare for this event.

With the title of Sailboat, Sea and Sun, the Mui Ne Binh Thuan International SailboatFestival 2010 is expected to attract 20 sailboat teams and 20 sea beauties from Russia,Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, U.S, France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Hong Kong,

China, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Finland, New Zealand, Argentina, Japan, Saudi Arabia,and the Republic of Korea.

International Sailboat

Festival 2010 postponeduntil last year

International Sailboat

Festival 2010 postponeduntil last year

Illustrated Picture



Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City willbecome the first cities to launch a big sale

programme designed to encourage cus-tomers spending and shopping tourism.

Hanoi kicked off the Impressive VietnamGrand Sale 2010 yesterday, 11 August and

the central coast city of Da Nang on 19August while HCMC has announced theSpecial Sales Promotion programme will

begin with the Grand Sale Fair to openat the Phu Tho Gymnasium in District 10from August 31 through September 4.

The Vietnam National Administration of

Tourism (VNAT) plans to kick off the pro-gram this month as a part of the nationaltourism marketing campaign Vietnam

Your Destination.

At the request of VNAT, the Department

of Culture, Sports & Tourism and tradeindustry of the three cities would have toteam up to carry out the program. In two

months, local and international touristscould enjoy discounts of 10% to 40% at

shopping centers, supermarkets, and re-tail outlets among others in Hanoi, HCMCand Da Nang.

However, unlike similar big sale programsin neighboring countries like Thailand

and Singapore, promotional activitiesfor the event have remained insufficient.

Other incentives like visa fee exemp-tions for international travellers and VATrefunds have not been worked out.

VIETNAMNEWS 11

The 2010 Vietnam Japan Cultural Exchange

Days will take place in Hoi An from 21-23

August.

The annual event will begin at Hoi An Sculp-

ture Garden on 21 August, featuring a wide

range of cultural and sporting exchange

activities including a performance of Koto(a Japanese traditional musical instrument);

a tea ceremony; calligraphy; Japanese

traditional clothing (Kimono and Yukata) and

Japanese cooking classes.

Other cultural activities will be held such astraditional dance and musical instruments

shows, a dragon dance, a floating lantern

festival, a street exhibition of photographs

about festivals, culinary activities together

with many other sports exchange events in-

cluding cross-river boat race, stick-pushing,etc.

Several famous Japanese art troupes, in-

cluding Iwami Kagura royal dance troupe,

Daisuwa Taiko drum troupe and Sakai Cityslion dance troupe, will join the event.

The first Vietnam Japan Cultural Exchange

Days took place in Hoi An in 2003 and it has

become an annual event since then. The

event aims to strengthen Vietnam-Japanfriendship and cooperation as well as to

popularize the charms of Hoi An, a UNESCO

world cultural heritage site.

The eighth Vietnam - Japan

Cultural Exchange Days to be held

Major cities to begin

Grand Sale Programme


14/47

VIETNAMNEWS


12

Da Nang will issue new policies to encour-

age investors to invest in major tourism sites

including Ba Na Tourist Site, Son Tra Pen-

nisula, My Khe beach and Non Nuoc beach.

The local authorities also offered plans tofocus on tourist safety, investing in improv-

ing infrastructure, transportation and flight

schedules.

A travel promotion campaign via mass me-

dia, advertising and marketing will also takeplace locally and internationally this year.

The city will increase marketing activities

by publishing tourism brochures and main-

taining websites with travel information for

domestic and foreign tourists, tour organis-

ers and travel agencies.

As part of a media campaign, the authorities

will support local agencies to co-operate

with foreign partners in Japan, China and

Singapore to produce promotions and cre-

ate new tours.

A tourism programme between Da Nang

and neighbouring provinces of Quang Nam

and Thua Thien-Hue will be expanded.

In recent years, many international-standard

hotels have been built in Da Nang, including

4- and 5-star luxury resorts Furama, SandyBeach and eco-tourism resorts Ba Na and

Son Tra. Since 2001, Da Nang has reported

a 15 percent annual visitor growth. The city

expects to attract 1.4 million visitors this

year, including 350,000 foreigners, and earn

more than VND1 trillion (US$55 million)from tourism.

A large number of visitors have turned back

on domestic tours when airline ticket prices

are higher than to 30-35 percent since Viet-

nam Airlines halted the discounted airfares

which are offered previously from 1st July to

15th August.

According to travel agents at HCMC said

customers have switched to cheap tours ofCambodia, Thailand and Singapore which

have a range of interesting activities.

Tran The Dzung, Deputy Head of the Do-

mestic tourism promotion programme at

HCMC, said that the group sold airplane

tours for 2,089 visitors in July and 4,052 visi-

tors in June. Most of them booked tours in

May and June before the National Flag Car-

rier stopped offering discounted airfares.

Saigontourist said they sold Thailand tours

to 541 travellers and Cambodia tours toover 1,500 travellers in July, up to 15 percent

and 30 percent, respectively, compared to

June. Also, Viet Media Travel Corporation

received 60 overland visitors to Laos per

week, seeing a two-fold increase against

June.

According to Nguyen Manh Hung, Head

of the Heritage Department under the

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism,said the Thang Long Royal Citadel will

open for tourism in middle of September

2010.After being recognised as a World

Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, currently,

the citadel has still closed for preserva-tion and conservation to open before the

celebration of 1,000 years of Thang Long

Hanoi.

Regarding UNESCOs proposals on the

continued excavation, Hung said that inthe celebration year of the 1,000th birth-

day, it is not suitable to excavate, and that

the exaction may continue in 2011. The

central part of the Thang Long Royal Cita-

del has an area of 18,395 square meters,

including the Hanoi ancient citadel andthe archaeological relics at No. 18 Hoang

Dieu. Professor Phan Huy Le compares it

to a living historical collection covering

all the history of Thang Long Hanoi with

many precious architectural features and

artifacts from the 7th century.

