Vietnamese carriers increase flight frequency for year-end travel rush

 

An aircraft takes off from Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi, October 11, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Several airlines have announced plans to increase domestic flight frequency from Wednesday to meet higher travel demand during the year-end peak season.

Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air would double their frequency to five flights a day on each of the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi-Da Nang and Da Nang-HCMC routes from Dec. 1-14.

In the remaining half of this month, the frequency of daily flights on these routes would increase to six.

Between Oct. 21 and Nov. 30, both carriers only operated two flights a day either way between Hanoi, HCMC and Da Nang.

Between HCMC, Hanoi and tourist hotspots like Nha Trang, Da Lat and Phu Quoc, Vietnam Airlines would increase its frequency from one to two daily flights each way.

For the Hanoi-HCMC route, Pacific Airlines would double its frequency to two flights a day from Dec. 1-14 and to three in the remaining half of this month.

Pacific Airlines would fly twice a day on the HCMC-Phu Quoc route while there would be from four to seven flights a week on the HCMC to Nha Trang, Da Lat and Quy Nhon routes.

Bamboo Airways would increase its frequency to three daily flights on the Hanoi-HCMC route from Dec. 1-14 and four a day from Dec. 15.

With other routes from Hanoi, HCMC to beach tourist hotspots Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc and Da Nang City, Bamboo Airways would double its frequency to two flights a day either way.

Currently, passengers need to satisfy one of three conditions: a negative test obtained 72 hours prior, a certificate showing they are fully vaccinated with the second shot between 14 days and 12 months or a certificate proving they recovered from Covid-19 more than six months before.

But those from high-risk or locked-down areas, along with HCMC and Can Tho need to furnish a negative coronavirus test before boarding, even if they have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19.

Passengers are required to make a medical declaration before boarding, using the PC-COVID application. Passengers will not be allowed to board the flight if they show symptoms of a cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle ache, sore throat and loss of taste.

Da Nang to renovate backpacker area at $1.6 mln

 

A part of An Thuong backpacker precinct in Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

Authorities in Da Nang City have approved a plan to renovate the An Thuong backpacker zone at a cost of VND36.5 billion ($1.61 million) to boost tourism.

The area, which straddles Tran Bach Dang, An Thuong 2, Hoang Ke Viem, Ngo Thi Si, and Vo Nguyen Giap streets in Ngu Hanh Son District, will have surveillance cameras and a wifi system installed.

Trees will be planted.

Lighting systems will be installed.

The work is scheduled for completion next year.

The backpacker zone was launched in 2018 and has become popular with tourists.

The city is one of five localities that fully vaccinated foreign tourists are allowed to visit under a vaccine passport trial program. The others are Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Quang Nam, and Quang Ninh provinces.

The city is expected to receive over 11,000 foreign tourists this month.

Da Nang authorities also plan to spend VND1.3 million to improve the electricity system and other infrastructure along Vo Nguyen Giap Street to serve the night economy and tourism events on My An beach.

Da Nang received more than 8.6 million visitors in 2019 and earned revenues of VND31 trillion from tourism.

Vietnam to welcome first Thai vaccine passport tourists this month

 

South Korean tourists walk inside Vinpearl Resort & Spa on Long Beach in Phu Quoc Island, November 22, 2021. Photo courtesy of Vinpearl

Vietnam is expected to welcome the first group of Thai tourists under an ongoing vaccine passport trial program this month, a top tourism official says.

Vietnamese tourism officials would work with Thai counterparts to set up a ‘travel bubble’ scheme as Thailand has proved successful in welcoming international tourists amid Covid-19 with the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ model, Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said at a seminar on Vietnam’s tourism recovery plan.

The ‘Phuket Sandbox" program allows travelers who are fully vaccinated to enter the island city of Phuket without quarantine from July 1 and the tourism model has since been expanded across Thailand. Foreign tourists with vaccine passports from over 60 countries and territories, including Vietnam, are exempt from mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

The Vietnamese government also plans to resume regular international flights to 15 countries and territories with high vaccination rates, including Thailand, from December.

Thailand was Vietnam's fastest growing tourist market before the pandemic, with the number of visitors from that country rising by 46 percent year-on-year to 509,000 in 2019.

In less than three weeks of international tourism reopening under the vaccine passport program, Vietnam has welcomed 978 foreign tourists to Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, and Kien Giang.

"This is a good sign of tourism recovery during the new normal period and proves that Vietnam remains a favorite and attractive destination for foreign tourists," Khanh said.

Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang and Quang Nam are three of five localities that are allowed to welcome fully vaccinated foreign tourists from November onwards. The two other localities are Quang Ninh and Da Nang.

By the end of December, Da Nang is expected to welcome 11,500 foreign tourists followed by Khanh Hoa with 9,400 and Kien Giang's Phu Quoc Island with 3,500.

