Vietnam plans to welcome one million Korean arrivals this year. Jeju Air, South Korea’s biggest low-cost carrier, will resume services on the routes from Incheon to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from April 20, after three years of suspension due to Covid-19, according to Yonhap. South Korean and Vietnamese enterprises attend the 2022 Vietnam Tourism - Culture F estival in Seoul last October. Photo: Toquoc Until late 2019, the budget carrier operated eight routes to five cities, including Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc. Last June, the company restored the connection from Incheon to Danang and Nha Trang, and from Busan to Danang. Jeju Air aims to turn around this year after posting net losses for three consecutive years through 2021 as eased virus restrictions unleash pent-up travel demand. Vietnam expected to receive one million Korean arrivals this year, hoping to make a breakthrough in tourism cooperation in the near future, … [Read more...] about Jeju Air to resume service to Vietnam from April 20
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Training course opened for Party Central Committee’s alternate members
Participants at the opening of the course (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission on February 5 opened a training course to update knowledge for alternate members of the 13th Party Central Committee. Addressing the opening ceremony, permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong underlined the significance of the Party’s personnel training work. The 6-week course will focus on 29 topics covering such contents as those associated with the documents of the 13th National Party Congress and the 13th Party Central Committee’s meetings regarding the Party and State building, the promotion of socio-economic, cultural and human development as well as security, defence, external relations, and leadership and management science in the new situation. Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong addresses the opening of the course … [Read more...] about Training course opened for Party Central Committee’s alternate members
☕ Afternoon briefing on February 6
Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. - Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung has highlighted the significance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s coming official visit to the city state, the first among many events to be held in both countries to mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and 10 years of the strategic partnership. PM Chinh, his spouse, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam are paying an official visit to Singapore from February 8 to 10. Read full story - Two-way trade revenue between Vietnam and Laos in 2022 grew 24% from the previous year to reach some 1.7 billion USD, beyond expectations of their leaders at the 44th meeting of the Vietnam – Laos Inter-Governmental Committee on Bilateral Cooperation earlier last year. Read full story - Jeju Air Co., the biggest low-cost carrier of the Republic of Korea, said on February 6 that it will resume many routes to Vietnam … [Read more...] about ☕ Afternoon briefing on February 6
$8 billion to be pumped into Vietnam’s Central Coast
Seven international partners will support the investment in infrastructure, transport, urban development, and climate response. Nearly US$8 billion will be pumped into Vietnam's Central Coast region to support the socio-economic development of the region towards sustainability and climate adaptation. An overview of the signing and awarding ceremony. Photo: Trung Nhan/The Hanoi Times The value was announced at a signing ceremony held on February 5 between the Ministry of Planning and Investment and international partners. Accordingly, the local authorities granted investment certificates and approved investment policies and investment cooperation for domestic and international investors. Among the investment deals, seven development partners are committed to providing a total capital of more than US$1.7 billion in 45 projects. The partners included the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the French Development Agency (AFD), the International Fund for Agricultural … [Read more...] about $8 billion to be pumped into Vietnam’s Central Coast
Big shipping firms report record profits
Hai An Transport and Stevedoring Joint Stock Company's after-tax profits were up 90% from 2021 at VND1.050 trillion (US$44.49 million); Petrovietnam Transportation Corp's (PVTrans) was up 39% to VND1.16 trillion; and Vietnam Petroleum Transport's (Vipco) rose by 25 times to VND246 billion. Other logistics firms too reported excellent numbers. Gemadept’s after-tax profits surged by 60% to VND1.15 trillion, its second highest since 2000 when it first publicized financial statements. Vosco’s profits decreased by 0.4% to VND490 billion, but were still the second highest since it listed on the stock market. Vinalines said profits fell by 23% to VND2.5 trillion, but were still second only to 2021. According to data from Freightos, one of the world’s largest freight booking platforms, the cost of sending a container from Asia to the U.S. fell by more than 80% late last year. In the third quarter of 2021 it had been at a record $20,000 per 40-foot container. But thanks to the … [Read more...] about Big shipping firms report record profits
Pressure on to support new economic growth