Domestic tour

numbers decrease

Da Nang boosts

investment in tourism industry

Thang Long Royal

Citadel to be open in

mid-September

Thang Long Royal

Citadel to be open in

mid-September
http://tca.gfcexpo.com/


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VIETNAMNEWS


13
http://tca.gfcexpo.com/http://tca.gfcexpo.com/http://tca.gfcexpo.com/http://tca.gfcexpo.com/http://tca.gfcexpo.com/http://tca.gfcexpo.com/http://tca.gfcexpo.com/


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Vietnam Culture to be shine in

Grand Celebration

Vietnam Culture to be shine in

Grand Celebration

Entrepreneurs join caravan

for Hanois great celebration

An art programme to mark 1,000 years of Thang Long Hanoi will benot only for artists but also attract the attendance of all walks of lifethroughout the capital city.

According to Dr. Luu Tran Tieu, President of the Vietnam Cultural Heri-

tage Association said in the past few days, the Thang Long Royal Citadel

has been recognised as a world cultural heritage by UNESCOs World

Heritage Committee; Giong Saint Festival has also been submitted to

UNESCO for its recognition.

Pham Quang Long, Director of the citys Department of Culture, Sport

and Tourism said the department is preparing art activities for ten-day

giant celebration. Specifically, a live show with the title Dem huyen ao

Ho Guom (The fanciful night of Sword Lake) was held in Hanoi and nine

other provinces and cities throughout the country as well 16 foreign cities,

where Vietnamese overseas live in, will broadcast the Vietnam Television

channel on the evening of 10 October.

At 6 a.m. on 10 October, all bells and drums in pagodas, churches and

schools will beat as a signal of the great days beginning. Also, a solemn

ceremony, a national parade and a cultural festival will take place at My

Dinh National Stadium.

The Grand Celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long Hanoi

will set a record for the greatest number of artists to join any single event

in Vietnamese history.

30 foreign art troupes from Italy, France, the US, Spain, Hungary, Germany,

Denmark, Singapore, the UK, Korea, China, Rumania, Russia and more

have registered to take part in various activities such as fine arts perfor-

mances, food fairs, exhibitions, trade promotion activities and others.

Apart from local people, many foreign individuals and organizations have

provided material and spiritual support for the Grand Celebration.

Young Vietnamese entrepreneurs will join a car-

avan named Thang Long Millennial - Cultural

Journey on 4 October to mark the 1,000th an-

niversary of Thang Long - Hanoi.

The businessmen will drive themselves from HoChi Minh City to provinces of the Central High-

lands and the central coastal region and then

stopping in Hanoi. They will also hold meetings

and forums to promote trade and investment at

each locality.

The mission will participate in practical actions

to contribute to environmental protection and in

co-ordination with 1,000 outstanding business-

men to attend a live dialogue with the Prime

Minister and the Open Asian Entrepreneurship

Forum in Vietnam during the event.

The event will be jointly held by Nam Phuong

Tourist Company, Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs

Association and Young Entrepreneurs Associa-

tions in Ho Chi Minh City as well as other prov-

inces and cities.


1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoidays to come


17/47

Plantingflag

onFansipan

peakto

markHanoismillennium

Hanoi Expo 2010 to marks millennial anniversary

T he tourism sector will planta flag on the nations Fan-sipan peak, the highest moun-tain in the northern province ofLao Cai to welcome the capitalcitys millennium birthday.

According to Mai Tien Dzung,Deputy Director of HanoisCulture, Sport and TourismDepartment, said a group of 85

people working in tourist sec-tor will set out on their climbup the 3,143-m mountain onOctober 26.

This is a joint activity betweenthe municipal Department ofCulture, Sport and Tourism andthe Vietnam National Adminis-tration of Tourism to welcomeThang Long-Hanoi 1,000thbirthday and the 2010 NationalTourism Year.

A big international fair will take placefrom 30 August to 5 September at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centreas a part of activities celebrating the1000th anniversary of Thang Long -Hanoi.The two-part fair will cover 20,000m2with about 750 booths representing

300 domestic and foreign business-es in area of agriculture, construc-tion, trade and technology.Section A1 will depict Hanois socio-economic achievements and poten-tial through many pictures, docu-ments, charts and artifacts. Thissection will also have 30 pavilionsintroducing the land, people, cultureand potential for economics, invest-ment, trade and tourism of countriessuch as France, India, South Africa,Denmark, Chile and Cuba.Meanwhile, Section D will be re-served exclusively for agriculturalproducts, methods and technology.This section is expected to createfavourable conditions for agricultur-al businesses to seek opportunitiesfor trade and market expansion.


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


18/47

VIETNAMNEWS


Useful tourism information when visiting Vietnam

Vietnam is an attractive destination for tourists with a beautiful natural landscape, and a unique culture and cuisine.Most visitors to Vietnam will need a valid visa to enter the country, though citizens of a few countries are eligible for a visa onarrival. A tourist visa is valid for about 30 days, depending on each specific case.Customs procedures in Vietnam are quick and simple. To enter and exit Vietnam, visitors are required to fill out an arrival - departurecard (available in Vietnamese and English).Passengers also must make customs declarations in the following cases: bringing an amount of goods exceeding the duty-free limit,unaccompanied luggage, temporarily imported and re-exported or temporarily exported and re-imported professional tools, habit-forming drugs, medication worth over 30 USD, cash of over 7,000 USD or the equivalent in other foreign currencies of over 15 millionVND in Vietnamese currency. Goods forbidden for import and export are also included.Visitors can take taxis, motorbikes from the airport to downtown. They may also go by bus in major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi MinhCity.

In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese. Almost all tour guides can speak English, French, Russian, Japanese or Chinese.Entering Vietnam, tourists should use Vietnamese dong (VND) for payment in daily transactions.Travellers cheques and credit cards can be exchanged into Vietnamese dong at banks and at major hotels and restaurants.Foreign currencies can be changed into Vietnamese dong and cheques at banks and foreign exchange counters. Banks are openfrom 7:30 or 8:00 am to 15:30 pm and closed on Saturdays and Sundays.The forex rate changes everyday. When leaving Vietnam, visitors can change Vietnamese dong into foreign currency at forex coun-ters at airports.


