Vietnam travel warnings

Foreign tourists visit the Independence Palace in HCM City on August 8. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Strict visa policies and a shortage of human resources and infrastructure in the tourism sector have stymied recovery of the travel industry, and the target of five million international arrivals this year could be out of reach, industry players have warned. Domestic travel has seen a strong rebound whereas international tourism, with a target of five million arrivals this year, remains in a slump, said Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association. Domestic visitor numbers topped 71.1 million in just the first seven months of this year against a full-year target of 60 million, he said. In the same period there were only 733,000 international visitors, or 8% of pre-pandemic numbers, he told a two-day programme titled ‘Lien Ket Suc Manh Du Lich Vietnam Nam 2022’ (Power of Vietnam Tourism Linkages) that ended in Ho Chi Minh City on August 9. Though … [Read more...] about Vietnam mulls ways to boost inbound travel

Vietnamese, who wish to apply for visas, need to bring their new passports and identity cards to verify their place of birth. Spain has recognized that Vietnam's newly issued blue-violet passport includes necessary information required by international regulations, the Spanish Embassy in Hanoi announced on August 8. The notice said the latest move was taken after technical consultation by the Spanish authorities. “However, people who wish to apply for a visa need to bring their new passports and valid identity cards to verify their place of birth,” the Spanish Embassy noted. Spain was the second country to grant visas to holders of the new Vietnamese passport, after Germany. Photo: VGP It also warned that visa granted by Spain to bearers of Vietnam's new passport would not allow their entry into countries that have not accepted the redesigned passport, even if those countries are  Schengen members. Therefore, the embassy recommended that visa … [Read more...] about Spain recognizes Vietnam’s new passport

A tropical low depression on August 9 strengthened into a tropical storm named MULAN which is travelling towards the northern coast of Vietnam, according to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting. At 01pm on August 9, MULAN was located nar the northern part of the Hoang Sa archipelago of Vietnam, approximately 300km south east of China’s Hainan island. It was packing winds of between 62 and 74kph nears its eye. In the next 24 hours, the storm is forecast to move north and change its course into north-west at a speed of 15-20kph. In the next 24 to 48 hours, the storm is anticipated to travel west and north-west at a speed of 15kph and weaken into a tropical low depression. Northern provinces, especially those stretching along the coastal areas, have been warned about heavy rain and rough seas in the coming days. This is the second tropical storm that has formed in the East Sea this year. … [Read more...] about Storm MULAN heads toward northern Vietnam

With the expansion of the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign embassies in Hanoi recommended expats avoid leaving Vietnam. As the Covid-19 pandemic is expanding, foreign diplomatic representations in Vietnam have updated the situation either in their websites or Facebook pages, helped their citizens carry out administrative formalities to return home and warned them not to leave the Vietnam. The Biristh embassy in Vietnam told Hanoitimes via email that the embassy highly appreciated the Vietnamese government's response to Covid-19. “The system has been quick to identify and isolate cases. The WHO has commended the response,” the embassy wrote. The embassy has advised all British citizens in Vietnam to follow and update information about Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice. “We are providing consular assistance to the British people affected. We advise all British nationals in Vietnam to follow our travel advice, which is kept under constant review,” the embassy wrote. … [Read more...] about Foreign embassies in Vietnam issue travel advisory on Covid-19 complications

Dinh Viet Thang, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said that it has received an official notice from Chinese authorities, asking airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying near the island of Taiwan from 11 a.m. Thursday until Friday. CAAV has informed Vietnamese airlines to adjust flight routes. "Airlines can still operate normally and decide on their own to postpone or cancel flights if necessary," Thang said. Vietnamese airlines which operate flights from Hanoi, HCMC to Taiwan have not yet announced flight cancelation or delays. China on Wednesday warned airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying in areas around Taiwan, promoting several Asian airlines to start adjusting their flight routes. Chinese Xiamen Airlines announced adjustments to several flights, citing "flow control" in Fujian. Korean Airlines is planning to re-route some routes to South Asia in order to avoid Taiwan's airspace while Cathay Pacific Airways pilots were advised to carry 30 minutes … [Read more...] about Vietnamese carriers advised to avoid areas near Taiwan

