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OfficialMediaPartnerfor:
Flamboyant Island
to be an impressive destination
in Do Son
Useful tourism information
when visiting Vietnam
How to Overcome Culture Shock
in a Foreign Country
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Dear Travel Weekly readers!
Welcome to the 30 Issues of Travel Weekly!
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to say thank you very much for supporting and sharing with us your ideas since
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ness in Vietnam and around the world to your desktop every Thursday, today,
Travel Weekly becomes a part of your daily works for all travel executive as
well as travel lovers those who cares about the tourism industry.
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E: editor@travelweekly.com.vn
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Contact us
Editor-in-Chief
Anh. Nguyen Hoang
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2010
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OfficialMediaPartnerfor:
Flamboyant Island
tobe animpressivedestination
inDoSon
Usefultourism information
whenvisiting Vietnam
HowtoOvercomeCultureShock
ina ForeignCountry
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08. Come and experience the new Mv-enpick Hotel Saigon
02.VND 300 billion for four-star hotel in
Tay Ninh
VIETNAM NEWS
06.Hotel Equatorial HCMC in top
hotel list
03.Mekong Deltas tourism industry to
grow up
10. International Sailboat Festival 2010postponed until last year
Useful tourism infor-
mation when visiting
Vietnam
16 - 17Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula,
Vietnam is an attractive destination for tourists with a
beautiful natural landscape, and a unique culture and
cuisine. Towards 1,000 years of Thang Long Hanoi,
TravelWeeklys Editor Board sends you some specific
instructions to help you have a perfect trip to Vietnam.
With the investment of DasCo Vietnam Group, the Hoa
Phuong Island (Flamboyant Island) will become the first
an artificial island in Vietnam and is divided into 5 re-
gions representing the 5 petals of the flamboyant flower
and the central region representing its pistil.
Flamboyant Island
to be an impressive
destination in Do Son
FEATURES02
03
04
05
06
07
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09
10
11
12
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17
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Thursday 12.08.2010
Culture shock is defined as the feeling of disorienta-
tion, insecurity, and anxiety one may feel in unfamiliar
surroundings. Values, behaviors, and social customs
we routinely take for granted may no longer serve us in
our new environment. To adapt to a foreign culture and
effectively manage culture shock, one should keep in
mind as below article.
How to Overcome
Culture Shock in a
Foreign Country
04 - 05
38 - 39
11. The eighth Vietnam - Japan CulturalExchange Days to be held
12 . Da Nang boosts investment in tourismindustry
14.Vietnam Culture to be shine in
Grand Celebration
15. Hanoi Expo 2010 to marks millennial
anniversary
1,000 YEARS OF
THANG LONG - HANOI
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
20.Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao opens inmid September
21.Asia Fitness Convention 2010 to beheld in Bangkok
22.Sofitel Fiji announces fifth arts festival
23.Japan increasingly attractive to Aus-
tralians
26.STB launches YourSingapore in
Thailand
29. THAI passengers entitled to shopping
discounts
30.Qantas eyes China as hub for Europe
AVIATION NEWS
32.Asiana Airlines named Airline ofthe Year
35.Polish airline to fly to Vietnam inNovember
36 - 37.10 Thai Customs to Know BeforeVisiting Thailand (part 2)
40 - 41.Exciting Times to be in MedicalTourism
42 - 44.1. Ninh Chu Beach
DO YOU KNOW
DESTINATIONS
BUSINESS ADVICE
MEDICAL TOURISM
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VIETNAMNEWS
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Saigon Investment Group (SGI)
kicked off construction on building
SGI Lao Hung Hotel in Sam Nua
district, Hua Phan province, Laos
on 30 July. This will be the first inter-
national standard hotel in Hua Phan
province; covering on a site of 5,642
square metres has a total invest-ment of 5billion dong. The project
is expected to be in operational by
2012.
An international performing arts
festival kicked off 9 August in Hanoi.
The lineup includes artists from
the Netherlands, Thailand, the US,
Australia, Myanmar, Japan, and Ma-
laysia, as well as nine Vietnamese
artists including Nguyen Phuong
Linh, Bill Nguyen, Le Huy Hoang,Lai Dieu Ha and Vu Duc Toan. The
festival promoted experience shar-
ing and creativity in performing arts
and will last until 14 August.