19/47

VIETNAMNEWS


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

Things to keep in mind when visiting Vietnam

- Do not drink water directly from the tap, especially after flooding.- Avoiding using xich lo (pedicab) services in the evening.- Wear tidy and suitable clothes when visiting local houses, temples and pagodas.

- Do not take along valuable things when going out at night or swimming in the sea.- Do not give money to ethnic minority people directly. Instead, send a donation to a local charitablefund or present them a small gift such as a pen.- Ask permission before taking photos, particularly in remote areas.

Things not to miss

- A tour of Hanois old quarter.- An overnight stay on Ha Long Bay

- A boat trip on the Huong River in Hue, visiting imperial tombs- Sleeping in guest-house amid riverside gardens in the Mekong delta.- A xich lo ride to view the colonial French-architecture quarter in Ho Chi Minh City.- Ordering tailor-made clothes at a local tailor shop.- Enjoying traditional Pho rice (noodle soup).- Watching a traditional water puppet show in Hanoi.- Attending the mid-lunar month festival in Hoi An ancient town.- Drink can wine (sipped from a jar through long straws).
http://itehcmc.com/2010/


20/47

VIETNAMNEWS

http://itehcmc.com/2010/http://itehcmc.com/2010/http://itehcmc.com/2010/http://itehcmc.com/2010/http://itehcmc.com/2010/http://itehcmc.com/2010/


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VIETNAMNEWS

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


22/47

INTERNATIONAL NEWS


20

Travellers wanting to catch some

rays in China should head to

Fuzhou, in the province of Fujian.

The southeastern city has been

named as Chinas hottest city over

the past decade, according to a

list compiled by Song Yingjie, a

weatherman with China Central TV.

Fuzhou recorded a total of 375 days

of temperatures in excess of 35C

during the 10-year period, ahead

of Hangzhou (355 days), Chongq-

ing (343) and Changsha (326).

Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing and

Hangzhou are often referred to as

the Four Stoves or Chinas hottest

cities.

Hotels in Hong Kong experienced a 54.6% rise in revenue per

available room (revPAR) in June 2010, while Beijings hotelssurged 41.2%. These are the findings of the latest citywide data

reports from STR Global, provided exclusively to TDA. Last

month, five of the seven studied markets recorded double-digit

year-on-year revPAR rises, with Singapore also experiencing

a major increase, climbing 50.6% year-on-year. Only Bangkok,

still feeling the effects of the political protests, and Dubai sawdeclining revPAR.

The cumulative figures for the first half of 2010 saw most markets

rebound strongly from the troubles of 2009. Beijing (+35.7%),

Hong Kong (+37.7%), Singapore (+39.9%), Sydney (+41.9%)

and Tokyo (+18.7%) all saw significant revPAR rises, whenmeasured in US dollars. Despite its recent troubles, Bangkoks

strong start to the year allowed half-year revPAR to grow, albeit

marginally.

A new Hilton hotel is opening in Shanghais Hongqiao area,

which is regaining importance since the upgraded Hongqiao

Airport recommenced serving international flights.The 682-room Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao will start up in mid-

September in the Minhang district, just 15 minutes from the

airport. The location will also prove attractive to travellers

with business in the newly developed Hongqiao Development

Zone.

The three-tower hotel is close to metro lines and upscale shop-

ping malls in a neighbourhood long preferred by expatriates.

It is also just across the road from the nine-hole Hongqiao golf

course.

In the four room categories available, the 335 Standard and 221

Deluxe rooms are a minimum of 46sqm while the 73 Executiverooms are a spacious 59sqm and the 53 suites range between

79sqm to 238sqm. All rooms offer high speed internet access

and Wi-Fi, 42-inch LCD televisions, rain showers and Crabtree

and Evelyn bathroom amenities, as well as tea- and coffee-

making facilities.

Executive-room guests in Tower 3 have access to the executive

lounge with complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments and

free Wi-Fi and booking of the lounges conference room for

two hours a day, free pressing of one garment per stay and use

of the gym, pool and spa facilities among others.

The hotel offers a ballroom measuring 1,706sqm, plus six well-

equipped meeting rooms and a boardroom. Six F&B outlets in-

clude the all-day dining Essence, the Cantonese Yue Xuan, thewestern MED Grill, the lobby lounge Pulse, a Deli and Vine, a

wine bar with a well-stocked cellar and tasty snacks.

Chinese energy consumption, per

unit of GDP rose 0.1% year-on-year

in the first half of the year, the Na-

tional Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has

said. China cut energy use per unit

of GDP 14.4% between 2006 and

2009, and aims to reduce it by 20%

between 2005 and 2010.

The Chifeng Musuem in Chinas

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

is due to open on 8 August, when

it will become Chinas largest

permanent exhibition of the ancient

Hongshan culture. Xinhua reports

that the attraction, which has been

under construction for three years,

will display artifacts and informa-

tion from the aboriginal culture that

existed in northern China about

6,000 years ago.

Goa tourism sees Japanese Bud-

dhists as a travel market with strong

potential. With their strong

Buddhist beliefs, local authorities

believe that Indias Buddhist roots

and ancient sites could help bring

Japanese pilgrims to Goa, reports

the Times of India. According to the

states Tourism Director Swapnil

Naik, a Buddhism circuit is already

in place and representatives will

be sent to a travel fair in Japan to

promote the concept.

Fuzhou named Chinas

hottest city

Chinese energy

consumption climbs

Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao

opens in mid September

Chinese museum dis-

plays ancient culture

Goa eyes Japanese

tourists

Singapore, China hotels

lead recovery in June

Singapore, China hotels

lead recovery in June

View from Hilton Barbados Hotel

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore



INTERNATIONALNEWSINTERNATIONALNEWS 21

The Asia Fitness Convention 2010 (AFC2010), which is being organized for the

second consecutive year at CentaraGrands Bangkok Convention Centre @Central World, is aiming to attract over

700 fitness and health professionals andenthusiasts from the Asia Pacific regionfrom 17 - 19 September, 2010.

