People row canoes past cherry blossoms trees in full bloom in Tokyo, Japan on March 29, 2015. Photo: AFP Founded in 2008 as a domestic tour operator, Viet Media Travel Corporation says two-thirds of its customers are now Vietnamese tourists traveling abroad. "People are flocking to countries like Thailand and Japan," said Tran Van Long, general director of the Ho Chi Minh City-based company. He said after the 2009 global recession, many countries ramped up support for tourism to boost their sagging economies. "And Vietnam, with a population of around 90 million, has been one of their target visitor markets," Long said. "For example, a tour to Japan now costs between VND20 million (US$891) and VND30 million ($1,347). That is significantly cheaper than VND40 million in 2013," said Long, who chairs the Japan tourism club in southern Vietnam. Late last year Japan also simplified visa acquisition procedures for Vietnamese participants of tours offered by the travel agencies endorsed … [Read more...] about Away from home: Richer Vietnamese tourists a boon for France, Japan
Vietnamese tourist visa cost
Vietnam drags feet on single visa for Mekong region
Higher fees, complicated procedures makes it easier for foreign tourists to choose other Southeast Asian nations A foreign tourist leaves a travel agency in the backpackers' area in Ho Chi Minh City. Experts say expensive visa fees and complicated procedures are among factors influencing the choice of foreign travelers to visit Vietnam. Photo by Tuan Anh Imagine being able to explore the extensive network of caves in Laos, visit ancient pagodas in Myanmar and eat spicy street food in Thailand before going into Cambodia and cruising the Mekong in Vietnam - all on a single tourist visa. The tourism windfall that would follow such facilitation has authorities and travel agencies in all countries all agog - with the exception of Vietnamese officialdom, that is. Travel agencies have been pushing for a one-visa policy that would enable tourists to travel freely across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. But for all the enthusiasm among its neighbors, Vietnam is likely to … [Read more...] about Vietnam drags feet on single visa for Mekong region
The big visa scam
US consular officer allegedly made millions selling visas by the village-load They clutch plastic folders containing all the details of their lives and await the chance to be searched, stripped of their telephones and interrogated. The huddled masses are unlikely to enjoy the privilege of this interview, which costs at least $160 and hours in paperwork. Many will be rejected in minutes because they do not own property or haven't traveled enough. For years, I've heard vague rumors that visas could be bought or simply granted if you knew the right people. According to investigators from the US State Department's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), those rumors were true. On May 13, Michael T. Sestak, the man who ran the Non-Immigrant Visa division of the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, was arrested in Los Angeles for his alleged role in a conspiracy to sell non-immigrant visas. No one at the Consulate, State Department or Embassy has agreed to comment. Sestak could not be … [Read more...] about The big visa scam
Vietnamese exports to Russia to soar
(VEN) - A roundtable meeting between Vietnamese and Russian businesses was held in Hanoi on November 7, presided over by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and his Russian counterpart Arkady V. Dvorkovic. Attending the meeting, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Alexei Likhachev said he believed that the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Russia-Kazakhstan-Belarus Tariff Alliance would bring new opportunities for Vietnam and Russia to boost bilateral trade, especially regarding Vietnam's traditional exports. Vietnam and Russia have successfully cooperated in the field of oil and gas industry Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said that economic cooperation and bilateral trade between Vietnam and Russia have considerably increased. Bilateral trade grew from US$350-400 million in the mid 1990s to nearly US$1.83 billion in 2010 and that included US$829 million worth of Vietnam's exports to Russia and US$999.1 million worth of … [Read more...] about Vietnamese exports to Russia to soar
Entry visa is free for Vietnamese tourists flying to Korea’s Jeju
South Korea entry visa is now free for Vietnamese tourists from Ho Chi Minh City flying direct to KoreaâÂÂs Jeju Island, tourist officials announced Monday in the city. Mr. La Quoc Khanh, vice director of the city Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Mr. Oh Chang-Hyeon, marketing director of the Jeju Tourism Organization, gave an information session Monday night to announce their cooperation result right after their working sitting in the day time. Two chartered flights per week on Tuesdays and Saturdays contracted by Korea-based company Asia World Travel now link the two destinations, with visa free for Vietnamese tourists, said Mr. Oh Chang-Hyeon. The chartered flights, which started over the weekend, are already fully booked for the HCM City-Jeju direction until December, said Mr. Vo Binh, Vietnam branch manager of Asia World Travel. Boeing aircraft with more than 140 seats are used for the chartered flights, he said. A round trip package tour to Jeju now … [Read more...] about Entry visa is free for Vietnamese tourists flying to Korea’s Jeju