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Authorities in Bac Giang Province have proposed to upgrade a military airport to a joint-use airport to serve civilian planes.

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Bac Giang, Lang Son and some adjacent provinces mostly use Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi. However, as Noi Bai Airport is becoming more overcrowded, when being asked for opinions on the master plan for airport development during the 2021-2030 period, Bac Giang authorities have proposed to turn Kep Airport into a joint-use airport for both military and civil aviation.

Bac Giang Department of Transport asked the Ministry of Transport to research the issue and submit the project to the prime minister. Kep Airport is located in Huong Giang Commune.

According to Bac Giang authorities, the northern region has three major airports including Noi Bai, Hai Phong and Van Don. However, as the travel demands increase in the future, a new airport or airport upgrade is necessary. Especially with plans to attract more FDI investments for the industry and tourism sector development. The demands for transporting goods to Lang Son Border Gate also has increased greatly so a new airport may be able to create a breakthrough for the local economy.

“Noi Bai Airport is over 150km from Lang Son and some remote areas in Bac Giang. It’s better to have a closer airport,” Bac Giang Department of Transport suggested.

The master plan for airport development during the 2021-2030 period, with a view to 2050, proposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam aims to have 26 airports in total by 2030. There will be 14 international airports and 12 domestic airports. Five key airports will be Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Danang, Cam Ranh and Long Thanh.

The total number of airports have been reduced by two compared to the airport development plan to 2020 with a view to 2030. The two airports, Na San and Lai Chau will be built after 2030.

By 2050, Vietnam will have 30 airports including 15 international airports. The plan to build a second airport for Hanoi is estimated to be started in 2040 when the demands are high.

The programme, themed “Seven localities – attractive and safe tourism”, will be implemented by Ho Chi Minh City and six other provinces including Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh.

Under the programme, the localities will enhance their cooperation to effectively promote and explore tourism products as well as stimulation activities such as the reduction of prices for accommodation services, entrance fees and vouchers for tourists attractions.

In Lao Cai province, Sapa is one of the destinations pioneering the second tourism stimulation initiative with a programme entitled “I Love Sapa”.

Accordingly, Sun World Fansipan Legend is applying the programme “Love Vietnam” with a free buffet lunch worth VND200,000 for tourists buying cable car tickets to the top of Fansipan mountain or a return ticket on the Muong Hoa train worth VND100,000 on all weekdays from now until the end of December.

In addition, Sapa town will welcome visitors with unique art performances by local artists.

In the near future, huge discounts and promotions will be offered by a series of travel businesses, hotels and restaurants in the town.

However, the locality will continue to strictly implement measures to prevent and control the epidemic.

Da Nang has been the locality most affected by the second COVID-19 outbreak in late July. Once the epidemic was brought under control, the city’s tourism sector launched the campaign “Da Nang misses You” campaign to attract tourists.

Ho Chi Minh City also has a programme themed “Hello Ho Chi Minh City” to introduce the image of a safe, dynamic and friendly city. Accordingly, tickets to tourist attractions and tourism service providers have been reduced.

Meanwhile, Quang Ninh province issued a stimulation package worth around VND100 billion; offered a 50% discount on tickets to destinations in Ha Long Bay, entrance fees to famous sights and selected accommodation in the locality.

On the occasion, Binh Thuan and Khanh Hoa provinces have also developed many new tourism products as well as expanding their stimulation programmes to attract more visitors.

The list was made by British journalist and travel writer Monisha Rajesh based on her book ‘Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure’.

According to the author, starting in Hanoi, the Reunification Express runs the length of the country right down to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, of which the finest segment is the first half of the journey to Da Nang.

Threading deep into the capital city, the train offers voyeuristic views into the backs of houses as families unwind for the night, before emerging into glorious sunshine the following morning, she wrote.

Climbing for miles through the jungle, banana leaves flapping against the windows, the train comes within inches of villagers’ walls and gardens, so close that you can make eye contact and wave.

At the final stretch, the train curls around the clifftops overlooking the sea where a finger of golden sand runs along the edge of the water in Lang Co Bay, before finally pulling into Da Nang Station.

Other train journeys in Asia are also named in the list, including Tokyo to Osaka, Japan, by Tokaido Shinkansen; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to Beijing, China, by the Trans-Mongolian Express; Bangkok to Nam Tok by Thailand’s Death Railway; Xining to Lhasa, China, by Qinghai-Tibet Railway; and Mumbai to Madgaon, India, by the Mondovi Express.

Developers of the technology said that everything from spatial depth to colours and images are reproduced completely true to the original sculptures, providing visitors with visual satisfaction and urging them to explore the museum in reality.

The service is available at http://scan3d.danangfantasticity.com, where visitors will be transported to the virtual museum to tour its four galleries of ancient Champa treasures.

Throughout the tour, visitors are presented with text and audio guides about 14 notable objects at the museum, ranging from Hindu and Buddhist deities and fertility symbols to sacred animals and architectural decorations, reflecting the rich cultural and religious life of ancient Champa people.

The information is available in English and Vietnamese to cater to both domestic and foreign visitors.

The over-100-year-old Museum of Champa Sculpture in Da Nang is currently home to some extremely valuable collections of fine sculptural pieces of ancient Champa culture.

Inside the Da Nang Museum of Champa Sculpture

The campaign will take place from October 2020 to the end of January 2021 and is aiming to promote images of Ho Chi Minh City and encourage every Vietnamese person to travel within Vietnam and every citizen of Ho Chi Minh City to discover the beauty of where they live.

The campaign has been divided into two main phases. The first phase will focus on introducing the image of Ho Chi Minh City – a safe, lively and friendly city. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism HAS also implemented many activities such as organising an Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) Festival, and signing a cooperation agreement on safe,attractive tourism between Ho Chi Minh City and provinces in the Southeast region as well as Binh Thuan province.

In the second phase, the campaign is expected to promote the official identity of Ho Chi Minh City tourism and organise activities to link and promote tourism. Some typical activities will include: Conferences linking Ho Chi Minh City region with provinces in the Northwest, Northeast and Central regions; and the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon.

In addition, the tourism industry of Ho Chi Minh City will continue to boost the promotional activities and communication channels of international tourism organisations such as the Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asian-Pacific Cities (TPO), the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations and the International Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), of which Ho Chi Minh City is a member.

According to Vo Thi Ngoc Thuy, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in order to restore tourism activities in the city after the “hit” of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Hello Ho Chi Minh City” is considered as the pioneering activity in a series of events and programmes to promote the city’s tourism brand as identified in the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Development Strategy to 2025 and vision to 2030.

In addition, “Hello Ho Chi Minh City” will be one of the most important activities aimed at realizing the goal of building Ho Chi Minh City into Asia’s leading lively tourist city where visitors can experience different the values of local cultural heritage and lifestyle in a safe, smart city; bringing inspiration and emotion to every journey.