With the theme of Raising the Bar, the or-ganizers of this years event are bringing

in 40% more world-class presenters andproviding more workshop and sessions

than last year. Some of the worlds lead-ing fitness experts coming to share theirlatest exercise techniques, regimes and

nutrition programs include Fabio Comana,Steve Cotter, Carrie Ekins, Joe Friel, Jen-nifer Galardi, Fraser Quelch, Jim Stoppani,

Peter Twist and Tim Ziegenfuss.

This year, as the fitness and health

industry is growing so fast in Asia, wehave also included sessions on how to

manage fitness clubs, how to attract andretain members and sustain profitability.These sessions will be led by Paul Brown,

CEO and creator of the Face2Face Reten-tion System, and Tracy Minnoch-Nuku,

SEA Director of Les Mills Asia Pacific,from Australia, said Dr. Suzanne Hosley,Managing Director of Fitness Innovations

(Thailand) Ltd., on behalf of the eventorganizers.

Running in conjunction with the AFC 2010

will be a Fitness Exhibition, which will of-fer fitness and health-related products and

services at considerable discount to notonly the delegates of the convention, but

also to members of the health-consciousgeneral public.

Confirmed exhibitors so far includeAdidas, Alkem Pte Ltd., American Coun-cil on Exercise (ACE), Central Trading

Co. Ltd., COB Group Co., Ltd., JohnsonHealth Tech (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Les

Mills Asia Pacific, Nshactive, Oasis Hong

Kong, Sportathlon (Thailand) Ltd., STOTTPilates, Sun Sport Marketing Co., Ltd and

Wellnex to name but a few.

Open from 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. daily,

the exhibition will command part of themain hall on the 22nd floor of the Centara

Grands Bangkok Convention Centre.Various free exercise demonstrations willtake place 3 times a day from 10:00 11:00

a.m., 12:00 1:00 p.m. and from 3:00 4:00p.m.

The AFC 2010 will also have pre and post

convention sessions in Kettlebell certifica-tion, yoga teacher training, group exercise

choreography development, personaltraining, business management, triathlon

training and a number of other topics. Apost-convention Beach Party is also beingplanned to take place at the Pullman Pat-

taya Aisawan during 20 - 22 September.

Last year, the Convention was attended by

over 500 fitness, health and sports profes-sionals and enthusiasts from countries

around the Asia region as well as from

Australia, USA, Qatar, UAE and Bahrain,and generated an approximate revenue of

Baht 100 million for Thailand.

Asia Fitness Convention 2010

to be held in Bangkok

Asia Fitness Convention 2010

to be held in Bangkok
http://www.brandsavvy.com.vn/


24/47

INTERNATIONAL NEWS


22

Artists from across Fiji are saying

bula to brushstrokes and trading

their kava for carving tools in prepa-

ration for ART ON THE ISLAND V setto take place at the Sofitel Fiji Resort& Spa in October 2010.

One of the biggest events on Fijis

cultural calendar, ART ON THE

ISLAND V is a celebration of Fijisartistic talent, presented by local arts

charity CreatiVITI in association with

Sofitel Luxury Hotels.

A gala event to launch the eight-day

exhibition at the Sofitel Fiji Resort &Spa will take place on Friday the 1st

of October. Tickets to the gala launchare F$20 per person. The visual and

heritage arts event, which includes

craft markets, will be open for Sofitel

guests and the public to enjoy untilSaturday the 9th of October 2010.

ART ON THE ISLAND V spokes-

person and CreatiVITI Secretary

Maria Rova says, Our mission is

to develop arts and crafts in Fijithrough training, promotion and the

enjoyment of creative expression

in a setting accessible to the whole

community.

Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa has always

been very supportive of the arts

community in Fiji, and this upcom-

ing exhibition a great way for us to

further showcase Fijis emerging art

talent to the world.

A celebrated artist in her own right,

Maria Rovas work is on permanentdisplay at the Sofitel.

Other Fijian artists who will show-

case their work at the hotel as part of

the exhibition include local painter

Joe Bilbu, and drawings by Lautokaartist Apimeleki Vakarau, a quad-

riplegic (victim of a rugby accident)

and talented artist who draws while

lying on a mattress on the floor, using

ink pen on bark cloth. Previously

commissioned by Sofitel to createartworks for display in guest rooms,

Apis minute pen strokes reflect thevery limited movement he has left in

his arms and hands, making him an

inspiration in person and on paper.

General Manager Adam Laker says,

Maria Rova and Apimeleki Vakarau

are two of many local artists featured

on walls in public spaces and in

guest rooms at the Sofitel.

Maria was one of the first artists we

supported when we launched the

resort in 2006, and indeed her colour

and creativity is still one of the first

things our guests see when theycheck in, with a huge Rova original

on display directly behind our recep-

tion desk to greet visitors on arrival.

In addition we have many other

local artists work on display in each

and every guest room at the hotel.

For Sofitel its a simple yet important

way for us to support the local artscommunity and ensure that Fijianculture permeates the hotel and

inspires our visitors each and every

day.

CreatiVITI is a membership-basedorganisation representing artists

from across Fiji and home to Fijis

only pottery production studio, with

showroom, mini-gallery and a crafts

garden hosting demonstrations and

classes.

The organisation specialises incustom ceramic commissions and

promoting local artists paintings,

pottery, drawings, sculpture, handi-

crafts, pottery classes CreatiVITIalso runs kids craft activities, , sea-

sonal craft markets in addition to its

annual art competition.

As Denaraus most sophisticated in-

ternational resort, the Sofitel blendstraditional French influences that are

the hallmark of the Sofitel Luxury

Hotels brand with more exotic Fijian

charms to offer a choice of modern

facilities that extend to a MandaraDay Spa retreat, the worlds first Pure

Fiji concept store, the Turtle Club for

kids, plus an impressive line up of

award winning restaurants, bars and

new sidewalk caf Parisienne.

Sofitel Fiji announces

fifth arts festival

Sofitel Fiji announces

fifth arts festival

The upcom-

ing Art in

the Island V

exhibition is a

great way for

us to further

showcase

Fijis emerging

art talent to

the world,said Maria

Rova, Art on

the Islad V

spokesperson

and CreatiVITI

Secretary.


