Holiday

The first Saturday in August, when Europe's July holidaymakers head homewards and its August sunseekers head south, is the busiest day of the year at the continent's busiest filling station. And even surging global fuel prices did not deter thousands of motorists and truckers from filling their tanks at Shell's Berchem station in southern Luxembourg, on the busy A3 motorway. The Grand Duchy may be small, but it is a crossroads between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands and the route south to the holiday beaches of France, Italy and Spain. And -- crucially in a summer of soaring prices -- it has famously cheap fuel, making it a prime spot for long-distance truckers and cost-conscious travelling families alike. Even outside of the holiday rush, French and German motorists and cross-border workers often fill up in Luxembourg. When a family's final destination is on the Med and a full tank of fuel costs more than 100 euros (dollars), the savings add up. On Saturday, two … [Read more...] about Holiday rush drives demand at Europe’s busiest fuel station

Australian magazine Traveller has listed Vietnam among the eight "best places to go in Asia for a holiday." FLC Luxury Hotel Quy Nhon. (Photo: flc.vn) It recommended December-March, when the weather is "pleasant," as the ideal time to visit the long, sandy beaches of Vietnam. It particularly recommended Quy Nhon, the beach resort town on the south-central coast. "Long a staid domestic destination, beautiful beach-flanked Quy Nhon has acquired hipster mojo and is tipped as the next Da Nang." The magazine also advised tourists to explore Ninh Binh, famous for paddleboat tours through limestone karsts and paddy rice fields. In the Central Highlands, Da Lat, a summer retreat of the French during the colonial period, is well known for adventure sports such as trekking, mountain biking and rafting, it said. A lesser-known destination in the northwest not to be missed is Dien Bien Phu, which used to be a major battlefield during the war, it said. "The … [Read more...] about Vietnam among Asia’s best places for holiday: Australian travel magazine

It recommended December-March, when the weather is "pleasant," as the ideal time to visit the long, sandy beaches of Vietnam. It particularly recommended Quy Nhon, the beach resort town on the south-central coast. "Long a staid domestic destination, beautiful beach-flanked Quy Nhon has acquired hipster mojo and is tipped as the next Da Nang." The magazine also advised tourists to explore Ninh Binh, famous for paddleboat tours through limestone karsts and paddy rice fields. In the Central Highlands, Da Lat, a summer retreat of the French during the colonial period, is well known for adventure sports such as trekking, mountain biking and rafting, it said. A lesser-known destination in the northwest not to be missed is Dien Bien Phu , which used to be a major battlefield during the war, it said. "The province is developing eco-tourism and offering indigenous village homestays amid stunning forested landscapes and Hmong culture." Other destinations on the list are … [Read more...] about Vietnam among Asia’s best places for holiday: Travel magazine

There will be four days off in this year's National Day holiday. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Workers nationwide will have a total of four days off from September 1 to 4 on the occasion of National Day , according to the Office of the Government. From 2021, Vietnam has a total of 11 public holidays , while the number of days off for National Day (September 2) increases from one to two, reported the Vietnam Government Portal (VGP). If any holiday falls on the weekend, people will be entitled to an extra day off as compensation. As this year's National Day (September 2, 2022) is on Friday, so workers nationwide will have a total of four days off. If employees work part-time, they will get at least 150% of the daily wages; 200% on their rest day; 300% on national holidays. Foreign workers in Vietnam are entitled to 11 days off for these public holidays, as well as two more for the traditional New Year's Day and National Day of their countries./. VNA … [Read more...] about Workers to have four National Day days off

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s economy expanded 5.44 % in the second quarter of 2022, up slightly from the 5.01% growth recorded in the first quarter according to Statistics Indonesia. Exports, which contribute 25% of the country’s GDP, saw a 19.74% increase, as the disruption in global supply chains pushed up the prices of Indonesia ’s key products. Besides, the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and rising spending on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday also stimulated domestic consumption. The Government’s social assistance for low-income households contributed a 5.51% increase in domestic consumption./. VNA … [Read more...] about Indonesian economy posts higher growth in Q2

