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23 Sep, 2010

11
Vietnam ranked among
top growth tourist destinations

17
Schedule for the 1000th anniversary
of Thang Long – Hanoi
Travel Intelligence

24-25
India is gearing up for
PTM 2011 in New Delhi

www.travelweekly.com.vn
 Off
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23 Sep, 2010
11
Vietnam ranked among
top growth tourist destinations

Dear Travel Weekly readers! 17

Schedule for the 1000th anniversary
of Thang Long – Hanoi
Travel Intelligence

24-25
India is gearing up for
PTM 2011 in New Delhi

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 Thursday 23.09.2010

VIETNAM NEWS 04 FEATURES

11 Vietnam ranked among top

04. Phan Thiet sets for Charming Kate
Festival 05
growth tourist destinations
05. Vietnam inbound tourism poised to “Vietnam has an overwhelming beauty and is rich in nat-
zoom during 2010-2013 06 ural sceneries and beauties such as deltas like the Red
River Delta and Mekong Delta, as well as other beauties
06. Movenpick Hotel Saigon debuts fol- including green rice-paddy fields, divine beaches and
lowing full-scale renovation 07 many more.” Especially, according to the World Tourism
09. German beer festival to come to Hanoi Organisation (UNWTO) affirmed that Vietnam ranked
08 among top growth tourists destination.
10. Bangkok – Hanoi cultural tourism
programme
09
12. Vietnam looks to five million interna-
tional arrivals this year
10
1,000 YEARS OF
THANG LONG - HANOI
11
14. UNESCO General Director to attend
Hanoi’s anniversary 12
17 - 20. Schedule for the 1000th anniver-

17
sary of Thang Long - Hanoi 14 Schedule for the 1000th an-
INTERNATIONAL NEWS niversary of Thang Long –
16 Hanoi
22. Bring on the ATF 2011: Cambodia Thang Long - Hanoi has 1000-year history and is the
23. Marina Bay Sands launches airport concentration of country’s quintessence. The 1000th
17 anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi is the opportunity
check-in services
to express gratefulness to ancestor’s effort and honour
26. Kick-Off Times for Rugby World Cup country’s traditional values. The 1000th anniversary of
19 Thang Long – Hanoi will take place in 10 days (from 1-10
2011
October) with many attractive activities of culture, art
28. Shanghai continues to lead Asian hotel
pipeline
22 and sport.

28 - 29. Private Spa Wellness Centre

opens in Bali
23

DESTINATIONS 24
32 - 37. My Hanoi
25

27

29
24 - 25 India is gearing up
for PTM 2011 in New
30 Delhi
“The PATA Travel Mart 2011 in New Delhi, India is one
of the most exciting events and activities planned to roll
31 out next year. We have a very special relationship with
India, which is a rapidly emerging market, and we are
delighted they are hosts for the PTM2011,” Said Hiran
32 Cooray, PATA Chairman.