25/47

INTERNATIONALNEWS


23INTERNATIONALNEWS

Hotels.com has selected its top 10 hotels with the best views, with

Asian properties featuring prominently. Asia Pacific properties took

seven of the 10 slots, with the new Marina Bay Sands hotel a notable

inclusion. Kempinskis Commune by the Great Wall and the Oberoi

Amarvillas, Agra, which overlooks the Taj Mahal, also featured. The

full Hotels.com list is as follows:- Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

- The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Camps Bay, Cape Town, South

Africa

- Four Seasons, Hong Kong

- The Oberoi Amarvillas, Agra, India

- Qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia- Blanket Bay Lodge, Glenorchy, New Zealand

- Four Seasons Golden Triangle, Thailand

- Il San Pietro di Positano, Positano, Italy

- Commune by The Great Wall, China

- Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge

Australians are arriving in Japan in increasing numbers. Com-

pared to June 2009, Australian arrivals in Japan were up 26.8percent in June 2010, according to a preliminary report by theJapan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).

For the first six months of 2010, cumulative Australian visitor ar-

rivals totaled 117,200 - up 14 percent on 2009 figures.

Australia represents Japans sixth major inbound tourism market

behind South Korea, China, Taiwan, USA and Hong Kong.

The increase in Australian arrivals is mostly due to the increasein flights to Japan, special sale airfares, the Visit Japan Year2010marketing campaign which ran until March 2010, and con-

tinued consumer confidence, the report cited.

Japan is proving attractive to all of its 14 major inbound markets,

recording increases on 2009 figures across the board. Cumula-tive visitor arrivals from all markets were up 35.8 percent on 2009figures.

The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has set its annual international

visitor arrivals target at 10 million in 2010, 15 million by 2013, 20million by 2016, 25 million by 2019, and 30 million in the years

beyond.

Asian hotels offer

best rooms with a view

Japan increasingly

attractive to Australians

Japan increasingly

attractive to Australians

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
http://www.la-residence-hue.com/


26/47

INTERNATIONAL NEWS




INTERNATIONAL NEWS 25

India has now seen the opening of its first Aloft hotel, which is a brandowned and operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Thenew Aloft Chennai OMR-IT Expressway property is also the 42nd prop-

erty to open in the world for this brand. It has 130 rooms and accessibletechnology.

The Aloft Chennai, OMR - IT Expressway, is situated on the Old Mahaba-

lipuram Road (OMR), a place known for its abundance of IT companies,capitalising on one of Indias fastest-growing and most important indus-tries.

Each of Chennais loft-style rooms will include design-led features suchas high ceilings, Alofts signature bed and walk-in showers, as well as

free wifi and large high-definition TVs that link to most common electronicdevices.

But hot on Chennais heels is the 170-room Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield,due to open in less than a weeks time and already taking bookings forstays starting September 9. Like Chennai, the Bengaluru property is situ-

ated in an IT-industry hotspot.

One more Aloft is due to open before the year is out the Aloft Coim-

batore Singanallur which launches 1 December. The Aloft Ahmedabad,SG Road, and Aloft Chandigarh Zirakpur will open next year, while the

Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park is slated to open in 2012.

Aloft, with its 40-strong portfolio, has pursued a rapid expansion since its

US debut in June 2008, having gone global within its first 15 months. Star-wood recently announced its first London property and second in Europe,the Aloft London Excel, due open in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The first Middle Eastern Aloft opened in Abu Dhabi in October last year

while Europes first property, the Aloft Brussels, is due to launch 1 Sep-

tember this year.

Aloft hotels

debut in India

Aloft hotels

debut in India


28/47

INTERNATIONAL NEWS


The Singapore Tourism Board (STB)launched in Thailand its new destina-

tion brand YourSingapore. An evolu-tion of the Uniquely Singapore brand,YourSingapore underpins Singapores

strengths as a destination that offers anexperience which can be easily person-

alised by the visitor, thanks to its concen-

tration of sights, sounds, tastes, cultureand attractions coupled with unparalleled

user-centricity.

As a brand, YourSingapore articulates Sin-

gapores uniqueness and captures whattravellers seek a personal travel experi-

ence. Visitors can look forward to an emo-

tional reward of empowerment campaignwebsite facilitates sharing of experiencesamong travellers and local residents alike,

and will be powered by up-to-date multi-media content about all things Singapore.

The websitewww.yoursingapore.com willdeliver a new virtual experience that noother destination website currently offers.

In the past few years, the way that peopleplan and book travel has fundamentallyshifted from passive content consumption

to the active engagement of empoweredindividuals, primarily due to the domi-nance of digital and social media. Video-

on-demand, online news, blogs andwebsites that enable social interaction

have changed the way that travellers seekand obtain information. YourSingapore isa response to the pervasive influence of

digital media and the rise of virtual com-munities, as well as consumer demandsfor personalised travel plans.

Singapore welcomed 318,000 Thai visitors

who spent S$501 million in 2009, mak-ing Thailand the 10th largest sourcemarket of visitors to the city state. In the

first six months of 2010, close to 200,000Thais have visited Singapore, which is anincrease of 27% over the same period in

2009.

STB launches

YourSingapore in Thailand

26
http://www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_1/website/Internet/Internet/www.itb-asia/englisch/index.html


29/47

INTERNATIONALNEWS


Business EventsSydney expands

China presence

Business EventsSydney expands

China presence

Business Events Sydney (BESydney) is expand-ing its sales and marketing reach in China with

the opening of a new office in Shanghai. Ms ShuPing Chen has been appointed as Business De-

velopment Manager to be based in Shanghai.Asia is a key growth area for us especiallyChina, where we have seen strong interest in

Sydney for outbound corporate incentive groups.We are delighted that Shu Ping has joined us,said BESydney Chief Executive Officer, Jon

Hutchison.

BESydney works closely with the New SouthWales (NSW) government to align prioritiesand collaborate on winning business events

for Sydney. Business development efforts arefocused primarily on core segments; finance and

insurance services, information communicationtechnology (ICT), pharmaceutical, manufactur-ing and direct selling sectors.

