Da Nang hosts EWEC Trade and Tourism Fair

Da Nang hosts EWEC Trade and Tourism Fair

The 2015 International East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) Trade, Tourism and Investment Fair kicked off in the central city of Da Nang on July 30.

The six-day event brought together 200 businesses from Viet Nam, South Africa, India, Cambodia, the Republic of Korea and China along with local and foreign trade promotion agencies.

According to Hua Tu Anh, Director of the city’s Trade Promotion Centre - the event organiser - the fair provides a good opportunity for enterprises in countries along the corridor to seek business partners and expand their markets.

Some 200 pavilions are displaying a variety of tourism products and services, trade and investment projects, consumer goods, electronics and information technology, food processing equipment, wooden products and interior decorations.

Conferences on trade and investment promotion and art performance programmes will be arranged in the framework of the event.

Initiated in 2006, the 1,450 km East-West Economic Corridor passes through four ASEAN nations - Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Viet Nam.

Source: VNA
Source: vietnamtourism.com

Ancient stones uncovered in Mu Cang Chai

Ancient stones uncovered in Mu Cang Chai

Some 20 ancient carved sandstone slabs were recently discovered scattered in fields and around villages of Tang Ghenh, Hu Tru Lin and Hong Nhi Pa in Lao Chai commune, Mu Cang Chai district, the northern province of Yen Bai.

The 2-by-50 cubic-metre volume stones are shaped in pyramids, mountains, turtles and pages carved with various features such as terraced fields, cranes, heavenly horses and astronomical maps, among others.

According to experts from the provincial museum, the ancient carvings belong to the Mong ethnic group who lived in the area around the 16th - 17th century.

The museum is currently holding six stones with outstanding carvings for further study.

Mu Cang Chai district, some 1,000 meters above sea level, has long been a favourite destination for discovery tourism.

Besides its well-known awe-inspiring terraced fields, the district is among a few areas where local cuisine, festivals and songs and dances are kept almost unchanged through the years.

Source: VNA
Source: vietnamtourism.com

Rock climbing contest to be held in Phong Nha-Ke Bang

Rock climbing contest to be held in Phong Nha-Ke Bang

Viet Nam's first top-rope climbing competition will be organised in the world heritage site of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh province from August 5 to 20 as part of the Cave Festival.

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang Tourism Centre has built a 30 metre, partially-artificial cliff at the gate of Hang Toi (Dark Cave), the highest of its kind in the country.

The route will later be used as an adventure entertainment option for tourists.

Hang Toi is a part of tours of the national park, offering visitors such attractions as zip-lining and cave mud-bathing.

Established in 2001, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is among the 238 most important ecological zones in the world.

Covering 85,754 hectares, the park was recognised as a UNESCO geological and geomorphological World Natural Heritage Site in 2003.

With the length of 7.7 kilometres, it boasts a system of 300 different caves and grottos which date back some 400 million years. Particularly, Son Doong, which was first explored in 2009, is considered the largest natural cave in the world.

Recently, the New York Times named Quang Binh as one of the most attractive destinations in Asia and the world’s 52 top must-go sites for 2014.

Source: VNA
Source: vietnamtourism.com

ASEAN traditional music festival opens in Thanh Hoa

ASEAN traditional music festival opens in Thanh Hoa

Nine art troupes across the region have gathered at a five-day traditional music festival of the Association Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in northern Thanh Hoa province, beginning on August 1.

Artists from eight ASEAN member states - Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippine, Myanmar and host Viet Nam- are joined by counterparts from the Republic of Korea at the event.

Addressing the opening night, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien said the event marks the 20-year ASEAN membership of Viet Nam and the 48 years history of the bloc ahead of the formation of the ASEAN Community at the end of this year.

The concert aims to promote valuable musical features of regional countries and to enhance mutual understanding among their peoples.

As such, it will give stimulation to tourism growth in Viet Nam and across ASEAN, Bien noted.

The festival will last five days, during which participating troupes will also perform at the local Sam Son beach resort town, a well-known tourist destination in Viet Nam, besides the official programme.

A seminar on the diversity of ASEAN traditional music will take place as part of the event.

Source: VNA
Source: vietnamtourism.com

Muong Thanh inaugurates second hotel in Lao Cai

 
Muong Thanh inaugurates second hotel in Lao Cai

The Muong Thanh Group on July 30th inaugurated the second Muong Thanh Grand Lao Cai Hotel in the northwestern province of Lao Cai.

Located at the centre of Lao Cai city and close to International border gate Hekou (China), the four-star hotel is designed with 18 floors, 195 rooms and three meeting rooms with the maximum capacity of 1,000 guests.

The inauguration of the hotel marked the plan of new segments of Muong Thanh brand such as Muong Thanh Luxury, Muong Thanh Grand, Muong Thanh Holiday and Muong Thanh.

General Director of the Muong Thanh Hotel Group, Le Thi Hoang Yen said that Muong Thanh Grand Lao Cai is part of a chain of 50 hotels and hotel projects appearing in provinces and cities nationwide.

Popular tourist attractions in Lao Cai such as Nam Thi, Muong Hoa and Cat Cat were used to name restaurants, bars, spa and massage roomsto promote the destinations to tourists.

Source: CPV
Source: vietnamtourism.com

Quang Ninh, HCM City join hands to develop tourism

Quang Ninh, HCM City join hands to develop tourism

Tourism agencies in HCM City and the northern province of Quang Ninh are working closely to develop tours between the two localities, with a promise to launch new tourism products, tourism officials have said.

HCM City is a potential domestic tourism market for residents of Quang Ninh, as an increasing number of local residents have more disposable income, Trinh Dang Thanh, deputy director of Quang Ninh province's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, said at a workshop held in HCM City on July 31.

In addition, many Vietnamese people living abroad have relatives in HCM City. When they visit, they often take domestic tours.

Domestic tourism would help curb the recent fall in international visitors to the country, Thanh added.

More than 60% of travel companies and providers of tourism-related services such as hotels, restaurants and resorts have committed to cut prices by 20-40% to encourage domestic tourism under the National Tourism Stimulus Programme.

Quang Ninh needs to focus its investment to attract more tourists from HCM City to local sites such as Quang Ninh Museum and hydroplane flight services, said Nguyen Thi Khanh, deputy chairwoman of HCM City's Tourism Association

Quang Ninh has more than seven million visitors every year, including five million domestic visitors, according to the provincial Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.

However, the number of tourists from HCM City accounts for only 7% of the total number of domestic tourists to the province.

In June, HCM City and six northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Lang Son and Hai Phong city signed a cooperative agreement for tourism development.

The agreement covered five main areas: tourism products, promotion campaigns, training of human resources, investment funds and tourism management.

Source: VOV / vietnamtourism.com