The latest move from the Fed marked eight consecutive rate hikes since March 2022, with no signs that it has reached the peak of its hike journey. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Trong Thinh, a financial expert from the Vietnam Association of Financial Advisers, predicted that a rate hike of 25 percentage points was anticipated. Thinh stated that, in general, the pressure on the USD/VND exchange rate from the Fed’s interest rate hike is not significant. Pressure on to support new economic growth, photo Le Toan Dr. Le Dang Doanh, former head of the Central Institute for Economic Management, also believes that the Fed’s interest rate rise is targeted to contain inflation in the US, since inflation has begun to fall from the previous year’s low level. The USD price will adjust as a result. “A change in the price will influence the exchange rate between it and VND, impacting import-export businesses and foreign-invested enterprises,” said Doanh. On the other hand, deposit interest … [Read more...] about Pressure on to support new economic growth
Tourism – a source of growth in Vietnam for 2023: HSBC
Despite near-term trade headwinds, tourism has emerged as a source of growth for Vietnam to mitigate the challenges ahead in 2023, according to the “Vietnam at a glance” report released by HSBC on February 6. Foreign tourists visit Vietnam (Photo: VNA) The report stressed that January’s data showed Vietnam continues to face difficulties in trade and the inflationary pressure of increasing prices. However, in spite of slowing trade, there are still pockets of resilience in Vietnam’s economy, and tourism will be a key one in 2023. Following its re-opening last March, Vietnam’s domestic tourism has been soaring, easily surpassing its 2022 target of 60 million to over 100 million tourists. Meanwhile, international tourism, which previously accounted for 60% of tourism receipts, saw a tepid recovery post COVID-19, with tourist arrivals reaching 3.6 million, only 20% of 2019’s level. But there are good reasons to expect a more meaningful recovery, in … [Read more...] about Tourism – a source of growth in Vietnam for 2023: HSBC
RoK’s Jeju Air to expand flights to Vietnam
Illustrative image (Source: GettyImages) Hanoi (VNA) - Jeju Air Co. , the biggest low-cost carrier of the Republic of Korea , said on February 6 that it will resume many routes to Vietnam in April after three years of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The carrier plans to restore services on the routes from Incheon to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on April 20, Yonhap news agency said, citing the company's statement. Jeju Air operated eight routes to five Vietnamese cities – Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc -- at the end of 2019. Most of the routes were suspended in early 2020, when the pandemic hit the airline industry. In June last year, the company resumed the routes from Incheon to Da Nang and Nha Trang, and the Busan-Da Nang route. Jeju Air also plans to restore flights between Incheon and Vientiane of Laos from April 20. The airline aims to turn around this year after posting net losses for three consecutive years through 2021 … [Read more...] about RoK’s Jeju Air to expand flights to Vietnam
Vietnam wins numerous ASEAN tourism awards
Two homestay groups in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long and the Northwestern province of Lao Cai received the ASEAN Homestay Award. Meanwhile, four units won the ASEAN Community Tourism Award, namely the Quan Ba Community Tourism Service Cooperative in Ha Giang province, Sin Suoi Ho community tourism village in Lai Chau province, Tan Thanh fishing village in Quang Nam province, and Thai Hai Reserve Area of Ecological Houses-on-Stilts Village in Thai Nguyen province. The ASEAN Public Toilet Award was awarded to the toilets in Saigon Skydeck of Bitexco Financial Tower, Southern Women's Museum and Ben Xua Tourist Area in Ho Chi Minh City. The winners of ASEAN Spa Service Awards were Cham Spa & Massage in the Central city of Da Nang, Sen Tai Thu Vincom Mega Mall Smart City in Hanoi, Sol Spa of Minera Resort Hotel in the Southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Chi Spa of Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa - Lao Cai province, and Thala Spa of Best Western Premier Sonasea … [Read more...] about Vietnam wins numerous ASEAN tourism awards
Severe cold spells expected to hit northern mountainous provinces late this month
Spring in the mountainous province of Ha Giang. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Severe cold spell s are expected to hit northern mountainous and midland provinces in the second half of this month, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting. Nguyen Duc Hoa, deputy head of the agency’s Weather Forecasting Department, said that in the first half of this month, as intensive cold air tends to be weakened and deviates to the East, northern and northcentral localities from Thanh Hoa to Nghe An will see light rain, drizzle, and fog at night and in the early morning. Meanwhile, there are possibilities that severe cold and harmful cold will appear later this month in mountainous and midland provinces, he added. Hoa said that the average temperature across the country this month is at approximately similar to the average of many years. Particularly, in the northwest region, the common temperature is 0.5-1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the average of many … [Read more...] about Severe cold spells expected to hit northern mountainous provinces late this month