The central province of Phu Yen in co-ordination with the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) introduced the National Tourism Year 2011 agenda during a press briefing last week.
Under the theme Exotic Beaches and Islands, the event includes 30 cultural, sports and tourism events in Phu Yen and six other co-hosting provinces and cities along the central coast.
Among the activities will be the Binh Thuan international yacht racing, Da Bia mountain-climbing competition, the International Firework Exhibition in Da Nang, Viet Nam – South Korea cultural exchange, the fifth Nha Trang sea festival and the ASEAN folk music festival.
The event, which will officially kick off on April 1 in Phu Yen's Tuy Hoa city, coincides with the 400th anniversary of the founding of the central province.
In March Phu Yen launched two websites www.dulichquocgiaphuyen2011.vn and www.visitvietnamyear-phuyen2011.vn to promote Viet Nam's tourism. After Phu Yen, Thua Thien-Hue, Hai Phong, Lam Dong, Thanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Lao Cai will follow to host other National Tourism Year events.
Viet Nam attracts South Koreans
The number of South Korean tourists to Viet Nam has increased considerably over the past 10 years, from 53,000 in 2000 to 5 million in 2010, up 230 per cent, according to Hoang Thi Diep, VNAT Deputy Director General.
Speaking at a seminar in HCM City recently, she said South Korea was now Viet Nam's second largest market for its tourism industry and the country is improving the quality of its tourist services.
Cho Young Jai, General Secretary of the ASEAN-Korean Centre, said the centre plans to develop Korean-language networking for four countries of Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to help Korean tourists easily access information about famous scenery, food and hotel services in those countries.
Firm offers Turkish travel options
The HCM City-based Huong Giang Travel is teaming with Turkish Airlines for outbound tours that will help Vietnamese travellers explore destinations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The new outbound tours include heritage sites in Bangkok, Turkey and Israel, which are emerging as destinations for Vietnamese travellers.
The travel agency has launched a 10-day tour that combines destinations such as Nazareth, Jesusalem, Bethlehem and the Goreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia. The Helle, Israel and Turkey package costs $3,719 per person for guests departing from HCM City and $3,949 for those from Ha Noi.
More Russian tourist visit
A rising number of Russian tourists have swamped the towns of central Viet Nam. Some 30,000 Russian tourists came to Khanh Hoa Province last year, a year-on-year increase of 30 per cent. The province is expecting to welcome around 50,000 Russian tourists this year.
Binh Thuan Province also has a very large number of Russian tourists. In 2009, the province welcomed nearly 30,000 Russian tourists and the figure rose to 57,000 last year. Nguyen Van Khoa, chairman of Binh Thuan Tourism Association, said the increase in the number of Russian visitors is due to the newly launched direct flights to Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa Province. — VNS