Ian Paynton advises foreigners to be cheerful when visiting Vietnam, according to the The Insider website. Vietnam is emerging as one of Southeast Asia’s most popular tourist destinations for international travelers and experts. More than 100,000 foreign experts are living and working in Vietnam. Ian Paynton, a British native, resides in Hanoi. He first traveled to Vietnam in 2007, and three years later, he decided to leave London for the Southeast Asian country for resettlement. Paynton has told The Insider seven dos and don’ts of a Vietnam visit for foreign tourists. Here are seven travel tips: Do not go around town while wearing swimsuits According to Paynton, the beauty of Vietnam lies in elegance, so foreign visitors should not wear scanty swimwear while traveling to beaches, rivers or waterfalls. This is considered a taboo at temples and pagodas. In 2016, a foreign visitor was forced to leave a place of worship as the traveler wore shorts and a bra-styled shirt. … [Read more...] about Foreigner shares dos and don’ts of travel etiquette in Vietnam
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Vietnam named among world’s Top 5 destinations to visit this summer
UK travel magazine Expedia has listed the nation among its Top 5 international destinations that visitors should visit this summer. Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the famous tourist attractions in Hanoi According to information given by the UK outlet, Vietnam represents one of the countries that saw a significant hike in terms of searches and bookings for the summer. The capital city of Hanoi reached a search and book rate of up to 298%, while Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City were at 439% and 219%, respectively. Expedia noted that these searches prove that there is more to the world than stereotypical destinations that people tend to visit every year. “Hanoi is the country’s capital and is known as its art capital. You can find some of the city’s most exciting architecture and centuries-old culture,” the magazine revealed. Rounding off the list of the Top 5 is Japan, New Zealand, Italy, and France. … [Read more...] about Vietnam named among world’s Top 5 destinations to visit this summer
Ho Chi Minh City leader visits Mexico to boost ties
Meeting Politburo member of the Mexican Labor Party (PT) and Chairman of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies’ Committee on Foreign Affairs Alfredo Femat Bañuelos during his ongoing working trip to the Latin American country from March 22-27, Hai said the Party organization of HCM City wishes to contribute to maintaining and bolstering fine relationship between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the PT. He believed that following the visit, both sides will continue holding programs and events to promote cultural and tourism exchange between Ho Chi Minh City and Mexico. Bañuelos, for his part, said Mexico desires to step up cooperation programs between the two parties in general and with Ho Chi Minh City in particular, especially in acupuncture and personnel training. He said such programs not only popularize Vietnam's images in Mexico and Latin America but also enhance the PT’s reputation domestically and regionally. The host vowed to continue expanding the scope of cooperation to … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City leader visits Mexico to boost ties
FIFA to pay clubs $355M for sending players to 2026 and 2030 World Cups
The Club Benefits Program affords clubs a share of national team competition revenues in return for releasing players and also protects clubs in case their players are injured on international duty. The previous amount earmarked for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was $209 million. A renewed Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Monday at the ECA General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. "We are delighted to have signed this landmark agreement," ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. "The MoU recognizes the central role of clubs in football globally and ensures that they are properly represented in decision making around issues which affect them." Earlier this month, FIFA had announced a 32-team Club World Cup will be played every four years from June 2025, replacing its annual competition which featured seven teams. The decision was met with opposition from leagues such as Spain's LaLiga but the MoU will now have both FIFA and the ECA working together on its various sporting … [Read more...] about FIFA to pay clubs $355M for sending players to 2026 and 2030 World Cups
Powerful plan mooted for tourism
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
Seven things international visitors to Vietnam should keep in mind
International tourists can have a better travel experience in the beautiful Asian country with warnings and advice from a British expat in Hanoi. Do not wear swimsuits in the city, be respectful around shrines and do not get upset if someone is late for an appointment... are some tips for international travelers visiting Vietnam for the first time. Foreign travelers may find various interesting things in Hanoi. Photo: Ka Long Having lived in Vietnam since 2010, Ian Paynton, founder of the Hanoi-based content agency We Create Content, has shared what he's learned about Hanoi with The Insider. There's so much to explore in Vietnam, from cities and villages to mountains, beaches, and grottos, according to www.insider.com . The country is also one of the most affordable places in Southeast Asia to visit. In 2019, the number of tourist arrivals in the country was around 18 million. In addition, more and more expats from around the world are choosing Vietnam … [Read more...] about Seven things international visitors to Vietnam should keep in mind
Guyana wishes to strengthen ties with Vietnam in various areas
At a reception for the diplomat, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said he hopes Vietnam will assist Guyana in agriculture, animal husbandry and cultivation. Hoa vowed to work to develop the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two governments and peoples in her position. On March 21, Hoa paid a courtesy call on Guyanese Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of Guyana Oneidge Walrond who pledged to offer all possible support to Vietnamese firms to access Guyana’s market and wished to learn from Vietnam’s experience in ecological tourism development. During a working session with the Vietnamese diplomat a day later, Guyanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hilton Todd promised to support Vietnam at multilateral forums and facilitate the exchange of all-level delegations in the near future. Elizabeth Harper, standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana, announced that two countries will soon offer visa exemption to their diplomatic … [Read more...] about Guyana wishes to strengthen ties with Vietnam in various areas
Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism
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
High-tech talent pool to aid transformation
Proposals relating to cooperation and encouraging foreign investors to join Vietnam’s innovation journey were addressed at some forums, including one at VIR’s headquarters and the annual Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) organised in Hanoi over a week back. Working groups of the Vietnam Business Forum touched on a variety of topics and recommendations for greater progress Photo: Dung Minh One particular area of discussion focused on the digital economy and tech such as blockchain. Do Tien Thinh, deputy director of the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) said at VIR’s forum on digital transformation on March 21 that the NIC is working with many big foreign technology groups to connect them with domestic enterprises to implement training courses and technical supporting programmes. Thinh said Google has implemented digital skill training courses for businesses, especially startups. In mid-2022, Google launched a certification initiative and Startup Academy Vietnam, … [Read more...] about High-tech talent pool to aid transformation
Tourists to My Son Sanctuary surges
The number of tourists to a UNESCO-recognised My Son Sanctuary in the central province of Quang Nam has been on the rise, nearly equal to prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the management board of My Son world cultural heritage site, the site has seen a monthly rise in travellers this year. Between January and March 20, My Son attracted 80,000 tourists, some 1,200 people visited the site daily before the pandemic. Tourists in My Son Besides South Korea, Japan and Europe, My Son has lured more tourists from markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and India. Visitors from India have sharply increased, accounting for 10 percent of the travellers to My Son. Phan Ho, director of the management board of My Son World Cultural Heritage Site, said that a goal of 180,000 tourists, including 130,000 foreigners had been set. Ho believed that this target would be fulfilled based on the return of foreign holidaymakers, especially those from South Korea and … [Read more...] about Tourists to My Son Sanctuary surges