34

36

37

38
 4 VIETNAM NEWS
Vietnam’s first Interna-
tional Choir Festival to
held in Hoi An
Vietnam’s first International Choir
Festival and Competition will
take place in Hoi An, the central
province of Quang Nam, from 16-20
March 2011. According to the Min-
istry of Culture, Sport and Tourism,
the festival gives a chance for the
Vietnamese singers to exchange
and gain more experience from for-
eign colleagues as well as promote
Vietnamese music to the world.
Thailand-Vietnam plan
cultural programme
Thailand and Vietnam will co-host
a cultural programme from 27
September to 2 October to mark
the Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary.
The programme, arranged by the
Thailand-Vietnam Association of
Tourism, will feature a group of Thai
scholars, artists, business leaders
and media, who will travel from
Bangkok to the Vietnam capital, via
Savannakhet, Laos. The group will
present a sculpture of HCMC to the
Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi.
Thursday 23.09.2010
Phan Thiet sets for
Charming Kate Festival
The Cham people will organise their biggest and most
important festival, Kate, next month with processions, rituals,
and cultural activities at the Po Sah Inu Tower in Phan Thiet.
The highlights will include colorful traditional rituals like a
palanquin procession carrying the costumes of Goddess
Po Sah Inu and the Tong On ceremony to keep away “poi-
sonous” winds. The Cham believe these winds can cause
diseases and bring bad luck to families.
Then there will be a ceremony to bathe the lingam-yoni altar
and make an offering of wine. The lingam is a phallic symbol
of the Hindu god Shiva and the yoni represents the female.
The festival will also feature the paranung drum dance, other
ethnic music and dance, and folk games.
For the benefit of tourists and other visitors, Champa artisans
will demonstrate traditional brocade and ceramic production.
There will be a contest to make cakes like banh tet (cylindri-
cal glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and fatty
pork) and banh gung (ginger cake).
The Kate festival falls on the first day of the seventh month in
the Cham calendar (September-October in the solar calen-
dar). It is celebrated in honor of Po Sah Inu, who according to
legend helped the Cham grow wet rice.
It also marks harvest and is an occasion for childless couples
to entreat Po Sah Inu to bless them with children.
Bhaya Cruises opens
new Vietnam offices
Bhaya Cruises has officially opened
its new office in HCMC. The
Halong Bay cruise operator’s new
EATOF focuses on
premises is located on Nguyen Thi
Minh Khai Str, in HCMC’s District 3.
sustainable development
Meanwhile Bhaya’s sister company,
The East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF)
Hai Long Junks, has opened its new
Hanoi Sales office. The new office
themed, “For sustainable development in East Asia”
is located on Ma May Str in the wrapped up in Ha Long city, the northeastern province of
heart of the city’s Old Quarter. Quang Ninh on 16 September, affirming its commitment to
sustainable development in the region.
Work on Binh Son sea
tourism area starts The three-day EATOF 2010 reaffirmed the significance
and role of the regional organisation in the new context,
VND452 billion for Binh Son sea
tourism urban area project was
and stressed provinces’ commitments to fulfill their re-
started construction on 13 Septem- sponsibility and rights as EATOF members.
ber. The 24.39-hectare will include
entertainment area, resort and Within the framework of the forum, a travel fair was held
public areas for local people. The with the participation of over 30 booths from member
project help improve marine eco- provinces promoting their images and tourist products.
logical environment and create new Also, a series of workshops and bilateral meetings among
appearance for Phan Giang spread EATOF took place, offering opportunities for cooperation,
Ninh Thuan Sea’s beauty as well as investment and tourism development in each locality.
attract tourist and investors. Thanh
Dong Property Investment JSC is At the closing ceremony, Quang Ninh province’s leaders
the work’s investor. transferred EATOF’s flag to Cebu province of the Philip-
pines, the host of the next forum.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 VIETNAM NEWS
Vietnam inbound tourism
poised to zoom during 2010-2013
Vietnam, with its beautiful landscape, fast
developing services and a safe and stable
political environment, occupied fifth place
among the ASEAN countries in terms of at-
tracting foreign visitors during 2008.
According to our research report “Viet-
nam Tourism Industry Forecast to 2012”,
international tourist arrivals in Vietnam are
projected to grow at a CAGR of around 15%
during 2010-2013 on the back of aggressive
marketing campaigns, increasing govern-
ment expenditure and high FDI flow in the
tourism sector. Besides, its attractiveness
as a new tourist destination is positioning
the country as a global tourism hub.
Experts have found that Hanoi, Ho Chi
Minh City and Da Nang are three major
cities in Vietnam as far as the tourism
industry is considered. Hanoi, the Capital
of Vietnam, has been registering continu-
ous increase in tourist arrivals for the past
few years.
China was the largest tourist market for
Vietnam in 2009, accounting for around
14% of the total tourist arrivals. Due to the
recovery of global economy and business
activities between Vietnam and rest of the
Thursday 23.09.2010
5
world increasing, the confidence of tourists
is boosting up, resulting in ballooning of
inbound tourism.
The report has also found that Vietnam is
emerging as one of the popular destina-
tions for cruise tourism and holds immense
potential to develop its cruise tourism in-
dustry. This is because the country, located
between North and South Asia, is in close
proximity with the region’s two cruise hubs
– Hong Kong and Singapore. The industry
has demonstrated a gradual growth for
the past few years. In 2009, the number of
cruise passengers reached 100,000 pas-
sengers.
“Vietnam Tourism Industry Forecast to
2012” provides valuable information
regarding Vietnam inbound and outbound
tourism industry with forecast till 2013. The
report has analyzed recent industry trends
and growth drivers.
Our report also includes a brief description
of key players in the tourism industry. The
report has analyzed every aspect of tour-
ism industry in order to provide the best
consultancy to clients.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 6 VIETNAM NEWS
Movenpick Hotel Saigon
debuts following full-scale
renovation
Swiss hotelier Mövenpick celebrated the
grand opening of its Mövenpick Hotel
Saigon on September 16, following a $15
million renovation that included each and
every room, public space, restaurant and
retail outlet positioned behind the property’s
shimmering new modernist facade.
Located in the bustling Phu Nhuan District,
just 5 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City’s
international airport, the Mövenpick Hotel
Saigon has been redesigned in high style
- the bright, new lobby design takes shape
around four incandescent, central pillars -
but with the business traveller firmly in mind.
Twenty-seven new rooms have been added,
bringing the property’s total to 278, while
a pair of new chefs have invigorated each
exciting dining option.
Kiefer presided over the celebrated 2008
Thursday 23.09.2010
renovation of Mövenpick’s sister property,
the Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi, and he has
brought to Vietnam’s largest city and busi-
ness capital a similar blend of the practical
and inventive, of the modern and traditional,
of East and West.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts are known
throughout Europe and the Middle East
for their Swiss precision, hospitality and
elegance. Kiefer and his local designers
have again infused this sound formula with a
youthful exuberance and organic, sophisti-
cated Vietnamese style.
It starts with the rooms, where earth tones
have been accented with touches of orange
and naturally lit by ceiling-to-floor windows.
The bathrooms are separated from the living
quarters by more glass - full-length windows
with blinds - that provides privacy with the
feeling of more open space.
Iki is a new concept, a Japanese bistro
where top-quality, super-fresh sushi, tempu-
ra and other East Asian favorites are served
in a decidedly non-traditional setting. Japa-
nese restaurants often reflect Japanese calm
and reserve. There is nothing staid about the
Iki menu, however, thanks to the flair of Chef
Kittisukd Sujaritvetee, who arrives in Saigon
from Bangkok. Likewise, there is nothing
formal about Iki’s décor, with its vibrant
colours, youthful staff and modernist décor.
Lotus Court will continue to serve what
many believe to be the city’s finest Chinese
cuisine, including dim sum that maintains a
large and devoted following among Saigon’s
resident Chinese population. However, a
new chef, Brendan Ng, has arrived from the
Mandarin Oriental in Jakarta, bringing with
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 VIETNAM NEWS
him a new menu that emphasises tradition-
al favourites, some fusion elements, some
surprises (like salmon), and an obsession
with freshness.
“Our restaurants, bars and lounges will
all draw from one of the largest wine lists
in Vietnam - more than 300 labels - and
we will sell them at the lowest prices of
any 5-star hotel in the country,” Kiefer said.
“Our approach is to offer superb variety
and selection that is affordable, so people
can enjoy premium wines without feeling
that they are paying a premium.”
Café Saigon, the property’s all-day din-
ing restaurant, returns with its signature
elements in tact: the most interactive and
vibrant buffet-style dining experience in
the city. New to the Mix is the Cay Da Café,
a brand new bakery that serves up home-
Thursday 23.09.2010
made ice creams pastries, cakes and the
best European style bread in Ho Chi Minh
City. This casual venue also features an
outdoor, street-side terrace.
Kiefer added that the Mövenpick Hotel
Saigon is newly equipped with all the
technical amenities guests - business and
otherwise - have come to expect at 5-star
accommodations in Asia. But again, the
goal is to present each one with a practical
twist:
• Instead of a full-blown spa, the hotel of-
fers a Wellness Studio that values privacy
and individual treatments over sheer
expanse, ubiquitous mirrors and mounted
televisions.
• The work environments in each room
are exceedingly comfortable thanks to
7
ergonomically correct chairs and generous
desk spaces. The latter are made possible,
in part, by inconspicuous-but-compre-
hensive communication ports that sit just
beside the tabletop, leaving workspace
uncluttered.
• There is little danger the Mövenpick
Hotel Saigon will relinquish its reputation
as the most convenient, best-equipped
business hotel in HCMC. No hotel is closer
to the airport and MICE coordinators will
appreciate the two large meeting rooms,
a ballroom for up to 400 guests, and three
boardrooms. All meeting rooms have built-
in LCD projectors, motorised screens and
fabric panelled walls that absorb sound.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 VIETNAM NEWS 9