Phan Thiet City in Binh Thuan Prov-
ince will hold the traditional Nghinh
Ong Quan Thanh Festival from 30th
August to 1st September. The event
will begin with important rituals at
Ong Pagoda including a Buddhist
prayer ceremony, whale worship-
ping and a ceremony where peoplerelease lanterns on the river to pray
for good life. The festivals highlight
is the procession of Quan Thanh De
Quan, accompanied by about 1,000
people doing folk performances in
the city centre on 1st September.
Ho Chi Minh City is eager to kick start river tours along its
historic rivers. A new tour to the painting village along Sai Gon
River, District 2 will get underway in September to begin the Sai
Gon Chu Chi Binh Duong route. The route is also an impor-tant part of plan to develop riverside tourism over the next ten
years in HCMC.
Currently, some operators offered short tours, otherwise, the Ben
Nghe Nha Be and Bach Dang Binh Quoi route have become
popular with the introduction of six floating restaurants and threeyachts.
Medium-distance tours are from the Sai Gon Dong Nai Sai
Gon Binh Duong and Bach Dang Cu Chi route. Long-dis-
tance tours start from HCMC to a few Mekong Delta provincesas well as Phnom Penh and Shihanoukaville in Cambodia.
Petrocapital and Infrastructure Investment JSC, or Petroland,
said a four-star hotel in the southern province of Tay Ninhwas built on 8 August 2010, marking its first step into thehospitality sector.
Bui Minh Chinh, General Director of Petroland, told that the
realty firm would invest some VND300 billion to develop thePetroland Tay Ninh Hotel on Hoang Le Kha Street in the heartof Tay Ninh Town, some 100 km from HCMC.
The project, covering some 1,2 hectares on Hoang Le KhaStreet in the heart of Tay Ninh Town, some 100 km from
HCMC, is designed with two blocks of 18-storey buildings,including a 14,400 square meters for office space and a sec-
tion for the hotel with 144 guest rooms. Besides, there will beserviced facilities for conference, restaurant, fitness centerand spa among others.
Bui Minh Chinh, General Director of Petroland, told that therealty firm would invest some VND300 billion to develop the
Petroland Tay Ninh Hotel and scheduled for completion bythe third quarter of 2012.
Established in 2007, Petroland is active in investment andconstruction fields including housing, office and hotel proj-
ects, infrastructure development and property trading.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism has approved a plan to
promote Vietnam tourism on both
local and international media. A
survey will be carried out to help lo-
cal tourism develop a trans-national
caravan tourism route from Vietnam
to Laos, Thailand and Cambo-
dia. The programme will include
exhibitions and other promotional
events in foreign countries as well
as documentaries on a new journey
connecting Vietnam with Laos,
Cambodia and Myanmar.
Saigon Invest builds
hotel in Laos
VND 300 billion
for four-star hotel in
Tay Ninh
Hanoi hosts intl per-
forming arts festival
Traditional Festival to
be hold in Phan ThietIntl promotion for car-
avan tours approved
2
HCMC keeps an eye on
riverside tourism
Petroland hotel project in Tay Ninh
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Mekong Deltas
tourism industry to grow up
Mekong Deltas
tourism industry to grow up
VIETNAMNEWS 3
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism has approved a plan to de-velop tourism as a key economic sectorin the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.
According to the ministry said whichwith the aim at diversifying tourism
products and fully exploit the countrystourism potential, the plan will extends
to 2020, supporting the economictransformation of the country and helpreduce hunger and poverty.
Under the plan, the Mekong Delta
region would focus on the overseasVietnamese community and South-east Asian tourism market, especially
Cambodia, while maintaining currentmarkets in Northeast Asia, Western Eu-rope and North America. Domestically,
the area aims to attract more tourists aswell, particularly from HCM City andHanoi and the southeastern region.
The Delta region is expected to wel-come 2,7 million international arrivals
and 5,3 million domestic tourists by
2015. By 2020, the region expects toreceive 3,9 million foreign tourists and6,5 million local visitors. By 2015, therewould be 37,150 hotel rooms and a total
of 50,000 by 2020. The aim is to employ154,700 people in the Mekong Deltatourism sector by 2015 and 236,600 by
2020. Officials estimate that revenue
in the region would reach US$723.1million, with a GDP of $491,6 million by2015, and revenue of $1,35 billion, with
a GDP of $877,1 million by 2020.