Shu Ping boasts an impressive background, withover 10 years working in the tourism industry.

She has strong knowledge of the Australiantourism product from her past roles, where shehas attained the Aussie Specialist Certification

awarded by Tourism Australia.

Reporting to Sinead Yeo, Business Development

Director Asia, Shu Ping will be responsible for

developing relationships with key corporateclients from the priority sectors.

Her most recent position was as Business Devel-

opment Manager with Experience Tours Austra-lia, a division of the Australian Outbound Travel(AOT) group, where she was responsible for the

markets of Singapore and Vietnam.

Since opening the BESydney office in HongKong in 2003, we have confirmed an estimated$373 million worth of business from Asia for Syd-

ney, of which 77% originates from China. said

Hutchison.

BESydney secured 69 business events in2009/10, a significant increase from the previousrecord of 47 wins in 2002/3. These events will

deliver an estimated $179 million to the NSWeconomy.

27


30/47



AVIATIONNEWS 29

Passengers flying THAI Airways

should remember to hold onto

their boarding passes.

By showing their boarding pass-

es to the customer relations staff

of popular Bangkok malls, Siam

Paragon, Siam Center, The Em-

porium and Siam Discovery, they

can receive The Pride of Thai

card which offers five to 10 per-

cent discounts in the establish-

ments as well as up to 70 percent

reductions in big department

stores. First and Business class

clients even enjoy the services

of a personal stylist and premium

giveaways at Siam Paragon and

The Emporium.

Special promotions are also avail-

able at Siam Ocean World, Para-

gon Cineplex, Big Loft, Mob.F,

Coffee Bean by Dao, Asia Books

and Laser Definition.

The campaign runs until April 30,

2011.

The initiative is part of THAIs

World@THAI programme, aimed

at boosting tourism, in partner-

ship with a variety of commercial

establishments.

Tiger Airways has reported strong passenger volumes and loadfactors for July 2010.From August 2009 to July 2010, a total of 5.4 million passengerschose to fly with Tiger Airways, an increase of 51% over the 3.6million passengers who booked in the preceding 12 months. Av-

erage load factor for the 12-month period to July 2010 was at 86%,an increase of 5 percentage points year-on-year.The number of passengers in July 2010 grew 42% over last year to523,000. The average load factor across both airlines in Asia andAustralia for the month was a very strong 89%.Externally, the robust economic performance and outlook in theAsia Pacific has significantly boosted demand for air services, es-

pecially on the routes operated by Tiger Airways. In addition, ourrecently increased frequencies and new routes to points in Chinaare seeing very high demand, said Tony Davis, President andGroup CEO of Tiger Airways Holdings. We are capitalising onthe ongoing strength in economic growth and visitor arrivals in

Singapore by growing our business with the largest increase inTiger Airways Singapores network since its inception. New ser-vices are being introduced to Taipei, Trichy and Trivandrum, andfrequencies are being increased on existing services to China including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Weare also increasing services in Australia with the commencementof services from Avalon Airport in November.

THAI passengers entitled

to shopping discounts

Tiger Airways Reports Strong passenger

volumes for July 2010

AirAsia X will launch daily direct flights between Kuala Lumpur

and Seoul from 1 November 2010.

Flights depart from Kuala Lumpur International Airport for the six-

hour journey to Seoul, arriving at Incheon International Airport.

Return flights depart Seoul and arrive in Kuala Lumpur next day.

An Airbus A330 aircraft feature premium flat-bed seats in Busi-

ness class.

KLIA-Seoul Incheon is AirAsia Xs 11th international route. It also

flies to Australia, India, Taiwan, China and London.

AirAsia X offers

Kuala Lumpur-Seoul air route


32/47

AVIATIONNEWS


30

Qantas has identified China as a potential base for

its passenger and freight operations to Europe, it

has been reported.

China offers a huge opportunity for us, Qantas

CEO, Alan Joyce said in a Herald report.We wouldlove to hub out of China into Europe.

Though Qantas has been approved air rights by

Chinese authorities, it is still waiting on approval

from European regulators.

However, Mr Joyces enthusiasm was tempered by

the airlines tumultuous history with China. The air-

line lost a lot of money during the global financial

crisis, conceded Mr Joyce, having to cancel flights

between Shanghai and Sydney in 2001 and unable

to reintroduce them for another four years.

In January, Qantas budget offshoot Jetstar chose

Singapore as its main hub in Asia, over Ho Chi

Minh City or Bangkok. The low fare airline is look-

ing to fly to Athens and Rome with new Boeing 747aircraft, the first of which are due to arrive in 2012.

Singapore is a focus for us but eventually, if our

pan-Asian strategy works, you could see the Jetstar

and Qantas operations based in a number of cities

in Asia, Mr Joyce said. Jetstar will eventually have

multiple hubs in Asia.

Qantas eyes China as hub for Europe

Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds (THAI) Techni-

cal Department and Societe Concessionaire De LAeroport (SCA), the

airport operator of Cambodia, signed a four-year extension contract for

aircraft maintenance services at Phnom Penh International Airport and

Siem Reap International Airport. This is an extension of the previous

agreement made in 2004 for handling such airlines as Asiana Airlines,China Airlines, Korean Airlines, and Silk Air.

At the signing ceremony in Phnom Penh, Captain Montree Jumrieng,

Managing Director of THAI Technical Department, announced, THAIs

Technical Department was honored to have been awarded the con-

tract extension for Technical Handling Services of airlines operating at

these two airports. The SCA and THAIs Technical Department have

enjoyed a long standing cooperation. THAIs Technical Department is

determined to maintain the good reputation it has built with proven reli-

ability, by following the IATA Standard Ground Handling Agreement.

This agreement, said Mr. Nicolas Deviller, CEO of SCA, will en-

hance our airports services for carriers serving medium range des-tinations and, in the future, the prospected companies with long haul

flights. Aircraft maintenance, which requires high level of expertise, is

a major driving force for the development of the Kingdons internation-

al airports and partnering with Thai Airways International, a reputable

airline, is definitely a plus.

