Many tour organizers and hotels have demanded permission to list prices for their services in foreign currencies, an act that is strictly prohibited by the State Bank of Vietnam. Even if prices are listed in foreign currencies, namely the US dollar or Euro, all payments will be made in the dong, as per law, the businesses voiced at a tourism meeting held yesterday by the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association. In Vietnam, all transactions, payments, advertisements and price listings are banned from being conducted or quoted in foreign currencies, except those carried out by banks, airports, and customs agencies. The tourism and hotel businesses called on the government to lift the ban for them, saying it will help provide more convenience for international customers when using their services. If they are still not permitted to list prices in foreign currencies, the businesses demand that they be allowed to put the equivalent prices in foreign currencies in parentheses next to … [Read more...] about Travel agencies, hotels demand listing in foreign currencies
Vien dong hotel ho chi minh city
Hillside hotel looms for Halong Bay
One of the world's biggest hotel management groups, Accor, is poised to bring a local-invested, brand name hotel to the shores of Halong Bay, the first of its kind at the popular tourist destination. The group is currently negotiating a management contract with Song Da Urban and Industrial Park Development Company, which would see a 134-room hotel and 24 villas bearing the Mercure name. A source close to the project said the two parties had neared a final agreement. If signed, the project would be Accor's second in Halong Bay, bringing the number of hotels it manages in Vietnam to 10. Two months ago, it won another contract to run a Novotel hotel at the bay with 193 rooms. Accor is now the country's largest hotel management company, running five-star properties such as Hanoi's Sofitel Metropole and Sofitel Plaza, Sofitel Dalat Palace in Lam Dong province and the Sofitel Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City.It also runs the Novotel brand, with hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, Phan Thiet and Dalat, in … [Read more...] about Hillside hotel looms for Halong Bay
Indian Festival of Lights to kick off next month
Diwali – the Festival of Lights symbolizing the victory of good over evil – will be launched on Saturday evening (November 9th) at Sheraton Saigon Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City. The Indian festival, Diwali Gala 2013, is also considered as a time to spread the spirit of kindness and share the joy, and the time to reach with warmth, shower with gifts and bring happiness to all the people around. The Indian Chamber of Business, better known as Incham, as usual, will be the host for the event this year which will feature live performance by renowned Bollywood singer – Padmasri Udit Narayan. Tickets for Diwali Gala 2013 is now available at many 4 locations in HCMC, including Incham head office (Room 209, 2nd Floor, Seaprodex Building, Dong Khoi Street), Saigon Indian Restaurant (73, 1st Floor, Mac Thi Buoi Street), Ashoka Restaurant (17/10 Le Thanh Ton Street), Tandoor Restaurant (74/6 Hai Ba Trung Street), and Baba Kitchen (164 Bui Vien Street). It will cost VND600,000 and … [Read more...] about Indian Festival of Lights to kick off next month
HCMC garners $1.1 bln from tourism
Tourism revenues in Ho Chi Minh City in the first half of this year were about VND23 trillion (US$1.1 billion), a year-on-year increase of 24 percent, the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said. The robust growth in revenue is largely attributed to higher service prices, as the increases of room occupancy and international arrivals have slowed this year. The department said international arrivals in HCMC had totaled around 1.65 million, up 10 percent year-on-year. The growth rate in the same period of last year was 12 percent. Around 60 percent of the visitors, or 990,000, came to the city for travel purposes, while 300,000 arrived here for business and 360,000 saw their relatives or went for medical treatment. HCMC’s top ten source markets are the US., Japan, Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, France and Russia. The department said arrivals from all these markets but Taiwan had been increasing this year, especially Japan with a … [Read more...] about HCMC garners $1.1 bln from tourism
Cities glow with New Year flowers
The New Year 2012 will have a flowery start as local big cities are putting on floral shows and exhibitions on downtown streets as part of their celebrations. A bed of tulip in DalatPhoto: Tuoitre Hanoi opened its third New Year Flower Festival yesterday, an annual activity which a senior official says reflects the sophisticated taste and appreciation for flowers by Hanoians. Flower displays, arrangements and installations are put on show in the city center, around the symbolic Hoan Kiem Lake and Dinh Tien Hoang Street in the capital. Although the opening was held in the evening, thousands of locals gathered around the area from early morning to take pictures, with the highlight of the exhibition being the “Song Long Chau Trong Dong” installation. Shaped like two dragons heading toward Vietnam’s ancient symbol “Dong Drum”, the piece was made from more than 100 kg of palm fruits, and many other types of flowers. This year the local government places … [Read more...] about Cities glow with New Year flowers