The Mekong Delta region would focus
on developing rural tourism (orchardand river tours combined with home-
stays); cultural tourism (explorationof ethnic cultures), eco-tourism (toursof ecological systems in the area),
and high-quality spa therapy tourism(including Kien Giang Provinces Phu
Quoc Island and Ha Tien Town).
Tourism growth
According to Huynh Vinh Ai, DeputyMinister of Culture, Sports and Tourismsaid the Mekong Delta has attained sig-
nificant achievements in tourism. Spe-cifically, the number of foreign visitorsreached VND1,2 million, a three-fold
higher than 2000, local tourists gainedVND8 million, contributing in revenueof VND2 trillion for the tourism industry.
The countrys coastal areas have lurednearly 70 percent of foreign visitors and
more than 50 percent of local tourists,accounting for nearly 70 percent of thegross income of the countrys tourism
industry.
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Flamboyant Island
to be an impressive
destination in Do Son
Model of the Flamboyant Island project - Hai Phong
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VIETNAMNEWS 5
Its the first time an artificial island has appeared in Vietnam. With its advantages in
location, terrain as well as exceptional value, the Hoa Phuong Island (the Flamboyant
Island) becomes the ideal space for living, relaxation and financial investment.
Located in Do Son - Hai Phong with the investment of Dasco Vietnam Group, the Flam-
boyant Island not only inherits brilliant and pretty scenery of Do Son but also creates its
own pure, unique and elegant beauty.
The Flamboyant Island has a total area of nearly 60 ha. Its designed into a luxuriousresort community with the first 5 star hotel in Hai Phong and about 150 villas for sale. The
Flamboyant Island is divided into 5 regions representing the 5 petals of the flamboyant
flower and the central region representing its pistil.
* Apollo Villa areaIf Apollo is a sound-mind, talent God of Light, Truth and Art, Apollo villa is a spacious,
luxurious and precise place. 56 villas are located on a land facing the sea in the front andpoetic mountainous view of Do Son behind. The lake and green park right in the center
of this area create one ideal living space for people keen on a peaceful landscape. Total
area: 47,910m2
* Poseidon villa areaPoseidon, the powerful God of the Sea, who quakes the earth. His power and capacity
dominate in every villa here. Locating along the main road with the width of 12m, this isthe most convenient villa area for the traffic. Nature is airy and romantic, clouds run end-
lessly. With a boundless beach, the lapping of the waves dissolving into a whisper of the
pine forest on the hill, 61 Poseidon villas are valuable gif ts for anyone that knows how toenjoy his life. Total area: 61,941 m2
* Helios villa areaHelios, God of the Sun, a powerful God using a metaphor to express potential power,
energy and brilliant values of Helios villa area. The Helios area is next to the 5-star hotel,
harbor, and seaplane landing place. Moreover, Helios has various natural beaches which
are built to serve residents in the Flamboyant Island. This is a large area with 50 of the
most luxurious and splendid villas. Some villas are facing the sea to welcome the gentle
breeze while others are looking towards the flower garden. Helios becomes an abso-lutely beautiful petal in the overall Flamboyant Island. Total area: 75.884 m2
* Eros area
Eros area includes villas for lease, a marina serving residents on the island, and recre-ation places such as: a club, sport house, large-scale swimming pool, medical aid station
and kindergarten. Nothing is more enjoyable than having our body served by perfect
caring service in fanciful light and scenery of the sea and sky in Do Son. Total area:63,475 m2
* Zeus five-star hotelZeus is the king of Gods; Zeus area concentrates every super-utility serving personal pur-
poses of the Flamboyant Island owner: harbor, Water Park, seaplane landing space, and
airport. Zeus hotel area is also the only place having gentle waves which are appropriatefor building a natural beach. Located beside the beach is a five-star hotel with 28 stories
in the shape of a sail filled with wind. The unique and modern structure of Zeus hotel is
the most outstanding point on the Flamboyant Island. Total area: 80,028 m2
* Trade centerCenter of the project is the pistil planned to be a trade center and food street having
modern two-storey architecture with a wavy Teflon (ETFE) roof. This is a recreation andshopping area for residents on the island or an ideal place for holding conferences.
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6
The Vietnam National Administration of Tour-
ism (VNAT) has invited tourism agents, hote-
liers to join a marketing program in Germany,
Belgium and France later this year.