THAI extends maintenance contract in CambodiaTHAI extends maintenance contract in Cambodia

NOi dung: Qantas coi China nhu

trung tam du lich cua cac nc Chau

Au

Hinh anh: Qantas



AVIATIONNEWS 31

Japan Airlines and Vietnam Airlines are to expand the scope of their

bilateral agreement from 1 October 2010, to again offer VN-operated

codeshare flights between Nagoya (Chubu) and Ho Chi Minh, as well

as between Tokyo (Narita) and Hanoi.

Vietnam is one of few countries that have successfully maintained a

high economic growth. Complemented with a rich and captivating cul-

ture, its cities remain key destinations in South East Asia that attract

many foreign business and leisure travelers.

From 1 October 2010, JAL and VN will be able to collectively offer code-

share flights on 8 routes that effectively connect vital gateways in Japan

- Tokyo (Narita), Osaka (Kansai), Nagoya (Chubu) and Fukuoka, with

both Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

Vietnam and Japan Airlines to Expand Codeshare

THAI Airways and Tiger Airways are forming a new low-cost

carrier - Thai Tiger. Thai Airways will own 51 percent of the

new airline, while Tiger Airways will hold 49 percent.

Thai Tiger plans to start up domestic and international servic-es in January 2011, pending regulatory approvals, but has yet

to announce its routes. It will fly out of Suvarnabhumi Inter-

national Airport, offering short-haul, point-to-point services

within a five-hour flying radius. Airbus A320s will be used on

the flights.

Although based in Bangkok, Thai Tiger will not operate routes

that may overlap with those provided by THAI.

Key officials of both airlines lauded the joint venture. Piyas-

vasti Amranand, THAI president, said: We believe that this

move will provide revenue opportunities for THAI and allow

THAI to be more competitive in the region with the antici-

pated growth in the low cost market.

Tony Davis, Tiger Airways group president, said that from

Thailand, the new airline would be well positioned to offer

low fares to even more parts of the Asia-Pacific region in-

cluding destinations in North Asia and the Indian sub con-

tinent. Spreading our paw-print means greater economies

of scale for Tiger Airways which in turn enables us to lower

costs and fares even further.

THAI and Tiger Airways form low-cost carrier

Illustrated picture


34/47

AVIATIONNEWS




AVIATIONNEWS 33

More than 17.9 million air travellers from over 100 different nationalities took part in

the 10 month survey, between July 2009 and April 2010. These Passengers Choice

awards are respected and recognised around the world for being the only truly global,

independent passenger survey of airline standards. Established in 1999, the Skytrax

survey and awards apply an unmatched level of integrity and transparency that is un-

matched.

Commenting on the Airline of the Year 2010 award received by Asiana Airlines, Ed-

ward Plaisted of Skytrax said: this is a fantastic achievement for Asiana Airlines to

be named winner of this top Airline of the Year Award, and Asiana Airlines are clearly

meeting and exceeding their customers expectations. This award represents a true

recognition of the front-line product and service that Asiana Airlines is delivering to its

customers, and being the Passengers Choice awards underlines the fact that Asiana

Airlines are succeeding in satisfying the hardest critics - their users.

Asiana Airlines President and CEO, Mr Young-Doo Yoon, said : We would like to ex-press our most heartfelt appreciation to our customers who voted us for Skytrax 2010

Airline of the Year Award. Asiana Airlines is extremely honored to be recognized as

the worlds top airline by our customers and to be awarded our industrys highly es-

teemed accolade from Skytrax. To be the winner of the 2010 Airline of the Year Award is

even more special and holds greater meaning, as it is The Passengers Choice.

1. Asiana Airlines

2. Singapore Airlines

3. Qatar Airways

4. Cathay Pacific

5. Air New Zealand

6. Etihad Airways7. Qantas Airways

8. Emirates

9. Thai Airways

10. Malaysia Airlines

The top 10 places in the Airline of the Year were:

Asiana Airlines named

Airline of the Year


36/47

AVIATIONNEWS


Vietnam Air is looking to

board 12 million passen-

gers over its domestic

and international flights

in 2010, after the carrier

became a full member ofthe global airline alliance

Skyteam.

The figure was released

at a function for other

Skyteam member airlines

to welcome membership

of Vietnams national car-

rier, held in Ho Chi Minh

City on Thursday 5 Au-

gust, Viet Nam Business

News reported.

2010 is an important year

for Vietnam Airlines as

the airline is expandingfast in terms of network

coverage and transport

capacity, Deputy General

Director of Vietnam Air,

Duong Tri Thanh said.

We currently have 68

aircraft and our number

of passengers will sur-

pass 11 million and prob-

ably reach 12 million this

year.

Should the carrier reach

the target, it will be a sig-

nificant increase on the9.34 million that it hosted

in 2009.

For Skyteam, the inclusion

of Vietnam Air marks a

major step for the alliance

and signals clear intent to

gain a firmer foothold in

the Asian market.

By welcoming its first

member in Southeast Asia,

the alliance significantly

strengthens its network

in Vietnam and in the re-

gion, Country Managerof Air France in Vietnam,

Thierry Beragnes said.

Last year, Vietnam Air

posted revenue of over

VND24.6 trillion, includ-

ing VND150 billion in pre-

tax profits

Cathay Pacific (CX) customers

can now make changes to their

online bookings without having

to go through reservation of-

fices or travel agents.

The new service enables them

to change or re-issue their

tickets on CXs website, www.

cathaypacific.com through its

Calendar Display feature. It al-

lows them to choose alterna-

tive flights or travel dates and

applies to all e-tickets, whether

unused or partially flown.

It also covers all flights, whether

inbound or outbound, one-way

or round trip, as well as those in-

volving interline partners. Nor-

mal ticketing rules and Terms &

Conditions still apply.

To access the booking change

facility, passengers need to

click on the websites Manage

My Booking function, and then

click on the Change Booking

icon. Features include ticket eli-

gibility checking, calendar dis-

play, re-pricing function, offers

for tickets in other far groups

and ability to reissue e-tickets.