German beer
festival to come
to Hanoi
The Oktoberfest 2010, a German beer festival will
be held on 24-25 September in Hanoi.

The organising board said that during the festival,

together with best-selling fresh beers of Germany,
and those imported from other countries, partici-
pants will have chance to enjoy German traditional
food.

This year’s festival will have the participation of the

German band “the Happy Bavaria” from Munich
where the Oktoberfest originated.

This is the second time the Oktoberfest comes to

Hanoi. Last year, the festival attracted 2,000 partici-
pants.

Speaking at a press briefing on 15th September, Mr.

Andreas Otto, Second Secretary of the German Em-
bassy in Vietnam said that the Oktoberfest 2010 will
have a larger scale than last year’s festival and is a
cultural event to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary
of Thang Long - Hanoi and the 35th anniversary of
Vietnam - German diplomatic ties.

The Oktoberfest 2010 is expected to attract the par-

ticipation of thousands of local people and foreign
tourists.

The Oktoberfest festival an-

nually takes place in Septem-
ber in Munich. The festival
was held in 1810 to
celebrate a royal
wedding with horse
races and various
culinary delights.

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 10 VIETNAM NEWS

Bangkok - Hanoi cultural

tourism programme
The program, co-organised by the Thailand – Vietnam Associa-
tion of Tourism, will take place from 27th September - 2nd October
to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi.
In a press brief in Bangkok, Deputy Chairman of the Thailand –
Vietnam Tourism Association, Vu Nguyen Anh Tuyet said that the
program aims to discover the culture and customs of Vietnam-
ese people as well as to enhance the relationship between the
two countries.
The program will include an auto-procession attended by a
group of famous scholars and artists, businesses, and reporters
of Thailand. The group will depart at Bangkok on 27th September
on the Road 8 through Savannakhet and Khammuon Provinces to
visit the House of Uncle Ho in Vietnam’s Nghe An and the Hoa
Lu Ancient Capital in Ninh Binh. The group is scheduled to be in
Hanoi in the morning of 30th September.
After enjoying diverse activities to celebrate the giant celebra-
tion of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, they will
leave the capital on 2nd October.
Also on this occasion, the group will present a sculpture picture
of President Ho Chi Minh with 24 gilded carats to the Ho Chi
Minh Museum in Hanoi.
Also at the press brief, Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni-
potentiary of Vietnam to Thailand, Ngo Duc Thang highlighted
the meaning of the decision of the King Ly Thai To of choosing
Thang Long as the capital city. Thang Long in the past and the
present has always been politic, economic and cultural center of
Vietnam; with the affirmed position in the region and the world.
Mr. Thang also introduced foreign press week which will be co-
organised by the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Vietnam’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs from September 9th to 15th in Thailand.
At the event, activities of the great celebration of the 1,000th an-
niversary of Thang Long - Hanoi will be launched.
Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
 VIETNAM NEWS 11
year but will still face difficulties from the
global recession of 2009. For the period, re-
gional and local tourism will play important
roles in the world’s tourism growth.
With being ranked among top destinations
with the highest growth, Vietnam’s tourism is
striving to rise to the world level with many
attractive destinations and high-quality prop-
erties honored and recognized by many of
the world’s media websites.
Specifically, Hanoi and Hoi An have been se-
lected among 10 Asian destinations by one of