According to VNAT, all international travel
companies and hotels from three-star stan-
dard and more can join the campaign that
will travel to some of Vietnams key targetmarkets. VNAT will promote Vietnam as a
destination in Germany and Belgium during
the Vietnam Culture Week there, and target
France during a French event for Overseas
Vietnamese.
Marketing activities in Berlin from 28-31Au-
gust will include exhibitions, a road show
and meetings with the tourism sector, media
and Overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs.
In Brussels, VNAT will organise a road showon 4 September then travel to France 8 -12
September.
VNAT said more than 2,9 million international
visitors had visited the country as of end-July,up 34.9% year-on-year. Nearly 1,85 million
came for travel, up 44.4% compared to the
same period last year. The top ten markets in
the January-July period included China with
511,800, up 95.4%, followed by South Korea,
Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Cambodia, Thai-land, France and Malaysia.
VNAT invites tourism industry
on Europe campaign
looking forward to extending our highlevel service to even more guests.
Other Vietnamese hotels also mentionedin the list include the Sunrise Beach Resort
Nha Trang, the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi,the Thanh Xuan Hotel in Hoi An City, the
Melia Hanoi, the Renaissance RiversideHotel Saigon, the New World Hotel Saigonand the Metropole Saigon Hotel.
According to the select list of Expedia
Insiders said the hotel Equatorial HCMChas been ranked among over 110,000 besthotel properties around the world. The list
recognised individual hotels that consis-tently deliver excellent services, a great
overall experiences and a notable value.
James Montenegro, General Manager ofEquatorial hotel said: We are pleased
that our efforts have been acknowledgedby Expedia travellers and we are
Hotel Equatorial HCMC
in top hotel list
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Saigon-Ham Tan Tourism Corporation(SHTC), a member of Saigon Invest
Group (SGI), held the second phaseceremony of Marriott - Ham Tan Court-yard Resort in Tan Binh commune of La
Gi, Binh Thuan province on 8 August 2010.The project is undertaken by Coma9 and
HBC as main contractors.
Saigon-Ham Tan Tourism Complex
Project, total area of 200 hectares, situ-ated on the new upgraded area from 1AHighway to Lai Gi, 150 km away from Ho
Chi Minh City. The total investment ofmore than VND3,000 billion (150 million)and will go into operation in 2012. This is
a complex including work items, com-mercial service, travel services, entertain-
ment, culture and sports resort villas toluxury resort development of advanced,
investment has created jobs, accelerateeconomic development of Binh Thuan andSouth Central regions.
As part of Saigon-Ham Tan TourismComplex Project, the Marriott Ham Tan
Courtyard project will be managed by
by Marriott International, Inc. The proj-
ect with over $150 million USD in capitalinvestment, including 200-room Courtyardwill be unique, consisting of a mix of
standard guest rooms in a series of low-rise buildings as well as semi-detached
bungalows located across the expansive
development. The project is expectedto be in business in 2012 as scheduled,contributing to Binh Thuan economic
development.
VIETNAMNEWS 7
Nha Trang gets go-ahead
to host Miss Earth 2010Le Xuan Than, Vice Chairman of Khanh
Hoa Province announced Deputy PrimeMinister Nguyen Thien Nhan had ap-
proved the proposal of the Khanh Hoa
Province Peoples Committee to host theMiss Earth 2010 in the coastal city of Nha
Trang.
Deputy PM Nhan asked the Provincial
Peoples Committee in co-ordination with
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism;the Ministry of Foreign Affair and other
concerned agencies to ensure security
during the event, contributing to promot-ing Vietnams image.
According to the plan, about 90 beautyqueens from around world would arrive in
Vietnam on 4 November. They will join in
charity and environmental protection pro-grams in three provinces before arriving
in Nha Trang on 20 November.
The contests final round is scheduled to
take place at Vinpearl Land Resort andSpa, Hon Tre Island on 4 December.
Construction on Second Phase of
Marriott - Ham Tan Courtyard Resort
Miss Earth 2007 - Vinpearl Land
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Come and experience
the new Mvenpick
Hotel Saigon
Come and experience
the new Mvenpick
Hotel Saigon
8
The Mvenpick Hotel Saigon Board is
excited to announce the opening of the
Mvenpick Hotel Saigon on 1st August
2010 after a complete renovation of all
guest rooms, public areas and restau-
rants. The hotel are proud to present
a hotel that has been completely trans-
formed, from the exterior of the build-
ing to the guest rooms, from the multi-
tude of food and beverage choices tothe enhanced level of service. A brand
new, modern look will welcome and
surprise from the moment you step into
the lobby.