Speaking at the seminar, Nguyen Quoc Ky, CEO and chairman of tour company Vietravel, said international visitors arriving in Vietnam was really a good sign, but the small number of tourists in November was not enough to restore the tourism industry to health after a hiatus of nearly two years due to border closures.

He suggested that the industry set up a travel bubble with ASEAN countries and focus on South Korean and Japanese tourists, Vietnam’s biggest tourism feeder markets.

Vietnam closed its doors to foreign tourists and grounded international flights in March 2020, and has since allowed entry only to Vietnamese repatriates and foreign experts, investors and highly-skilled workers.

The country recorded a 79 percent year-on-year decline in the number of foreign visitors in 2020. It welcomed just 3.83 million foreign visitors last year against a record 18 million in 2019.

Pandemic reprieve allows Hanoians a weekend blast

 

A group of foreigners from Hanoi visit Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, November 28, 2021. Photo courtesy of Lux Group

With Hanoi and other northern localities easing Covid travel restrictions, many Hanoians flocked to camping sites in suburban areas or luxury resorts and even cruise ships for their weekend retreat.

Huong Giang, a resident of Ha Dong District, chose the Ba Vi National Park, about 60 km west of Hanoi's center, to go camping with her family and enjoy the blooming wild sunflower season.

Around 10 a.m. as they approached their destination, the road leading to the national park was jammed with vehicles moving slowly because many cars stopped along the road to take pictures of the wild sunflowers.

Giang said there was a large crowd of campers in the national park on Sunday, with many not bothering to wear face masks.

A representative of the Center for Environmental Education and Service of Ba Vi National Park said that since the beginning of November, it has welcomed more than 25,000 visitors, mainly on weekends.

During this year's wildflower season, the number of visitors to the national park was still much less than the same period in 2020 (65,000) and in 2019, the year before the onset of the pandemic, when the park welcomed 80,000 visitors.

The management board of the park has mobilized forces to manage traffic and remind visitors to comply with pandemic prevention measures. Before entering the park, visitors are required to make medical declarations and maintain distances between groups. Visitors from outside Hanoi need to furnish a negative result for Covid done within three days before arrival.

The Ba Vi National Park is crowded with campers on November 28, 2021. Photo courtesy by Huong Giang

Other camping sites along the Red River and in suburban areas also welcomed large crowds of Hanoians last week.

Meanwhile, resorts in northern provinces and cruise ships in Ha Long Bay, a world heritage site, reported that they were fully booked for weekends, mostly by Hanoians.

Pham Ha, chairman of Hanoi-based tour operator Lux Group, said after Quang Ninh authorities allowed in tourists from medium risk areas, or yellow zones, many Hanoians have booked cruise tour packages in Ha Long.

On Sunday, a group of 30 foreigners from Hanoi enjoyed a cruise tour on the five-star Emperor Legacy Ha Long ship to explore the beauty of Ha Long Bay with its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone pillars topped by rainforests.

Ha said a cruise tour on Ha Long Bay that is scheduled to depart on December 4 was fully booked.

Quang Ninh Province, famous for high-end resorts and luxury cruise ships, reopened domestic tourism from Nov. 1 and welcomed fully vaccinated tourists from areas with low and medium Covid risk.

A representative of the Avana Retreat in Hoa Binh’s Mai Chau District, famed for is terraced rice fields, said all of its rooms were fully booked on weekends from now until the New Year holiday.

The resort’s guests are mainly from Hanoi who usually stay for two nights. Some families have booked longer stays of up to a week, the rep said.

Nguyen Duc Viet, CEO of travel agency WE Travel, said other popular resorts near Hanoi, like the Serena Resort Kim Boi, Mai Chau Ecolodge, Bakhan Resort Mai Chau in Hoa Binh and Melia Ba Vi and Tomodachi Jackfruit Village on the outskirts of Hanoi have been always full on weekends.

However, Hanoi has been witnessing a rise in daily infections over the past few days. During the fourth coronavirus wave since late April, the capital city has recorded over 10,000 infections.

Vietnam Airlines debuts regular US direct flight

 

The HCMC-San Francisco flight takes off from Tan Son Nhat Airport on November 28, 2021. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines

A regular non-stop flight from Ho Chi Minh City touched down in San Francisco Monday morning, the first operated by a Vietnamese carrier to the U.S.

The flight carrying over 30 passengers, mainly Vietnamese Americans, took off from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC at 8:57 p.m. Sunday (local time) and landed at San Francisco International Airport at 7:42 p.m. Sunday (local time), after a 13,000-kilometer journey.

"The success of the inaugural commercial direct flight to the U.S. marked a new milestone for Vietnam Airlines in particular and Vietnam's aviation in general," said President and CEO of Vietnam Airlines, Le Hong Ha, in a statement.