Vietnam ranked among Southeast Asia’s most widely read travel-trade

top growth tourist destinations
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
assessed that in the first six months of 2010,
Asia and the Middle East had the highest
tourism growth.
The UNWTO said that the number of foreign
tourists around the globe has been 421 mil-
lion, a 7% increase compared to the same pe-
riod last year. With this, the world’s tourism
sector will likely reach a growth of 4% for the
whole year of 2010.
Tourism growth was seen in emerging mar-
kets such as the Middle East with 20% and
Asia Pacific with 14%. Some destinations in
Asia had impressive growth, including Sri
Lanka with 49%, Japan with 36%, Vietnam and
Myanmar with 35%, Hong Kong and Macao
(China) with 23%, Singapore with 23%, re-
ported the UNWTO.
The UNWTO said that the tourism industry
will continue to grow during the rest of the
media outlets, Smart Travel Asia. Some hotels
and resorts in Vietnam were also named in
the “Top 25 Leisure Hotels and Resorts” by
Smart Travel Asia, including the Nam Hai,
Hoi An at 2nd place, Sofitel Legend Metro-
pole, Hanoi at 3rd place, Sofitel Dalat Palace,
Dalat at 21st place and Princess d’Annam
Resort&Spa, Binh Thuan at 25th place.
In addition, Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh prov-
ince, a UNESCO recognised world heritage
site, has jumped to second place among 28
finalists of the online voting for the world’s
new seven wonders, by New Open World
(NOW).

Hong Kong-Vietnam Vinacapital

yacht race set for next month

The Hong Kong Royal Yacht Club has announced it will organise an international yacht
race from Hong Kong to Vietnam’s central coast next month.
The club said the 656-nautical-mile, category-one VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam
Race 2010 would start on October 20 and finish in the resort city of Nha Trang.
The organiser is taking registrations from teams.
The biennial competition has been in place since 2006, with the HCMC-based Saigon-
tourist Holding Company being the local partner. The 2008 edition was attended by 13
yachts.
A source from Saigontourist told the Daily that the company was waiting for approval
from the Government to bring international boats to Vietnam to promote the local tourism
image.
In a related development, the central coast province of Binh Thuan will organise an inter-
national sailing festival in December, with yacht performances and other activities such
as music and dance performances.
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), a professional sailing series that features nine
World Championship events worldwide, will come to Nha Trang next year.
Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
 12
Vietnam looks to five million
international arrivals this year
Vietnam’s tourism authority is pinning
hopes on a strong recovery of the inbound
sector and aiming for a record high of five
million foreign visitor arrivals in the coun-
try this year.
Vu The Binh, head of the Travel Department
under the Vietnam National Administration
of Tourism, told that the high expectation
was based on the sector’s encouraging
growth rate of over 30% in the year to date.
Positive feedback from overseas partners
for the high inbound tourism season by the
year-end is another factor for optimism,
Binh added.
The country welcome over 3.8 million inter-
national visitors last year, down 11% from
the previous year, but international arrivals
in the first eight months of this year reached
3.35 million, up 35.2% year-on-year.
Thursday 23.09.2010
VIETNAM NEWS
In an original plan, the tourism authority
expected 4.5 to 4.6 million international
visitors to come to the country this year.
The tourism sector has been active in pro-
moting the country’s image abroad, with
promotions carried out in Germany, France
and Belgium from late August to early this
month. The country also plans to bring a
tourism promotion program to some Chi-
nese provinces next month.
In the promotion program for Europe, Binh
said, the tourism sector found a good chan-
nel able to help Vietnam promote and sell
tourism products to hundreds of thousands
of overseas Vietnamese there.
Along with the promotions, the tourism
authority is asking for policy incentives to
spur foreign arrivals in the country, he said.
“We’ve received approval from the Minis-
try of Public Security and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to extend visa-fee exemp-
tions to international travellers.”
But the incentive for package tour takers
will need a final decision by the Govern-
ment, and might take effect next month, he
said.
The United Nations World Tourism Orga-
nization (UNWTO) has put Vietnam in the
list of Asian countries with strong tourism
performance in the first half of this year.
The organisation said Asia had once again
shown a strong capacity for recovery with
14% growth in the period. Vietnam and
Myanmar had the same growth of 35%, just
behind Sri Lanka and Japan.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 days to come
UNESCO General Director to attend Hanois’ anniversary
T
he General Director
of the UNESCO will
arrive in Hanoi on
October 1 to attend
celebrations of the 1,000th birth-
day of the capital city and hand
over certification of UNESCO
recognition of Thang Long Roy-
al Citadel as a world cultural
heritage.
Head of the UNESCO Office in
Hanoi Katherine Muller Marin
announced the visit at a song
and dance festival in Hanoi on
September 18.
The 35 th session of the UNES-
CO General Assembly in 2009
passed a resolution on UNES-
CO’s participation in the grand
ceremony of the 1,000th anniver-
sary of Thang Long-Hanoi.
Almost one year later, the UNES-
CO’s World Heritage Com-
mittee recognised Vietnam’s
Thang Long Royal Citadel as a
Thursday 23.09.2010
1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi
world cultural heritage at its 34th
session in Brazil on July 31.
The site won the recognition
thanks to its three outstanding
characteristics: the length of its
cultural history, the continuity of
the citadel as a power centre,
and the variety of relics it con-
tains.
The citadel will open to visitors
in time for Hanoi’s 1,000th anni-
versary.
The cleanup at relic site of the
Thang Long citadel is also ex-
pected to finish by September
20. On September 16, Perma-
nent Deputy Prime Minister
Nguyen Sinh Hung paid a visit
to the site to check the arrange-
ment of artifacts found at the 18
Hoang Dieu Street, the archae-
ological excavation area for the
planned exhibition.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

1,000 photos about Hanoi to be display

1,000 photos about

Hanoi will be displayed and auc-
tioned at an exhibition, entitled:
“1,000 outlooks about Hanoi”,
held from 2-5 October at the Ha-
noi Library, 47 Ba Trieu Street.
These photos were selected
from the competition: “Hanoi
Nostalgia”, organised by the
Vietnam Photographers’ Asso-
ciation and VNPhoto network.
The auction of the 1,000 photos
is to raise funds for outstanding
students of the Hanoi Culture
University.
The exhibition will be arranged
into areas: hanging 200 photos in
themes, displaying the model of
Khue Van Cac made from Nes-
cafe tea caddies, and putting
1,000 photos together to create
“Tortoise Tower” (Thap Rua).
At the exhibition, amateur and
professional photographers
at home and abroad will have
chance to exchange skills
through a photo competition in-
side the exhibition.
The event is among a series of
activities, in celebration of the
1,000th anniversary of Thang
Long - Hanoi.

