VietNamNet Bridge - HCMC travel firms, repeatedly complaining about the serious pollution of the rivers and canals in the city, have urged the local authorities to find solutions. The polluted canals and river include Tau Hu – Binh Dong in district 8 and the Sai Gon waterway route from inner city to Cu Chi suburb district. Having thousands kilometers of rivers and canals, waterways tourism in HCMC is still not attractive to tourists. The report of the HCMC Tourism Department presented at a meeting between HCMC’s leaders and travel firms on April 13 showed that garbage and hyacinth at the Nha Rong Station on Sai Gon River have seriously affected the transport of tourists, because the garbage causes boat engines to break down, thus pushing the tour fees up. HCMC has 3,268 river and canal sections with a total length of more than 5,000 kilometers. The canals in the city have long been polluted by domestic waste water, animal husbandry, industrial waste water and residential … [Read more...] about Travel firms cry for action to rescue rivers and canals
Travel
Eight VN’s hotels named in Condé Nast Traveler Awards list
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam's Reverie Saigon has been called out as the fourth Best Hotel in the World by Condé Nast Traveler in its annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The recognition is the most prestigious finish for a Vietnamese hotel ever in the Condé Nast Traveler awards, which are widely hailed as one of the top two awards in the travel industry. The Reverie Saigon Hotel Announced in New York on Oct. 17, Condé Nast Traveler’s 30th annual compendium is the result of a voting process that began April 1 and ended July 1, with participation by more than 300,000 readers. While no other hotel from Vietnam claimed a spot among the world’s top 50, La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa groomed its placement on the list with a No. 8 finish on the Top Hotels in Asia list and the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi claimed a No. 21 spot. The Park Hyatt Saigon rounded out recognition for hotels in Vietnam with a No. 18 finish on the top 25 hotels … [Read more...] about Eight VN’s hotels named in Condé Nast Traveler Awards list
Saigontourist, VNPT cooperate to build smart travel solutions
Saigontourist Holding Company (Saigontourist) and the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) on October 24 signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly build smart travel solutions. Notably, with the commitment to provide the best telecommunication products and consultancy services to Saigontourist, VNPT will supply and cooperate with Saigontourist in developing and deploying smart travel solutions (smart tourism). These solutions will help businesses provide customers with the best experience in a swift and economical manner. The realisation of smart travel solutions will not only help Saigontourist maximise revenue, but is also in line with the smart city development roadmap of HCM City and other provinces and cities. In addition, VNPT will also provide Saigontourist with software products, software, technology and digital equipment serving the hospitality, restaurant, travel and entertainment businesses, such as hotel online reservation system and customer loyalty … [Read more...] about Saigontourist, VNPT cooperate to build smart travel solutions
Travel firms earn big money from outbound tours
VietNamNet Bridge - A report from the Vietnam Tourism Association showed that 6.5 million Vietnamese traveled abroad in 2016 and spent $7-8 billion. Spending per capita was $1,230 on outbound tours, an increase of 15 percent over 2015. Singapore is one of the favorite destinations for Vietnamese. According to the Singapore Tourism Board, in 2015, the country received 15.2 million travelers, including 418,000 Vietnamese. Vietnam was among the 15 markets with the highest numbers of visitors to Singapore. The number of Vietnamese travelers to Singapore increased from 156,101 in 2006 to 400,000 in 2015, by 10.9 percent, much higher than the average growth rate in Asia (5.7 percent). Of 16.4 million foreign travelers to Singapore in 2016, there were 469,429 Vietnamese. In 2015, per capita spending was 1,244 SGD, or $912 in Singapore, higher than the average spending of ASEAN travelers and travelers from South Korea and Japan. Fifty-eight percent of Vietnamese come to Singapore for travel … [Read more...] about Travel firms earn big money from outbound tours
Solo travel trend in Vietnam
As the trend toward solo travel continues to grow, many people who have never traveled solo still ask “Is solo travel safe? Isn’t it more lonely, expensive, and dangerous?” VOV will discuss this topic with some travelers. Travelling solo means you can go wherever the adventure takes you. (Source: makemytrip.com) “I’ve never tried solo travel. It sounds exciting, but it’s not suitable for a girl like me, who has little experience in travelling. It can be dangerous, so maybe it’s just for boys”, said Thuy Ninh. “I think a solo trip is exciting because it allows you to freely explore places without the distraction or demands of others. The flexibility of solo travel is a great benefit. But it’s also risky, especially if you don’t know much about the places you’re visiting,” said Tran Long. Dangerous, risky, but exciting is what youngsters like Thuy Ninh and Tran Long say when asked about the … [Read more...] about Solo travel trend in Vietnam