Come and experience the new Mven-
pick Hotel Saigon and take advantage
of the various opening specials on
offer.
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VIETNAMNEWS 9
Guest Rooms
The guest rooms were designed with one goal in mind: Modern design withuncompromising comfort and quality!
To welcome our first guests, the hotel is offering a special introductory roomrate of VND 2,360,000++ inclusive of breakfast and free upgrade to our Ex-
ecutive Club. This exceptional offer is valid for all bookings from 1st
August toSeptember 30th.
IKI Japanese Restaurant
Without a doubt, the most hip and trendy Japanese restaurant in town. An en-
tirely new concept of fresh and affordable Japanese food. Experience IKI andreceive 50% off your current bill for your next visit! This promotion runs for theentire month of August. Dont wait and be one of the first to discover the new
benchmark for Japanese food in Ho Chi Minh City! You will be amazed howaffordable great Japanese food can be!
Lotus Court Chinese Restaurant
With the addition of a new Executive Chinese Master Chef, Lotus Court isdestined to rival the best Chinese restaurants in the city! A culinary journey
through the various facets of Chinese cuisine awaits our guests. If you preferthe traditional or more adventurous approach - Chef Ng has prepared a menuthat leaves no wish unanswered. Do try our Sunday Dim Sum brunch as well
and take a pick from a vast selection of Dim Sum prepared in our show kitchenin front of your eyes!
Cay Da Caf
The freshest bread, cakes and pastries plus an assortment of daily changing
sandwiches and pies. A great selection of the finest coffee and tea special-ties as well as funky fruit and herbal tea smoothies. Come and try our homemade ice cream and choose your favorite ice cream creation from our special
menu. All bakery and pastry items are freshly baked every day, so enjoy a 50%discount on all those items after 6.00p.m.
Get married and enjoy a honeymoon stay in Hanoi
Be one of the first couples to get married in our brand new hotel, the perfect
venue for any wedding and enjoy a free honeymoon trip to Hanoi. The Mven-
pick Hotel Saigon will provide the couple with air tickets, airport transfers and
a two night stay at the stylish Mvenpick Hotel Hanoi. This opening special isapplicable for all weddings confirmed from August 2010 to February 2011.
Mid Autumn Festival Moon Cakes
This year the Mvenpick Hotel Saigon will help you to convey the message
from your heart to your family, friends or colleagues via a vibrant assortmentof colours and flavours. Choose from six distinctive flavours, our moon cakes
come in boxes of four, priced at VND 488,000 net. Special discounts are avail-able on volume order.
Mvenpick Hotel Saigon
Add: 253 Nguyen Van Troi Str., Phu Nhuan Dist., HCMC
Phone:+ 84 8 3844 9222 Fax:+ 84 8 3844 9198
Email: hotel.saigon@moevenpick.com
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VIETNAMNEWS10
The organising boat for the Mui Ne Binh Thuan International Sailboat Festival 2010decided to put off the event until 8-11 December 2010 instead of 21-24 October 2010, said
the Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism on 5 August.
Ms. Le Thi Thanh Lien, Deputy Director of the Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sport
and Tourism said that the result of postponement is due to the provincial Peoples Com-mittee, concerned agencies and donors need more time to prepare for this event.
With the title of Sailboat, Sea and Sun, the Mui Ne Binh Thuan International SailboatFestival 2010 is expected to attract 20 sailboat teams and 20 sea beauties from Russia,Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, U.S, France, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Hong Kong,
China, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Finland, New Zealand, Argentina, Japan, Saudi Arabia,and the Republic of Korea.
International Sailboat
Festival 2010 postponeduntil last year
International Sailboat
Festival 2010 postponeduntil last year
Illustrated Picture
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Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City willbecome the first cities to launch a big sale
programme designed to encourage cus-tomers spending and shopping tourism.
Hanoi kicked off the Impressive VietnamGrand Sale 2010 yesterday, 11 August and
the central coast city of Da Nang on 19August while HCMC has announced theSpecial Sales Promotion programme will
begin with the Grand Sale Fair to openat the Phu Tho Gymnasium in District 10from August 31 through September 4.