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 days to come
Hanoi decorates for its giant celebration
L
ighting projects to welcome the 1000th anniversary of
Thang Long-Hanoi were inspected by Hanoi Party Chief
Pham Quang Nghi on 18 September.
He was satisfied with the coloured lights around Sword Lake that
make it more beautiful. He suggested highlighting the nearby
scenery, including The Huc Bridge, Ba Kieu Temple, Turtle Tower
as well as trees near the lake.
Streets including Hang Khay, Trang Tien, Trang Thi and Dien
Thursday 23.09.2010
1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi
Bien Phu have been decorated with different lights presenting
the nation’s history, peace and international integration.
The areas around Sword Lake, the National Conference Centre,
My Dinh stadium, West Lake and Thien Quang Lake will be lit up
at night from 25 September to 15 October.
More than VND25 billion will also be invested in lights for some
bridges over the Red River.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

Schedule for the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi

Thang Long – Hanoi has 1000-
year history and is the concentra- Time Event Place
tion of country’s quintessence.
The 1000th anniversary of Thang October 1
Long – Hanoi (1010 – 2010) is
the opportunity to express grate- 8h The opening of the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – The park of King Ly Thai To
fulness to ancestor’s effort and Hanoi statue (Dinh Tien Hoang
honour country’s traditional val- Road)
ues. This is also the occasion to
introduce and enhance image of 9h30 Art performances 5 stages around Hoan Kiem
Hanoi Capital in particular and Lake
Viet Nam in general. The 1000th
anniversary of Thang Long – 14h The opening of the exhibition named “Art and literature Viet Nam Exhibition Center
Hanoi will take place in 10 days works through different periods” for Culture and Arts (2 Hoa Lu
(from October 1 to 10) with many Street)
attractive activities of culture, art
and sport. 15h The opening of the exhibition of Hanoi’s art images Showrooms at 45 Trang Tien
Street

19h30 The opening of the exhibition named “Social and Vietnam Exhibition and Fair
economic achievements of Vietnam and Thang Long – Center (138 Giang Vo Street)
Hanoi”

19h30 The opening of historical and revolutionary film week National Cinema Center (87
Lang Ha Street)

20h The special art program named “The whole country with The park of Ba Kieu Temple
Hanoi” (live) (Dinh Tien Hoang Road)

20h Concert named “International integration – faith in the Hanoi Opera House (1 Trang
future” Tien Street)

October22
October

8h Display of typical documents, items, antiques of Thang Imperial Citadel of Thang

Long - Hanoi Long (9 Hoang Dieu and 19
Nguyen Tri Phuong streets)

9h Introduction of the bookshelf named “1000-year culture National Library (31 Trang
of Thang Long” Thi Street)

14h Checking and announcing result of science research work Hanoi Opera House (1 Trang
at state level named “Researching and promoting natural, Tien Street)
economic, social conditions and historical, cultural
values of Thang Long – Hanoi for comprehensive
development”

20h Performance of selected songs composed in honour of The park of Ba Kieu Temple
Thang Long – Hanoi (Dinh Tien Hoang Road)

20h The opening of Thang Long international tourism festival Bao Son Paradise (An Khanh
Commune, Hoai Duc District)

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

October 3

7h Marathon for the peace Around Hoan Kiem Lake

20h The art program named “Thang Long – Hanoi in Ho Chi Hang Day Stadium (10 Trinh
Minh age” Hoai Duc Street)

October 4

8h30 The closing and prize awarding ceremony for the contest Hanoi Opera House (1 Trang
named “1000-year culture of heroic Thang Long – Tien Street)
Hanoi”

15h The opening of the exhibition named “Vietnamese heroes Revolution Museum (25 Tong
and cultural celebrities” Dan Street)

15h30 The opening of the exhibition named ”Famous battles Viet Nam Military History
and campaigns in Vietnam’s history” Museum (28A Dien Bien Phu
Street)

17h The opening of Thang Long – Hanoi calligraphy Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam
exhibition and festival (58 Quoc Tu Giam Street)

20h Announcing and awarding the nationwide press prize Au Co Art Center (8 Huynh
about Thang Long - Hanoi Thuc Khang Street)

20h Performance of ancient dances The park of King Ly Thai To

statue (Dinh Tien Hoang
Road)

October 5

9h Introduction of art work named “Pottery Road” Yen Phu Road

14h The opening of the exhibition named “Bat Trang Pottery Bat Trang Pottery Village (Bat
– tradition and modern” Trang Commune, Gia Lam
District)

14h The opening of the exhibition named "Hearts with Thang Friendship Culture Palace (91
Long – Hanoi” Tran Hung Dao Street)

20h Performance of Vietnamese famous artists Hanoi Opera House (1 Trang

Tien Street)

20h The art performance named of "Thang Long’s strong Hang Day Stadium (10 Trinh
impetus and the country’s song” Hoai Duc Street)

October 6

8h The opening of Hanoi kite art festival Square of My Dinh Stadium

(Le Duc Tho Road)

