Chiang Mai, Thailand (Photo: Thaiairways) Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand's tourism industry expects foreign arrivals to exceed 30 million in 2023, higher than government estimates of 25-27.5 million. Making the forecast on January 31, the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) predicted foreign and domestic tourists will generate over 3 trillion baht (91 billion USD) in revenue this year. However, TCT President Chamnan Srisawat warned the huge volume of visitors will pose challenges for the Thai tourism industry, which is still recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most tourism businesses are still suffering liquidity and labour shortages, he explained, while some are missing out on new opportunities. The council is tackling the problems by cooperating with the Office of SMEs Promotion to help entrepreneurs tap new trends like wellness- and metaverse-based tourism, he said, adding that it is also liaising with the Government Savings Bank and National Credit Bureau for access to … [Read more...] about Thailand expects to serve 30 million foreign arrivals this year
Foreign markets
Visa policy change needed to further attract foreign visitors: tourism authority
Tourists enjoy performance at Sun World Ba Na Hills - a tourist attraction in the central city of Da Nang. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A key for Vietnam to attract more foreign tourists at this time is to change its visa policy, said Chris Farewell, a member of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB). Chris told Dau tu ( Vietnam Investment Review) that expanding the list of eligible visa waivers with a maximum stay of up to 30-45 days will be a big drive for foreigners who are planning a trip to Vietnam. TAB also proposed that e-visa should be expanded to all countries and domain name changed so that foreigners can recognise and find more easily when surfing the internet, he said. While Thailand offers visa exemption to citizens from 65 countries and territories with a stay of 30-45 days or even up to 90 days in some cases, Vietnam has not introduced any travelling incentives for visitors after reopening its border in March last year. Resuming tourism activities earlier than … [Read more...] about Visa policy change needed to further attract foreign visitors: tourism authority
Hanoi ranked 5th among safest cities in Southeast Asia
Hanoi’s safety index is 62 on scale of 100 points. Statistics site Numbeo recently ranked Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) fifth and 14th in the safety index among 20 cities in Southeast Asia, respectively. According to Numbeo's latest report, Hanoi's safety index is 62. The safety index of the southern Vietnamese metropolis was 47.4 points, as, according to the site, walking alone at night in HCMC "has a low level of safety". Numbeo is the world's largest database of user-contributed data on cities and countries around the world. It specializes in assessing the quality of life in the world's cities, including their safety rankings. The site calls itself the world's largest database on housing, crime, healthcare, traffic and cost of living in hundreds of cities. Foreign tourists on Hanoi’s street. Photo: Ho Ha/The Hanoi Times Numbeo defined safety as "safety walking alone in daylight" and "safety walking alone at night". It measured the level of … [Read more...] about Hanoi ranked 5th among safest cities in Southeast Asia
18,000 tourists spend USD 18.3 mln on outbound tours during Tet
The number of tourists choosing outbound tours accounted for 55% - 65% of the total domestic and foreign tours. This is an unexpected growth, according to tourism businesses. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, director of Vietravel's marketing department, said that the company recorded a total of more than 47,000 tourists registered for Tet tourism, much higher than last year. This year, despite the effects of the pandemic, tourists are still excited about their plans to travel abroad because their favorite destinations have almost returned to normal and visa policies are also more convenient. Destinations such as Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Europe and the U.S. always attract many tourists. Some tourists even choose to pre-book foreign tours in March and April 2023. Similarly, travel companies such as Saigontourist, TST Tourist and Benthanh Tourist have had dozens of tourists going abroad during this Tet holiday. Tran Quoc Bao, Deputy General Director of Saigontourist … [Read more...] about 18,000 tourists spend USD 18.3 mln on outbound tours during Tet
☕ Afternoon briefing on January 31
Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. - Vietnam pledges to actively participate in and contribute to the building of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) to promote the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, a Vietnamese representative told the first Informal Consultations on GDC in New York on January 30. The building of the compact is necessary to promote a safer, fairer and more developed digital world for all. Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, said at the event. Read full story - Vietnam will participate in ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2023 themed “ASEAN: A Journey to Wonderful Destinations”, and the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) trade fair in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from February 2 – 5, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). At the forum, Vietnam will introduce tourism development, mechanisms and policies, tourism products and … [Read more...] about ☕ Afternoon briefing on January 31
18,000 tourists spend 18.3 mln USD on outbound tours during Tet
About 18,000 people in HCM City chose to travel aboard during Tet. (Photo: danviet.vn) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Around 18,000 Vietnamese tourists chose outbound tours through travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday this year, spending a total of 430 billion VND (18.3 million USD), according to a report from the city's Department of Tourism. The number of tourists choosing outbound tours accounted for 55-65% of the total domestic and foreign tours. This is an unexpected growth, according to tourism businesses. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, director of Vietravel 's marketing department, said that the company recorded a total of more than 47,000 tourists registered for Tet tourism, much higher than last year. This year, despite the effects of the pandemic, tourists are still excited about their plans to travel abroad because their favourite destinations have almost returned to normal and visa policies are also more convenient. … [Read more...] about 18,000 tourists spend 18.3 mln USD on outbound tours during Tet