The Vietnam National Administration of
Tourism (VNAT) plans to kick off the pro-gram this month as a part of the nationaltourism marketing campaign Vietnam
Your Destination.
At the request of VNAT, the Department
of Culture, Sports & Tourism and tradeindustry of the three cities would have toteam up to carry out the program. In two
months, local and international touristscould enjoy discounts of 10% to 40% at
shopping centers, supermarkets, and re-tail outlets among others in Hanoi, HCMCand Da Nang.
However, unlike similar big sale programsin neighboring countries like Thailand
and Singapore, promotional activitiesfor the event have remained insufficient.
Other incentives like visa fee exemp-tions for international travellers and VATrefunds have not been worked out.
VIETNAMNEWS 11
The 2010 Vietnam Japan Cultural Exchange
Days will take place in Hoi An from 21-23
August.
The annual event will begin at Hoi An Sculp-
ture Garden on 21 August, featuring a wide
range of cultural and sporting exchange
activities including a performance of Koto(a Japanese traditional musical instrument);
a tea ceremony; calligraphy; Japanese
traditional clothing (Kimono and Yukata) and
Japanese cooking classes.
Other cultural activities will be held such astraditional dance and musical instruments
shows, a dragon dance, a floating lantern
festival, a street exhibition of photographs
about festivals, culinary activities together
with many other sports exchange events in-
cluding cross-river boat race, stick-pushing,etc.
Several famous Japanese art troupes, in-
cluding Iwami Kagura royal dance troupe,
Daisuwa Taiko drum troupe and Sakai Cityslion dance troupe, will join the event.
The first Vietnam Japan Cultural Exchange
Days took place in Hoi An in 2003 and it has
become an annual event since then. The
event aims to strengthen Vietnam-Japanfriendship and cooperation as well as to
popularize the charms of Hoi An, a UNESCO
world cultural heritage site.
The eighth Vietnam - Japan
Cultural Exchange Days to be held
Major cities to begin
Grand Sale Programme
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12
Da Nang will issue new policies to encour-
age investors to invest in major tourism sites
including Ba Na Tourist Site, Son Tra Pen-
nisula, My Khe beach and Non Nuoc beach.
The local authorities also offered plans tofocus on tourist safety, investing in improv-
ing infrastructure, transportation and flight
schedules.
A travel promotion campaign via mass me-
dia, advertising and marketing will also takeplace locally and internationally this year.
The city will increase marketing activities
by publishing tourism brochures and main-
taining websites with travel information for
domestic and foreign tourists, tour organis-
ers and travel agencies.
As part of a media campaign, the authorities
will support local agencies to co-operate
with foreign partners in Japan, China and
Singapore to produce promotions and cre-
ate new tours.
A tourism programme between Da Nang
and neighbouring provinces of Quang Nam
and Thua Thien-Hue will be expanded.
In recent years, many international-standard
hotels have been built in Da Nang, including
4- and 5-star luxury resorts Furama, SandyBeach and eco-tourism resorts Ba Na and
Son Tra. Since 2001, Da Nang has reported
a 15 percent annual visitor growth. The city
expects to attract 1.4 million visitors this
year, including 350,000 foreigners, and earn
more than VND1 trillion (US$55 million)from tourism.
A large number of visitors have turned back
on domestic tours when airline ticket prices
are higher than to 30-35 percent since Viet-
nam Airlines halted the discounted airfares
which are offered previously from 1st July to
15th August.
According to travel agents at HCMC said
customers have switched to cheap tours ofCambodia, Thailand and Singapore which
have a range of interesting activities.
Tran The Dzung, Deputy Head of the Do-
mestic tourism promotion programme at
HCMC, said that the group sold airplane
tours for 2,089 visitors in July and 4,052 visi-
tors in June. Most of them booked tours in
May and June before the National Flag Car-
rier stopped offering discounted airfares.
Saigontourist said they sold Thailand tours
to 541 travellers and Cambodia tours toover 1,500 travellers in July, up to 15 percent
and 30 percent, respectively, compared to
June. Also, Viet Media Travel Corporation
received 60 overland visitors to Laos per
week, seeing a two-fold increase against
June.