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

8h Vietnamese martial art performance named “Thang Long Quan Ngua Sport Palace (55
Spirit” Doc Ngu Street)

8h30 The opening of Hanoi Museum Hanoi Museum (Pham Hung

Road)

14h The opening of statues of Ho Chi Minh and Ton Duc Thong Nhat Park (354 Le
Thang Duan Street)

14h The opening of Hoa Binh Park Hoa Binh Park (Co Nhue
Commune, Tu Liem District)

14h The opening of exhibition on ancient Thang Long – Hanoi Museum (Pham Hung
Hanoi Road)

14h30 The opening of Kim Dong Theater Kim Dong Theater (19 Hang
Bai Street)

20h The opening of Hanoi Worker Theater Hanoi Worker Theater (42
Trang Tien Street)

20h The opening of Dai Nam Theater Dai Nam Theater (89 Pho Hue
Street)

20h The opening of Hanoi gastronomy festival Ho Tay Water Park (614 Lac
Long Quan Road)

October 7

8h The opening of international conference named International Convention

“Sustainable development of heroic and cultural capital, Center (11 Le Hong Phong
the city for peace” Street)

9h The closing and prize awarding ceremony for the Hanoi Opera House (1 Trang
international contest named “Hanoi – Your Rendezvous” Tien Street)

20h Traditional music performance Hanoi Opera House (1 Trang

Tien Street)

October 8

7h Art and culture programs of Hanoi’s youth Outdoor stages in the whole
city

20h Exchange program named “Thang Long – spirit of the National Convention Center
country” (Pham Hung Street, Me Tri
Commune, Tu Liem District)

20h Street festival State Bank Square (49 Ly Thai

To Street)

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

October 9

8h The opening of Thanh Tri and Vinh Tuy bridges The southern h ead of b ridges
of Thanh Tri and Vinh Tuy

9h30 The opening of Thang Long Boulevard Intersection of Pham Hung and
Tran Duy Hung roads

20h Performances of international art troupes Outdoor stages i n the whole

city

October 10

8h The 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi Ba Dinh Square

20h The art and culture program to c elebrate t he 1000th My D inh Stadium (Le Duc
birthday of Thang Long - Hanoi Tho Road)

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 days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 22
Castaway Bay opens at
Gold Coast’s Sea World
Sea World officially launches its
new Castaway Bay. The AU$6
million (US$5.7 million), 800m²
family attraction caters for kids
with themed rides, including ‘Battle
Boats’, featuring pirate boats armed
with eight water cannons. Another
attraction, the Sky Fortress, is a
huge fort-like attraction featuring
five levels of rope bridges, tunnels,
slides, games and puzzles.
Forbidden City com-
pletes first phase of
expansion
The Chinese government com-
pleted the first phase at Beijing’s
Forbidden City. Aimed at alleviating
congestion, the expansion saw the
restoration and opening of previ-
ously closed sections of the former
imperial palace. The central axis of
the Forbidden City has long been
open, but its thousands of court-
yards on the sides have largely
remained closed. The renovations
have concentrated on opening
these previously closed courtyards.
Thursday 23.09.2010
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Fashion exhibition at
Sentosa Singapore
One hundred haute couture pieces
from the renowned Italian designer
Maison Valentino will appear in
an exhibition at Singapore’s first
integrated resort, Resorts World
Sentosa 15 December-31 Janu-
ary. “Retrospective: Past/Present/
Future” will feature haute couture
looks from founder Valentino Gara-
vani’s early designs to present-day
creations. The exhibition arrives
from Paris via Brisbane.
Delhi to launch Games
shopping festival
Retailers in Delhi will take part in
a shopping festival to coincide the
Commonwealth Games. From 25
September, markets in various parts
of the Indian capital, such as Karol
Bagh, Connaught Place, Chandni
Chowk, Greater Kailash, Kamla Na-
gar and Preet Vihar will offer major
discounts for visitors. A group of 40
volunteers has come together under
a scheme called ‘Personal Shop-
pers India’ to help tourists find their
ways to markets.
Bring on the ATF 2011:
Cambodia
The Kingdom of Cambodia was chosen to host the 30th Asso-
ciation of Southwest Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum
(ATF) in 2011.
The annual event will be held between 15-21 January at the
Diamond Island Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom
Penh with the multicultural theme ‘Wonders and Diversity’,
Express Travel World reported.
ATF 2011 Host Committee Chairman Pan Chantra said the
event opens up a channel for buyers and sellers to exchange
information and learn about the ten ASEAN member coun-
tries.
“ATF 2011 will offer a golden opportunity for all participants
to discuss the development regional and individual tourism
products of ASEAN member countries,” Mr Chantra said.
“It is also a cooperative regional effort to promote ASEAN, a
world of wonders and diversity, as a single tourism destina-
tion.”
Mr Chantra noted that while the ATF is a great forum for
information exchange its main purpose is to attract tourists
particularly from countries like India with growing interest to
travel in the ASEAN region.
“There is a huge interest among the Indian tourists about the
UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Vat in Cambodia,”
Mr Chantra said.
TCEB promotes benefits
of World Expo 2020
The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) will
launch a public awareness campaign to educate Thais about
the potential benefits, which could result from hosting the World
Expo 2020.
“We’ll conduct a feasibility study of three potential locations,
Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya provinces and educate
Thais about the World Expo,” Thailand Convention and Exhibi-
tion Bureau president, Akapol Sorasuchart told the Bangkok
Post.
“They should understand how the country could benefit from
organising this important event.”
Mr. Akapol said it would cost 20 billion baht to organise the
World Expo and the event has the potential to generate eight
times that amount in revenue.
He also said that all industries would benefit if Thailand’s World
Expo bid is successful, especially tourism.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Marina Bay Sands launches
airport check-in services
Marina Bay Sands and SATS have
jointly introduced a new city
check-in and baggage acceptance
service – the first of its kind in
Singapore – for hotel guests and
visitors heading to Changi Airport.
With the launch of the Baggage Ex-
press service, Marina Bay Sands’
guests and customers departing
on Singapore Airlines (SIA) and
SilkAir flights can enjoy the conve-
nience of checking-in at least three
hours before their flights depart.
They can receive their boarding
passes and baggage claim tags
at Marina Bay Sands. Checked-in
guests can also proceed directly
to clear immigration at Singapore
Changi Airport and be at the
boarding gate before it closes.
Checking in at a downtown loca-
tion offers users greater flexibility
to maximise their time before leav-
ing Singapore. This service will be
extended to cover more participat-
ing airlines in the coming months.
Thursday 23.09.2010
“Marina Bay Sands is proud to
partner SATS in launching this
first-ever city check-in service in
Singapore. It speaks volumes of
our ability to provide innovative
and first-to-market services to our
guests. All our hotel guests and
visitors to our property are able to
“Marina Bay enjoy this one-stop check-in ser-
Sands is
proud to
vice. This is another value-added
partner SATS offering that Marina Bay Sands is
in launching providing for the convenience of
this first-ever
city check-in
our guests, and we will continue to
service in Sin- introduce more innovative services
gapore,” said in the coming months,” said Ma-
Mr. Thomas
Arasi. rina Bay Sands President and Chief
Executive Officer, Mr. Thomas
Arasi.
Said Mr. Denis Marie, Senior Vice
President, Passenger Services of
SATS: “This new initiative under-
scores our drive in leveraging our
core competencies in gateway
services to offer innovative prod-
ucts and services to our customers
and their guests. We are pleased to
partner Marina Bay Sands in pro-
23
viding a delightful and hassle-free
travel experience for its guests.
We remain strongly committed to
developing and delivering su-
perior value propositions to our
customer.”
Located at Marina Bay Sands’
Coach Terminal, the check-in
counters will initially operate from
Thursday to Monday from 10 am to
6 pm.
The Baggage Express service is
free for guests without any check-
in luggage. A handling charge of
S$25 for every two bags applies.
The check-in service is also open
to hotel guests staying in other
parts of Singapore.
The accepted baggage will be
transported to Changi Airport with
regular transport runs and will
undergo security screening at the
airport. The counters at Marina Bay
Sands are manned primarily by
SATS’ personnel.
www.travelweekly.com.vn
 24 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 25

