Hanoi coffee shop among worlds quirkiest us weekly magazine

Hanoi Train Street, famous for its makeshift coffee shops along the train track, runs for around two kilometers from Le Duan through Tran Phu, Cua Dong and Phung Hung Streets in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter. While one part of its was blocked off last September due to safety concerns, another part between Tran Phu and Dien Bien Phu streets is not and many foreign tourists can still be found there. "From a safety perspective, sitting to enjoy coffee along the train track could be worrying, but I haven't seen it anywhere else in the world, so it’s unique," Kathy, a female foreign tourist said. "This is the first time I’ve seen a train running so close to houses and the sight is really spectacular," said John, also a tourist. For John, sitting next to the track and watching the train run through rows of old houses was a "one-of-a-kind and unique experience." Tourists film a train with their phones as it runs through old houses and coffee shops on Hanoi Train … [Read more...] about Foreign tourists calling it a ‘waste’ not to leave Hanoi’s Train Street open

Hanoi Train Street, famous for its makeshift coffee shops along the train track, runs for around two kilometers from Le Duan through Tran Phu, Cua Dong and Phung Hung Streets in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter. While one part of its was blocked off last September due to safety concerns, another part between Tran Phu and Dien Bien Phu streets is not and many foreign tourists can still be found there. "From a safety perspective, sitting to enjoy coffee along the train track could be worrying, but I haven't seen it anywhere else in the world, so it’s unique," Kathy, a female foreign tourist said. "This is the first time I’ve seen a train running so close to houses and the sight is really spectacular," said John, also a tourist. For John, sitting next to the track and watching the train run through rows of old houses was a "one-of-a-kind and unique experience." Tourists film a train with their phones as it runs through old houses and coffee shops on Hanoi Train … [Read more...] about Foreign tourists call it a ‘waste’ not to leave Hanoi’s Train Street open

Visas, service quality, and technology were all part of discussions on a better-performing tourism sector Photo: Cuong Minh May’s National Assembly session is likely to help push ahead a revamp of the country’s rules on entry and exit for foreign visitors, after the Ministry of Public Security crafts amendments to the current law. The development will be an important basis for the issuance of new regulations related to the visa policy, removing difficulties for the tourism industry, and creating conditions to attract more international visitors this year, according to most observers. Dang Tuan Viet, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Secrutity’s (MoPS) Vietnam Immigration Department, said that the proposal emphasised two major areas related to unilateral visa exemption and electronic visa policy. The MoPS also proposes to expand the number of countries that can issue e-visas from 80 countries to the maximum. The MoPS will also ask to increase the temporary stay … [Read more...] about Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism

Stakeholders have much to say about the current state of the tourism industry, and what must be done Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a tourism recovery conference on March 15 and talked to management agencies and tourism businesses about removing obstacles for the industry to thrive once again. Despite being one of the first Southeast Asian countries to fully reopen to international tourism after the pandemic, Vietnam’s tourism industry still trails other countries in the region. The PM raised a series of questions about tourism promotion, competitive advantages, products, and visa policies – all factors that are considered to be subjective causes for Vietnam’s tourism to fail its foreign tourism targets thus far. “Tourism cannot develop alone, and tourism cannot develop if culture and the entertainment industry do not develop,” PM Chinh said. He directed the tourism industry to build green and sustainable tourism products, finance tourism activities, and develop … [Read more...] about Tourism breakthrough within reach

Photo: Chi Cuong At VIR’s roundtable discussion on seeking a boost for inbound tourism last week, editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh opened the roundtable with a fact-based observation, and noted that the country has yet to unlock the full potential of its tourism industry. “While the tourism sector contributes a significant 9.2 per cent of the country’s total GDP, equivalent to $32.8 billion, this number remains low compared to the global average,” he said. In 2023, the tourism sector aims to welcome eight million international visitors. While this is a modest number compared to the level achieved in 2019 of 19 million visitors, it is a challenging target as the market is undergoing many changes and new trends post-pandemic. Explaining this, Hoang Nhan Chinh, secretariat director of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board assessed that group tours are seeing a decline, and tourists known as frequent independent travellers are on the rise. “An essential step is to understand the … [Read more...] about Powerful plan mooted for tourism

A kilogram of husked local Vietnamese Musang King ranges from VND500,000-850,000 per kilogram, equivalent to VND1.5-1.8 million per kilogram (husk removed). The price has increased 10% over the a year ago. Malaysia’s Musang King is considered the "best durian in the world" and is currently grown by Vietnamese farmers in the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta. The fruit regularly sells out at local markets, and buyers have to wait between two weeks and a month to receive their stocks. Oanh, a durian connoisseur in Ho Chi Minh City, said Musang King durian flesh is fragrant, supple and fat. "I have to pay deposits a month in advance to receive the goods." A fruit shop in Hanoi also reported that it had just sold 10 unhusked Musang Kings for VND700,000 per kg (2-4 kg per fruit). "Since it is a fallen fruit, and is shipped by air, the quality is high. No matter how many we have, customers buy them all," the store manager said. Explaining the high price of Vietnam-grown … [Read more...] about Vietnam-grown Musang King durian more expensive than imports