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The latest decision is expected to boost the traveling of visitors to Vietnam in the context that the country's Covid-19 infections have dropped to a 10-month low. Vietnam has removed the pre-entry Covid-19 testing requirements for all arrivals, starting today [May 15], according to a recent government’s instruction. It comes as the numbers of Covid-19 infections and deaths drop both in Vietnam and around the world. Vietnam has reported no Covid-19 related deaths over the past week while infections fell to a 10-month low of around 1,800 cases per day. In an official document issued this weekend, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh cited a World Health Organization (WHO)’s report that the pandemic has tended to subside worldwide, shown by the reducing number of new contractions and fatalities, and that the vaccines are still effective against variants of the novel coronavirus. In such context, many countries have been taking steps to ease Covid-19 restrictions, including removing … [Read more...] about Visitors to Vietnam no longer required Covid-19 testing

TOKYO -- Japan said on Tuesday it would start conducting "test tourism" in the form of limited package tours in May as a way of gathering information prior to a full re-opening of the country to tourism. Though tourism was a major pillar of Japan's economy, tourists have not been permitted to enter since it adopted strict border controls in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Regulations have been loosened slightly to allow students and some business travelers to enter. But, individual tourists remain barred despite calls from industry leaders hoping to restart tourism to take advantage of the yen, which has fallen to 20-year lows. The Tourism Agency said on Tuesday that it would start allowing small group tours to enter from later this month as "test cases" to gain information for a broader resumption of tourism at an unspecified future date. Tourists who have been triple-vaccinated and come from the United States, Australia, Thailand and Singapore will be allowed … [Read more...] about Japan announces limited ‘test tourism’ from May as step to full re-opening

"Vietnam has brought the pandemic under control and resumed tourism and aviation activities. The first group of foreign travelers returning to Vietnam after the country reopened its borders from March 15 was from the U.S.," Chinh told a conference on trade, investment and tourism promotion between Vietnam and the U.S. in San Francisco on May 17. Before the pandemic, the U.S. was among the 10 largest source markets of Vietnam's tourism. In 2019, there were over 746,000 American tourists visiting Vietnam and the average growth rate during the 2014-2019 period was 11 percent. A Vietnam Airlines spokesman told the conference the national flag carrier now operates four weekly flights between San Francisco and Ho Chi Minh City, using Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 craft and it plans to operate daily flights between both cities from next year. A representative of hospitality group Thien Minh said the company is ready to operate luxury tours to the U.S. for Vietnamese travelers from this … [Read more...] about PM calls for American investors to boost tourism cooperation with Vietnam

ASEAN should be fully consulted in settling regional issues with respect to international law. Vietnam has called for more support for ASEAN’s central role in solving regional disputes and maintaining peace and security in the region in a transparent and constructive manner. Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the US-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington, D.C.on May 13. Photos: VGP Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared the view in the US-ASEAN Special Summit held on May 13 in Washington, D.C., with the participation of ASEAN members’ leaders and the bloc Secretary General. Chinh expressed his hope that major countries and partners of ASEAN respect ASEAN’s central role, fully consult with ASEAN, respect international law, and contribute to peace, security, and stability in the region and around the world. In the meeting co-chaired by US President Joe Biden and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Chinh said the 45-year of US-ASEAN relations have … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for more support to ASEAN’s Centrality

Hanoi-headquartered Techcombank recorded another year of stellar financial performance and growth in 2021, while continuing to support its customers, employees and communities in Vietnam, especially those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the bank recorded VND37.1 trillion (over $1.6 billion) in its total operating income, up 35.4 percent year-on-year. The bank’s profit before tax (PBT) rose to VND23.2 trillion. The company has achieved double-digit PBT growth for five consecutive years, at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 50 percent between 2016 and 2021. The bank’s performance remained resilient despite Covid-19 casting its shadow on the local markets and causing disruption to businesses and people’s lives. Techcombank grew its total assets by 29.4 percent, to VND568.7 trillion, and delivered an "industry-leading" return on its assets of 3.7 percent, according to the bank. It has also been able to maintain an impressive current account and savings account … [Read more...] about Digital, data and human excellence key components in Techcombank’s transformational journey