India is gearing up for

PTM2011 in New Delhi

T
he final day of the three-day PATA Travel Mart 2010 (PTM 2010), Sep-
tember 14-17, saw international buyers, sellers and media delegates
gather at the dinner reception hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Gov-
ernment of India. Rajen Habib Khwaja, Secretary of Tourism, Ministry
of Tourism, Government of India, welcomed delegates to PATA Travel
Mart 2011, New Delhi, India.

Said Hiran Cooray, PATA Chairman: “The PATA Travel Mart 2011 in New Delhi, India
is one of the most exciting events and activities planned to roll out next year. We have
a very special relationship with India, which is a rapidly emerging market, and we
are delighted they are hosts for the PTM2011.”

Said Arjun Sharma, managing director, Le Passage to India: “The travel fraternity in
India is excited that PATA has chosen New Delhi as the venue for PTM2011. With
the explosive outbound numbers emanating from our country it is not uncommon for
increased and newer destinations to woo the Indian traveller. The Mart returning to
India after a gap of only three years is appropriately positioned and bears testimony
to the growth of Indian tourism. The capital city is presently gearing up to host the
Commonwealth Games next month. With the increased capacities and greatly mod-
ernised tourism infrastructure, we wish to assure you that New Delhi will be a bigger,
better and more satisfying venue for the best trade show of the year. We look forward
to welcoming all delegates to ‘Incredible India.’”

Said Ashok Kapur, CEO, Khiri DMC: “India is a fantastic choice as it is a rapidly
emerging destination and market. With its incredible diversity and population, India
deserves much more business, both as an inbound and outbound entity. As a travel
specialist focussing on Thailand and Indochina, Khiri Travel will continue to invest
strongly in the Indian outbound market. We see huge potential there for sectors such
as leisure, MICE, honeymoon and top-end incentive trips. India’s rapidly increasing
urban middle class as also more direct flights from the primary and secondary cities
to Southeast Asia are both very encouraging trends.”

Said Nicoline Dolman, director of sales and marketing, Bali Dynasty Resort: “We will
definitely participate in PTM in India. The Indian family market has a huge potential
for the travel-and-tourism of Bali. Balinese cultures and religion are the main attrac-
tions for the Indian market.”

Said Ashwani Gupta, managing director, Dove Travels, India, and a first-time at-
tendant at PTM: “I am very excited about my attendance. PATA Travel Mart is world
famous for its travel trade networking opportunities and also for its high level of
organisation. It is a truly international event, very well organised, with meetings with
your existing business partners spread into perfect time slots, and meetings with new
exhibitors made accessible so as to improve our way of working and business.”
Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
 26 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Kick-Off Times
for Rugby
World Cup 2011
The kick-off times for the Rugby World Cup 2011 in
New Zealand have been unveiled.