Ivar C. Satero, Director of San Francisco Airport, said in the statement released by Vietnam Airlines: "We are honored to be the first airport in the U.S. to offer nonstop regular flights to Vietnam. We are proud to offer a world-class experience with seamless access throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and grateful to Vietnam Airlines for making San Francisco their first U.S. destination."

Initially, Vietnam Airlines will conduct two flights per week from HCMC to San Francisco using the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, the two most modern wide-body aircraft.

The airline aims to increase the frequency to seven flights per week after the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control and the government agrees to resume regular commercial flights. Last week, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Vietnam plans to reopen regular international flights from next month.

Vietnam Airlines also plans to open a new route connecting Los Angeles to Hanoi and HCMC, Vietnam's two biggest metropolises.

There are nearly 24,000 Vietnamese students and approximately 2.2 million overseas Vietnamese living in the U.S., according to official statistics.

From Nov. 8, Vietnamese tourists are allowed to enter the U.S. but must furnish a certificate proving they had been fully vaccinated and present a negative test result obtained within 72 hours. Although not mandatory, the American government still encourages people to self-isolate for 7-10 days upon arrival.

The U.S. has one of the most stringent aviation standards in the world. There are around 20 airlines operating routes between Vietnam and the U.S.

HCMC named Asia's best MICE tourism destination

 

A delivery man waits in front of the four-star Norfolk Hotel in HCMC's District 1, July 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Nam

Ho Chi Minh City was named Asia's leading destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions at the annual World MICE Awards.

It beat Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Seoul, and Singapore to claim the title, the organizing board announced Sunday.

The Asian region only comprised countries as far west as Pakistan, with Iran and countries further west belonging to the ‘Middle East’. The Indian Ocean and Oceania were also separate categories.

The awards were based on votes cast by industry professionals, the media and consumers.

Sheraton Grand Danang Resort in the central city of Da Nang won in Asia's Best Incentive Hotel category.

Sheraton Grand Danang Resort in Da Nang City is seen from above. Photo courtesy of the resort

Vietnam Airlines was the winner of Asia's Best MICE Airline award.

The World MICE Awards, a sister event of the prestigious World Travel Awards, was launched last year.

The MICE market is among the top targets in the Vietnamese government's tourism development strategy, and has grown rapidly in recent years.

4 resorts with unique designs that cost from $43 a night

 Some resorts impress visitors with their creative and unique designs including bungalows designed in the shape of rattan baskets and buildings with hanging gardens.

The Hmong Village resort in Quang Ba District, around 50 kilometers northeast of Ha Giang Town in the epynomous province, has 25 bungalows surrounded by green trees and picturesque natural scenery.

One of its highlights is bungalows designed in the shape of rattan baskets that Hmong women sling on their backs to carry rice and other things.

The 20-hectare resort opened its door to tourists in July last year.

All its rooms use eco-friendly materials and have distinctive Hmong looks.

It also has a community guesthouse that can accommodate up to 40 people.

A night's stay at the bungalows costs from VND2.4 million ($105.31).

On Cat Co beach in the northern port city of Hai Phong, Flamingo Cat Ba Resort attracts visitors with hanging gardens on the sides of its buildings comprising 50,000 trees and vines.

The buildings are connected by a bridge from where visitors can admire the pristine beach and turquoise waters.

The resort has 256 rooms, 60 sky villas and a presidential villa on the top floor.

Fairly close to the resort are tourist attractions such as Cat Ba National Park and Viet Hai ancient village, or visitors can go kayaking or on a cruise in Lan Ha Bay, which is relatively unknown compared to its world-famous cousin, Ha Long Bay.

The resort offers a two-day-one-night package for VND990,000 ($43.44) per person.

An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa, home to resort towns Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, has a restaurant in the shape of a lotus flower on the sea. It is made of wood and bamboo.

The resort is located on a peninsula in Ninh Van Bay near pristine forests, natural streams and a long stretch of coastline that offers privacy and safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The only way to reach the resort is by boat.

It has 37 villas built of wood right by the sea with one to three bedrooms. In this picture are three-bedroom villas with private swimming pools overlooking the bay, ideal for family vacations.

Visitors can also go kayaking and on sunset cruises, visit lobster and fish farms, hike by the stream, or simply relax in the spa. The villas cost from VND6.6 million a night.

Hot Mineral Springs I-Resort Nha Trang in Vinh Ngoc District, Nha Trang, has lush green vegetation, a waterfall and a water park.

It has nine bungalows and five villas built from eco-friendly materials such as wood, stone, nipa leaves, and recycled door frames. All room types are equipped with one or two semi-outdoor baths with natural hot mineral water.

Rooms cost from VND4 million a night. Visitors can enjoy mineral and mud baths or a 60-minute massage from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and visit the mineral springs and water park.

The resort is set to reopen in early December.