Oct
01
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Promoting Vietnam tourism at WTM London 2012
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Vietnam-based Luxury Travel (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) will join the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) in October to promote luxury travel products at World Travel Market London 2012 (WTM) in the UK from November 5 to 8.
According to Pham Ha, founder of Luxury Travel, the UK has been a great market for the company, which has appealing products for Britons’ tastes and preferences.
“We target the right clients with personalized products and services.” said Ha.
He also noted that the company had increased the number of private small groups that it served, primarily with tailor-made holidays.
“British holidaymakers like custom and private tours, not big groups. The boom in demand suggests that holidaymakers are becoming increasingly canny and watching exchange rates as well as seeking out keenly-priced packages before deciding on their destination.” he said.
Britain’s tourists, according to Ha, picked Vietnam for their vacations for safety, affordable prices, authenticity, warm weather, and convenient direct flights.
Vietnam Airlines introduced service between Gatwick and Hanoi in December 2011, becoming the first direct flights to the country from Britain, and reducing the journey by several hours.
“With our marketing efforts and commitments, we will attract more British travelers who wish to experience Vietnam in style and luxury, and we’ll encourage them stay longer. Typical stays are 10 or 14 days, and in 5-star hotels.” he said.
Another reason for the sharp increase in Britons taking holidays in Vietnam is the recent opening of new holiday resorts in the Southeast Asian nation. The past few years have seen the completion of many luxurious resorts with names such as Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa, Intercontinental Peninsula Danang Sun Spa and Six Senses Con Dao, entering the market and offering more choices for travelers.
“With our representative office in London for the UK and Ireland markets, we are targeting double digit growth in this market for 2013." said Ha.
Luxury Travel is a long established Asian specialist in luxury privately guided and fully bespoke holidays in Vietnam and the Indochinese Peninsula. Vietnam now has world class hotels and resorts, beaches and cuisine, in addition to its natural beauty, rich history and traditional culture. The country receives 100,000 British tourists yearly, and the number of tourists increases an average of 68 percent annually.
Britons traveling to Vietnam are looking for a more authentic experience and seek to have a deeper understanding of the country’s culture, food, history and everyday life. While Thailand is geared more toward mass market tourism, Vietnam is a destination that is attractive to a more selective class of travelers.
Luxury Travel Ltd.’s booking record indicates that British travelers prefer Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, the former imperial capital Hue and Hoi An Ancient Town.
They also want to visit Halong Bay, the Mekong Delta and Sapa, Mui Ne, Con Dao and the Phu Quoc Islands, while many also combine Vietnam and Cambodia or Myanmar in one trip.
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Oct
01
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Review the number of international visitors to Vietnam during last 9 months of 2012
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International visitors to Vietnam in September estimated 460,238 arrivals, down 13.7% over last month. Total international arrivals in the first 9 months reached 4,853,155, representing a 13.0% growth over the same period last year.
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Oct
01
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"Then" singing to be preserved
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"Then" singing in Tuyen Quang and other northern Vietnamese provinces is making necessary preparations to seek United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognition as an intangible world cultural heritage in urgent need of protection.
This is a big opportunity for the Tay ethnic minority group in Tuyen Quang Province to display its cultural heritage to the world. However, this move also poses challenges for the province in how to preserve and promote the values of this special traditional art form.
The word Then originates from "Thien", which means Sky or Heaven, therefore Then singing is regarded by the local Tay ethnic minority group as a tune of the Gods. For many centuries, “Then” singing has always been an indispensable spiritual dish of the Tay ethnic group in Tuyen Quang and in the Viet Bac region in general.
The content of Tuyen Quang's Then singing is divided into two groups: Worship "Then" and Festival "Then". According to statistics of Tuyen Quang Museum, Worship "Then" and Festival "Then" include about 60 ancient songs. Worship "Then" songs are often sung at peaceful nights when people fall asleep, helping listeners immerse themselves fully in the songs while Festival "Then" songs are considered as a way to communicate with the deities to ask for bumper crops and a more prosperous and happy life.
According to culture researchers, the outstanding features of "Then" singing are shown in the simple words which are full of images and close with daily life along with soft, insistent rhythms. Therefore, "Then" singing also became popular among the Nung and the Thai peoples and is now practiced in 14 provinces and cities across Vietnam.
Professor, Doctor To Ngoc Thanh, Chairman of the Viet Nam Folk Arts Association said if superstitious factors to use "Then" singing for medical purposes are not counted, then it is both a traditional cultural space and a folk art work that reflects, describes and reminds us of the ups and downs in our ancestors' lives.
Efforts to preserve "Then" singing
Like many other art forms, "Then" singing is on the brink of falling into oblivion. A recent survey conducted by Tuyen Quang Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism showed that "Then" singing is performed mainly in Chiem Hoa, Na Hang and Lam Binh districts and some communes in other districts. There are currently very few artists who can master this art form. Therefore, it will be a big challenge for Tuyen Quang Province in preserving this musical genre as Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan agreed to compile the dossier for UNESCO to recognize it as a humankind cultural heritage.
In the short term period, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will suggest and consult with the province about solutions to preserve and promote value of "Then" singing. They include research, collection, compilation and publication of books and music disks concerning Tay ethnic group's "Then" singing. Other solutions would include organizations of training and practicing courses and coordination with localities to invite artisans to instruct the young generations.
Nguyen Viet Thanh, the Director of Tuyen Quang Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the provincial culture sector is drafting a mechanism to encourage and honor artisans and those who are devoted to maintaining and imparting this art form to younger generations.
However, researchers said preservation and promotion of the Tay ethnic group's cultural heritage in Tuyen Quang would not be an overnight task and need contribution of the whole community, especially each individuals' awareness in conserving traditional culture of Vietnamese peoples and the "Then" singing of Tay ethnic group's in particular.
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Ba Ria - Vung Tau becomes a friendly destination
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01/10/2012 10:28:46
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Over the country welcome Mid - Autumn festival
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01/10/2012 10:26:47
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Mother Goddess worship culture in Vietnam
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01/10/2012 10:25:06
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Appearance of Korean in city chamber concert
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01/10/2012 10:21:27
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Tourist ripoffs is cracked down
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01/10/2012 10:14:42
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Get some advices when travelling to Mau Son
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01/10/2012 10:12:51
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The trend of travelling with 5-star yachts
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01/10/2012 09:39:46
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Hung Yen is famous for unique Ban soy sauce village
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01/10/2012 09:36:27
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Event on day
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01/10/2012 09:32:13
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