Eden Park, the scene of the venue for the inaugural

RWC Final in 1987, will herald a nationwide six week
celebration of world-class Rugby and REAL New
Zealand Festival events when it hosts the Opening
Ceremony on Friday, 9 September 2011 starting at
approximately 19:30 (08:30 GMT). The opening match
between New Zealand and Tonga will kick-off at 20:30
(09:30 GMT).

“We have achieved a good balance,” said Martin

Snedden, CEO for Tournament Organisers Rugby New
Zealand 2011. “If New Zealand is to make the most of
the platform RWC 2011 gives us to showcase our coun-
try to the world, then we need to ensure we maximise
the global television audience for key matches.

“What has now been agreed with event-owner Rugby

World Cup Ltd will help all hosting regions to promote
themselves to the world and help fans, both domestic
and international, to get on with planning their RWC
2011 experience with the start of the Tournament now
less than a year away.”

Ten of the 48 matches will be played in the afternoon

including the New Zealand v Canada pool match at
15:30 (03:30 GMT). A further 12 matches will begin by
18:00 and another seven at 19:30.

England’s first game against Argentina on 10 Septem-

ber 2011 will take place at 20:30 (09:30 GMT). Australia
plays the following day against Italy at 15:30 (04:30
GMT). South Africa get their tournament underway
against Wales on 11 September 2011 at 20:30 (09:30
GMT).

The tournament will culminate in Auckland at the

redeveloped Eden Park with the semi-finals and final.
The kick-off time for these matches was confirmed at
21:00 (09:00 GMT) when the Match Schedule was an-
nounced in March 2009.
Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 27

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Shanghai continues
The Asia/Pacific hotel development pipeline com-
prises 1,037 hotels totalling 255,208 rooms, according
to lead Asian hotel
to the August 2010 STR Global Construction Pipeline
Report released this week. pipeline
China reported the most rooms in the total active
pipeline among the region’s countries with 134,832, fol-
lowed by India with 47,477 rooms. China also reported
the most rooms in the In Construction phase with
92,559 rooms.

Among the key markets in the region, Shanghai, China,

ended the month with the most rooms in the total ac-
tive pipeline with 13,227 rooms. Two other markets
reported more than 5,000 rooms in the total active
pipeline: Bangkok, Thailand (9,138 rooms) and New
Delhi, India (7,215 rooms).

Four of the seven Chain Scale segments each ac-

counted for more than 15 percent of rooms in the total
active pipeline: the Upscale segment (24.6 percent
and 62,671 rooms); the Upper Upscale segment (24.4
percent and 62,153 rooms); the Unaffiliated segment
(18.6 percent and 47,574 rooms); and the Luxury seg-
ment (17.7 percent and 45,246 rooms).

Asia/Pacific pipeline by Chain Scale segment for Au-

gust 2010 (number of rooms):
Chain Scale Existing Supply In Construction Total
Active Pipeline*
Luxury 136,959 32,850 45,426
Upper Upscale 193,540 43,463 62,153
Upscale 247,068 41,009 62,671
Midscale w/ F&B 175,293 12,882 21,225
Midscale w/o F&B 27,382 1,943 5,673
Economy 104,629 4,961 10,666
Unaffiliated 1,531,451 30,896 47,574
Total 2,416,322 168,004 255,208
* Includes those projects in the In Construction, Final
Planning and Planning phases.

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Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
 30 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

World Tourism Day 2010

A panel of leading tourism and biodiversity experts will
meet in China on World Tourism Day (WTD) to ex-
plore the synergies between tourism, biodiversity and
sustainable development in an event marking the official
celebrations of WTD 2010 (27 September).

WTD, is held this year under the theme ‘Tourism and

Biodiversity’, in support of the United Nations Interna-
tional Year of Biodiversity. China, one of the world’s most
biologically diverse countries and a major tourism desti-
nation, will lead the 2010 official WTD celebrations.

The High Level Dialogue on Tourism, Biodiversity and

Sustainable Development, meeting in the southern
Chinese city of Guangzhou, the host of the WTD celebra-
tions, will debate issues ranging from the economic
value of biodiversity for tourism, to how to integrate bio-
diversity protection into planning for sustainable tourism.

Participants include representatives from the Conven-

tion on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); the President
and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council
(WTTC) and the CEO of Six Senses Resorts; as well as
the Ministers of Tourism of China, Kenya and Malaysia.

The conclusions of the High Level Dialogue will be pre-

sented to the tenth Conference of the Parties to the CBD
as part of UNWTO’s contribution to the post-2010 targets
of the CBD (Nagoya, Japan, 18-29 October).

The official WTD celebrations, organized by UNWTO,

the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and
Guangdong Province, are held in conjunction with the
Guangdong International Tourism and Culture Festival
and also include a road parade for WTD Celebrations
and the Asian Games and a photo exhibition along the
streets of Guangzhou, featuring photos from this year’s
WTD photo competition.
Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn
Tailor-made Travel Specialist Add: 130 Pho Duc Chinh - Ba Dinh District Fax: +84-4 3715 3540
in Hanoi - Vietnam Email: info@littleorienttravel.com
VIETNAM - CAMBODIA - LAOS Tel: +84-4 37153538 www.littleorienttravel.com
 VIETNAM NEWS

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 VIETNAM NEWS

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 VIETNAM NEWS

A Stele on turtle statue at

Literature Temple

Long Bien Bridge

Hoan Kiem Lake by night

Thursday 23.09.2010 www.travelweekly.com.vn

 VIETNAM NEWS

Hanoi’s Flag Tower

The Huc Bridge

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 VIETNAM NEWS

The simple life of

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 VIETNAM NEWS

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 VIETNAM NEWS

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 VIETNAM NEWS

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