Vietnam continues to benefit from its broad re-opening strategy, which saw a huge crowd flocking to tourist hotspots in the country and household spending rebound. Vietnam’s economic recovery is gaining momentum despite heightened global uncertainty related to the protracted war in Ukraine, higher commodity prices, and tightening global financial conditions, according to the World Bank. Cargo handling at Dinh Vu port, Haiphong. Photo: Cong Hung In its latest report, the World Bank pointed out the robust growth of industrial production by 9.4% in April, comparable to pre-pandemic rates. Manufactures of apparel, footwear, electronics, electrical equipment, and metal products were the most dynamic sub-sectors, registering double-digit growth rates, it added. However, machinery manufacturing slowed from 26.6% year-on-year in March to only 5.1% in April. This deceleration was related to supply chain disruptions caused by lockdowns in China, which led to a … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s economic recovery gaining momentum

CEO & CMO Summit 2022 will gather senior leaders, marketing directors, and industry experts from multinational corporations, leading tech enterprises, and startups in Vietnam. Since the first conference in 2018, CEO & CMO Summit Vietnam has been the annual not-to-be-missed meeting point for experts in the Modern Marketing industry. The event will focus on Modern Marketing for brands, where leading industry leaders exchange and discuss some of the recent trending topics: E-commerce 4.0, Marketing effectiveness and efficiency, Personalization, Customer Engagement & Experience. The latest technology trends are also expected to be the "hot topic" at this year's summit. The question is: "What do brands need to prepare to build an effective marketing strategy in such an unpredictable time?" Guest speakers include leaders from top companies and experts who have successfully built their competitive advantage in a harsh business environment such as: Grab, Nestle, … [Read more...] about The exclusive summit conference for Vietnam’s top marketers

As the high school entrance and graduation exams are starting in a few weeks, final-year students at middle and high schools are as busy as a bee at back-to-back extra classes. Some students leave their extra classes and return home at 9:30 pm every day. Like her fellow students, N., a ninth grader of Tang Nhon Phu B Middle School in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, is in crunch time. She has a very busy studying schedule. After school, she has to attend after-hours classes at a cultural fostering center and an English center. Additionally, she takes private lessons in literature and math. Her daily extra classes often end at 9:00 pm. She confessed that she felt under pressure but she had to try to get into a good high school. She encourages herself by thinking about relaxing after the exam. T., a student of Vinh Kim High School in Tien Giang Province, is also nervous about the upcoming national high school graduation examination. T. told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that … [Read more...] about In Vietnam, students rush to private classes as high school entrance, graduation exams near

The Thu Thiem New Urban Area on the other side of the Saigon River which faces downtown District 1, spans 930 ha and is home to around 200,000 people. It is expected to be developed into the most modern area in Southeast Asia, but several issues have hampered implementation of this plan. Many projects still remain on paper. Land plots near the Saigon River, where planned projects have yet to begin construction, have become places for people to hang out during the weekends. Last Saturday, hundreds upon hundreds of people gathered near streets like To Huu, Tran Bach Dang or R12, parking their vehicles on streets and pavements. Stalls have placed tables and chairs along the pavements, and the trash generated is dumped into the environment, with both customers and vendors not bothered about dirtying the area and making it ugly. Tien, a guard, said that ever since the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge opened, nearby roads are packed with … [Read more...] about HCMC residents trash, dirty Thu Thiem urban area

An 18-year-old white gunman shot 10 people to death and wounded three on Saturday at a grocery store in a Black neighborhood of upstate New York, before surrendering after what authorities called an act of "racially motivated violent extremism." Authorities said the suspect, who was armed with an assault-style rifle and appeared to have acted alone, drove to Buffalo from his home several hours away to launch the afternoon attack that he broadcast in real time on social media platform Twitch, a live video service owned by Amazon.com. Eleven of the 13 people struck by gunfire were Black, officials said. The two others were white. The racial breakdown of the dead was not made clear. Court papers named the suspect as Payton Gendron of Conklin, a town of about 5,000 people in New York's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border. He was arraigned hours after the shooting in state court on first-degree murder charges, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison without … [Read more...] about Gunman kills 10 in live-streamed racial attack on New York state supermarket