This online facility was first

launched in the US, and will be

rolled out next in Singapore,Australia, New Zealand, the UK

and Europe, and by year-end, in

Hongkong. It will be available

in all CX markets by the second

quarter of 2011.

Vietnam Airlines aims for 12 million passengers in 2010

CathayPacificallowsonlinere-booking

s

34


37/47

AVIATIONNEWS


Polands LOT Airlines has announced its plan to make its

maiden passenger flight from Warsaw to Hanoi in Novem-

ber this year, offering passengers more air connections be-

tween Europe and Vietnam in the winter schedule.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) con-

firmed that the Polish carrier had been granted the traffic

right to fly on the Warsaw-Hanoi route on Mondays, Wednes-

days and Saturdays from 13 November.

LOT Airlines has loaded fares for the Warsaw-Hanoi service

on www.lot.com, with the return fare starting from 2,450 Pol-

ish zloty, or equivalent to US$800. The carrier said on this

website that tickets to Hanoi were also available for pur-

chase at ticketing offices and sales agents.

LOT Airlines, a member of STAR as the worlds biggest air-

line alliance, will operate its Boeing B767-300 aircraft for the

Warsaw-Hanoi service.

The route to Vietnams capital city of Hanoi is one of LOTs

10 new routes to be opened this year. With this route, LOT

will join the list of carriers operating non-stop flights be-tween Vietnam and Europe.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines has direct services from Hanoi

and HCMC to Germanys Frankfurt and Frances Paris and

vice versa. Air France now conducts flights between Paris

and Vietnam via Thailands Bangkok, but is planning non-

stop services to Vietnam.

Thierry Beragnes, country manager of Air France in Viet-

nam, told that the European carriers schedule to operate

non-stop flights between Paris and this emerging market

later this year.

Other foreign airlines including Lufthansa, Qatar Airways,

Thai International Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Air-

lines and Malaysia Airlines also offer flights between Viet-

nam and Europe via their hub airports in Bangkok, Doha,

Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Vietnams overall aviation market is picking up strongly

in 2010, and this encourages local and foreign airlines to

increase frequencies and launch new flights in and out of

Vietnam.

Qatar Airways has recently publicized a massive plan to be-

gin four weekly services between Qatars capital of Doha

and Hanoi via Bangkok on November 1, and add three

flights to its weekly schedule for the Doha-HCMC route to

bring its total weekly services between Vietnam and Doha

to 11.

CAAVs latest figures unveiled some 45 airlines are exploit-

ing 55 international air routes to and from Vietnam. The firsthalf of this year recorded 15.2 million passengers and more

than 273,000 tons of cargo on both domestic and interna-

tional flights, up 20.3% and 31.8% respectively over the year

earlier period.

Polish airline to fly to Vietnam in November

35


38/47

DO YOUKNOW


36

Part 2 For many travellers, Bangkok is the first stop on travels in

Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. With its chaotic veneer, Thai cus-

toms are easily overlooked in Bangkok. Respect the local people by know-

ing these ten cultural points before you embark on travels in Thailand.

10Tha

iCustomsto

Know

BeforeVisiting



7 Religious ObjectsAbout 95% of Thailands population

is comprised of Buddhists from the

Theravada school. Despite teach-ings against material attachment,

many Thais worship Buddha im-ages and don amulets for protec-

tion.

Various animist practices have alsobeen integrated into Thai religious

life. Most buildings boast spirit

houses or altars, where offerings

of food and garlands are made to

appease the spirits inhabiting theland. Avoid touching such dis-

plays as some Thais can be highly

superstitious, fearing disruption of

harmonious balance.

8 Bodily ConductBased on Buddhist beliefs, the head

is the most valued part of the body

while the feet are the lowest, sym-

bolizing attachment to the ground, a

cause of human suffering.

Touching someones head is highly

offensive, as is raising your feet or

pointing them at people or religious

objects.

Shoes are to be removed before

entering homes and religious

structures.

Most types of attire are tolerated inareas frequented by tourists. It is

a good idea, however, to cover

up when visiting temples

and shrines. Those wearing

sleeveless tops, short skirts,

shorts, and flip flops may bedenied entrance.

It is not unusual to encounter

signs prohibiting women

from entering highly sacred

places, such as temple libraries.Women who wish to worship do so

outside the buildings.

Also, while it is taboo for a woman

to touch a monk or pass things to

him directly, polite conversation is

fine.

9 DestinationsThais are generally addressed by

their first names, preceded by the

honorific title Khun, appropriate

for both men and women. In more

casual settings, mono-syllabic nick-

names are used.

More traditional monikers covercategories such as colors, animals,

and fruit, including Daeng (red),

Lek (small), and Moo (pig); thesedays, you will encounter nicknames

such as Good, Money, and Benz (as

in the luxury auto).

10 Bathroom BasicsOutside of large cities, squat toilets

rule. These are flushed by pouring

water from an adjacent bucket into

the hole. Also, used toilet paper isto be discarded in the bin provided;

never try to flush it down as it mostplumbing isnt designed to handle

paper.

Traditional washrooms include a

trough filled with water where aladle or bowl is used to sluice water

over the body. In areas where out-

door bathing is the norm, women

will don a cotton sarong or wrap-

around, and men will bathe in their

underwear.

DO YOUKNOW 37


40/47

BUSINESSADVICE


3838

It is common to experience culture shock when living in a foreign

country for an extended period of time. Culture shock is defined

as the feeling of disorientation, insecurity, and anxiety one may feel

in unfamiliar surroundings. Values, behaviors, and social customs

we routinely take for granted may no longer serve us in our new

environment. To adapt to a foreign culture and effectively manage

culture shock, one should keep the following in mind:

Do not automatically perceive anything that is different to be wrong or negative. Withholding judgment will allow you to

be an objective observer and will facilitate the process of cross-cultural understanding. Also, if you are going to a country with

which you no close to nothing about, do a little background information. As you learn about the country in which you are going

to, keeping an open mind is necessary, and, who knows, you may find the reason for something you may not understand.

This increases your communication skills and it helps you to integrate with the local community. It also demonstrates yourinterest in the new country.

travel weekly magazine the 30th issue (12 aug, 2010)

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