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said 118 flights operated by Vietnamese carriers will be affected by the Chinese live-fire drills, with 36 operated by Vietnam Airlines and the rest by Vietjet Air. With flights from Vietnam to South Korea and Japan, a Vietnam Airlines spokesperson said aircraft would have to fly into China's inland area to avoid Taiwanese airspace, adding 10-15 minutes to flying time. With flights to the U.S. the carrier was forced to change its route by flying over the Philippines, with the detour adding 35 minutes. Flights between Vietnam and Taiwan remain operational. A representative of Vietjet Air said the carrier has changed its routes for a series of flights connecting with Japan and South Korea. In addition to adjusting flight routes, some flights may be delayed, with detours increasing fuel costs. China on Thursday launched unprecedented live-fire military drills in six areas around Taiwan, a day after a visit by U.S. House of … [Read more...] about Over 100 Vietnamese flights to Northeast Asia, US affected amid China military drills

TAIPEI -- China fired multiple missiles around Taiwan on Thursday as it launched unprecedented military drills a day after a visit by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island that Beijing regards as its sovereign territory. Soon after the scheduled start at 0400 GMT, China's state broadcaster CCTV said the drills had begun and would end at 0400 GMT on Sunday. It said the exercises, the largest ever by China in the Taiwan Strait, would include live firing on the waters and in the airspace surrounding Taiwan. China's Eastern Theatre Command said it had completed multiple firings of conventional missiles on waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan as part of the planned exercises. The last time China fired missiles into waters around Taiwan was in 1996. Map showing the six locations where China will conduct military drills. Taiwan's defence ministry said several Dongfeng missiles had been fired in waters to the northeast and southwest of the island. Two … [Read more...] about China fires missiles in largest ever drills in waters off Taiwan

Lam Son, a Hanoian, first learned about the nomadic lifestyle after watching American movies depicting mobile homes parked in the middle of vast valleys. This was the source of inspiration for the Vietnamese YouTuber to set out on his first road trip in a mobile home with his family a couple of years ago. Son converted his old Mercedes Sprinter into a mobile home fully equipped with essential items for long-haul road trips. “This was originally a van. When traveling, my family members sit in the driver’s cabin full of safety equipment. We only use the renovated part on the back of the vehicle at rest stops or campgrounds,” the 35-year-old said. Since he renovated his first mobile home, the Son family has traveled to many parts of Vietnam on the vehicle, bringing exhilarating experiences to their two children. He expects the road trips will make their childhood more colorful and help them unplug from screens to fully experience van life. Lam Son's children view … [Read more...] about American movies inspire Vietnamese family to take memorable van life road trips

Viettel Telecom launches tracking device vTag to help customers locate and monitor children, valuable objects and personal items. (Photo courtesy of Viettel) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Viettel Telecom has officially launched a tracking device called vTag, which Viettel hopes can compete with Apple's AirTag. The device has features such as real-time positioning , travel history, SOS alert, a warning when leaving preset zones (Geo-fencing), and is water/dust resistance as per IP67 standard. vTag is a tracking device that uses the technologies of NB-IoT and GSM to locate and monitor children, valuable objects and personal items. Nguyen Trong Tinh, Deputy General Director of Viettel Telecom , said that vTag uses GPS satellite technology and mobile signals to help track objects. The device is compact and designed in a hook-and-loop case which can be worn around the neck, attached to objects or combined with a case or a silicone strap to wear on the wrist. Designed to … [Read more...] about Viettel Telecom introduces tracking device vTag

Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - As tourism continues to revive, the hotel and tourism industry is suffering from challenges in recruiting qualified human resources post pandemic, industry players warned. Speaking at a seminar on August 9 in HCM City, Dr Nguyen Anh Tuan, director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, said there was a lack of high-quality staff in the industry. Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association , said that human resources were a weak point for the industry even before the pandemic. “Efficient, hard-working, and resourceful human resources are the backbone of any successful business. It is even more so in the case of the hotel industry.” Successful hotel operations are sustained by customer-oriented and hard-working employees who have adequate competencies, he added. A large number of hotels and resorts stopped operation during the two-year pandemic, and coming back could prove challenging, he … [Read more...] about High-quality human resources key to sustainable tourism industry