It recommended December-March, when the weather is "pleasant," as the ideal time to visit the long, sandy beaches of Vietnam. It particularly recommended Quy Nhon, the beach resort town on the south-central coast. "Long a staid domestic destination, beautiful beach-flanked Quy Nhon has acquired hipster mojo and is tipped as the next Da Nang." Quy Nhon used to be the former seat of the Cham Kingdom and is now an emerging tourist destination with upscale resorts. The magazine also urged tourists to explore Ninh Binh, famous for paddleboat tours through limestone karsts and paddy rice fields. In the Central Highlands, Da Lat , a summer retreat of the French during the colonial period, is well known for adventure sports such as trekking, mountain biking and rafting, it said. A lesser-known destination in the northwest not to be missed is Dien Bien Phu, which used to be a major battlefield during the war, it said. "The province is developing eco-tourism and offering … [Read more...] about Vietnam among Asia’s best places ‘for holiday’: Australian travel publication

Holiday-makers have flocked to Sam Son Beach in the central province of Thanh Hoa. Accommodation and restaurants in the area are packed with domestic tourists and overloaded on weekends. Smart tourism management has been enhanced during the summer peak . Some 150 cameras have been installed around Sam Son city, helping local authorities address comments and complaints from tourists in a timely manner. Renowned holiday destinations such as Da Nang , Nha Trang , and Phu Quoc Island have also recorded a surge in tourist numbers. This is great news for the industry, but ill-prepared service providers will face the wrath of holiday-makers. And there should be solutions for the problem. Vietnam catered to over 70 million tourists in the first seven months of this year - the highest number since the pandemic ended. Observers have said, however, that domestic tourism faces an unsustainable recovery due to the lack of holiday breaks during the year./. VNA … [Read more...] about Summer peak puts pressure on tourism services

Illustrative photo. In a pattern that seems to have prevailed for years, a transport project is usually put into operation soon after its inauguration, but then within a short time there is a need for its expansion or upgrade. What is more surprising is that even projects that are still under construction are being reconsidered for expansion or an upgrade. Such as in the case of the Hanoi Highway which has been expanded four times and still not complete. It may be that this Highway may even be further expanded. The Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh to Dau Giay Expressway was started in 2009 with an original design plan of four lanes, then soon after increased to six lanes and now being considered for eight lanes. For all we know it may also be extended to twelve lanes soon. The 17 km long metro line 1 has not yet been put into a trial operation but is being considered for an extension to include the route to Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces. More recently, the 51 km long Trung Luong … [Read more...] about Constant re-planning of transport projects in Vietnam

Phung Duc Tien, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Amid increasing pork prices, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been implementing solutions to remove difficulties and promote production. Therefore, the livestock industry is expected to ensure supply from now until the end of this year. Phung Duc Tien, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, spoke to local media about the solutions to meet food demand and curb CPI in the last months of 2022. Is the food supply sufficient from now until the Lunar New Year? In 2021, Viet Nam's meat production reached 669 million tonnes. By the end of July 2022, the livestock industry saw an increase of 4.8 per cent in pig heads, 1.6 per cent in heads of poultry; and 2.6 per cent of cow heads. Meanwhile, the buffalo herd in 2021 decreased by 2.5 per cent but so far, it has only reduced by 1.1 per cent. Thus, the industry is expected to produce over seven million tonnes of meat, 18.4 … [Read more...] about Livestock sector promotes production to ensure supply and price stability

MDF production line at Thanh Thanh Dat MDF JSC's factory in Ha Tinh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo While many products exported to the UK enjoyed strong increases thanks to the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), Viet Nam’s timber industry is facing difficulties in expanding in this market, requiring manufacturers and exporters to change their business strategies. In fact, Viet Nam’s wood industry is seeing declining sales overseas. The export value in July was estimated at US$1.41 billion, down 5.5 per cent against June and 1.6 per cent year-on-year, according to a report of the General Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). This was the second month that the export of wood and timber products decelerated. Earlier, figures from the General Department of Customs showed the export turnover of wood and wood products reached $1.4 billion in June, down nearly 11 per cent year-on-year. Ending July, wood and wood products were … [Read more...] about Viet Nam’s timber industry urged to seek new opportunities in the UK