Miss tourism international

Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, 34 and her friends had their tickets from Singapore to Jeju Island canceled on August 9 because they did not have visas. The island, however, has a visa exemption policy for tourists. Hien, from Hanoi, said she'd already visited Jeju back in 2018 under the visa exemption policy and wasn't aware that it had changed when she booked the tickets for her and her friends to fly there from Singapore. "When we got to the Changi Airport for check-in procedures, an employee told us to discuss the issue with the airline. A representative of Scoot Airlines said Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolians and people from certain other countries would no longer be able to enter Jeju Island under the visa exemption policy. The airline said it would refund our tickets," Hien said. Vu Quoc Hung, 31, who had booked tickets with 11 other Vietnamese to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Jeju on August 11 via Singapore, had the same experience. Hung's group reached the Changi Airport and did some … [Read more...] about Airline cancels Vietnamese tourists’ tickets to South Korea’s Jeju Island

The world's third-largest economy grew 0.5% quarter-on-quarter due to stronger consumption and capital investment. While the country never imposed strict stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, the government in March lifted virus restrictions primarily targeting business opening hours. Inbound tourism remains limited to group tours, however, and the economy is facing headwinds — from the energy price crisis to fears of a global recession fueled by biting inflation. From April to June, private consumption grew 1.1% compared with the 0.3% registered in the January-March quarter, according to the data released by the Cabinet Office. Capital spending expanded 1.4%, compared with a 0.3% contraction in the previous quarter. "After the government lifted a quasi-state of emergency in late March, consumption of services showed a relatively strong rebound, while capital investment returned to growth after staying low for a while," BNP Paribas said in a note issued before the GDP data … [Read more...] about Japan’s GDP expands in Q2 after Covid curbs lifted

Argentine grill masters fired up their spits Sunday for the fourth annual Federal Roast Championship in Buenos Aires. Festival-goers gathered along the capital city's main drag to watch the action, celebrating the country's gastronomic culture as the best barbecue chef in the nation was set to be crowned. According to city's tourism website, competitors representing all of Argentina's 23 provinces arranged kiosks up and down the July 9 Avenue, named for the country's day of independence. Participants "will prepare different cuts of meat in front of a jury of experts who will choose the 2022 champion," the site said. The competition will be judged based  on how the cooks execute their own specialized techniques for meat-grilling, a tradition common throughout southern South America. Competitors represent all of Argentina's 23 provinces arranged kiosks up and down the July 9 Avenue, named for the country's day of independence. Photo: AFP … [Read more...] about Contestants spar in great Argentinian grill-off

Read what is in the news today: Health -- The Ministry of Health confirmed an additional 1,428 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising Vietnam’s COVID-19 patient tally to 11,365,784. Society -- Rain is in the forecast for the entirety of Vietnam on Monday. -- Da Nang authorities announced on Sunday that the Han River Bridge will be closed to all types of vehicles between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am every day for 15 days, except Fridays through Sundays, for maintenance. -- Police in northern Ha Nam Province announced on Sunday the arrest of a 25-year-old man after he attempted to kill a three-year-old boy, put the child in a cardboard box and locked him in a freezer. Doctors have promptly saved the kid. -- The People’s Committee of southern Binh Phuoc Province announced on Sunday a fine of over VND150 million (US$6,411) against a mining company for changing the use purpose of protective forest land to non-agricultural land in some rural areas without permission from … [Read more...] about Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — August 15

The proliferation of pageants in the country has become a recent topic of discussion/debate. People say that the sheer number of competitions has caused a drop in both the quality of the candidates and entertainment value. Comparisons have even been made to Thi No, a literary character famous for being the polar opposite of beauty in Nam Cao's "Chi Pheo." Over the years, I have come to believe firmly that today’s beauty contests, not just in Vietnam, are inherently flawed. While the concept of beauty pageants has existed for millennia in both the East and the West (known through the Greek myth "Judgment of Paris"), modern beauty pageants as we know them only truly began in America during the early 20th century. The first beauty pageant of the modern times was the Miss America Pageant in 1921. Besides the touted appreciation of female beauty, pageants were a major tourist attraction, enticing people to go to resorts and entertainment centers in America's beach cities at the time. … [Read more...] about Facing up to some ugly truths about beauty contests