According to Nguyen Manh Hung, Head
of the Heritage Department under the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism,said the Thang Long Royal Citadel will
open for tourism in middle of September
2010.After being recognised as a World
Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, currently,
the citadel has still closed for preserva-tion and conservation to open before the
celebration of 1,000 years of Thang Long
Hanoi.
Regarding UNESCOs proposals on the
continued excavation, Hung said that inthe celebration year of the 1,000th birth-
day, it is not suitable to excavate, and that
the exaction may continue in 2011. The
central part of the Thang Long Royal Cita-
del has an area of 18,395 square meters,
including the Hanoi ancient citadel andthe archaeological relics at No. 18 Hoang
Dieu. Professor Phan Huy Le compares it
to a living historical collection covering
all the history of Thang Long Hanoi with
many precious architectural features and
artifacts from the 7th century.
Domestic tour
numbers decrease
Da Nang boosts
investment in tourism industry
Thang Long Royal
Citadel to be open in
mid-September
Thang Long Royal
Citadel to be open in
mid-September
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Vietnam Culture to be shine in
Grand Celebration
Vietnam Culture to be shine in
Grand Celebration
Entrepreneurs join caravan
for Hanois great celebration
An art programme to mark 1,000 years of Thang Long Hanoi will benot only for artists but also attract the attendance of all walks of lifethroughout the capital city.
According to Dr. Luu Tran Tieu, President of the Vietnam Cultural Heri-
tage Association said in the past few days, the Thang Long Royal Citadel
has been recognised as a world cultural heritage by UNESCOs World
Heritage Committee; Giong Saint Festival has also been submitted to
UNESCO for its recognition.
Pham Quang Long, Director of the citys Department of Culture, Sport
and Tourism said the department is preparing art activities for ten-day
giant celebration. Specifically, a live show with the title Dem huyen ao
Ho Guom (The fanciful night of Sword Lake) was held in Hanoi and nine
other provinces and cities throughout the country as well 16 foreign cities,
where Vietnamese overseas live in, will broadcast the Vietnam Television
channel on the evening of 10 October.
At 6 a.m. on 10 October, all bells and drums in pagodas, churches and
schools will beat as a signal of the great days beginning. Also, a solemn
ceremony, a national parade and a cultural festival will take place at My
Dinh National Stadium.
The Grand Celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long Hanoi
will set a record for the greatest number of artists to join any single event
in Vietnamese history.
30 foreign art troupes from Italy, France, the US, Spain, Hungary, Germany,
Denmark, Singapore, the UK, Korea, China, Rumania, Russia and more
have registered to take part in various activities such as fine arts perfor-
mances, food fairs, exhibitions, trade promotion activities and others.
Apart from local people, many foreign individuals and organizations have
provided material and spiritual support for the Grand Celebration.
Young Vietnamese entrepreneurs will join a car-
avan named Thang Long Millennial - Cultural
Journey on 4 October to mark the 1,000th an-
niversary of Thang Long - Hanoi.
The businessmen will drive themselves from HoChi Minh City to provinces of the Central High-
lands and the central coastal region and then
stopping in Hanoi. They will also hold meetings
and forums to promote trade and investment at
each locality.
The mission will participate in practical actions
to contribute to environmental protection and in
co-ordination with 1,000 outstanding business-
men to attend a live dialogue with the Prime
Minister and the Open Asian Entrepreneurship
Forum in Vietnam during the event.
The event will be jointly held by Nam Phuong
Tourist Company, Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs
Association and Young Entrepreneurs Associa-
tions in Ho Chi Minh City as well as other prov-
inces and cities.
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1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoidays to come
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Plantingflag
onFansipan
peakto
markHanoismillennium
Hanoi Expo 2010 to marks millennial anniversary
T he tourism sector will planta flag on the nations Fan-sipan peak, the highest moun-tain in the northern province ofLao Cai to welcome the capitalcitys millennium birthday.
According to Mai Tien Dzung,Deputy Director of HanoisCulture, Sport and TourismDepartment, said a group of 85
people working in tourist sec-tor will set out on their climbup the 3,143-m mountain onOctober 26.
This is a joint activity betweenthe municipal Department ofCulture, Sport and Tourism andthe Vietnam National Adminis-tration of Tourism to welcomeThang Long-Hanoi 1,000thbirthday and the 2010 NationalTourism Year.
A big international fair will take placefrom 30 August to 5 September at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centreas a part of activities celebrating the1000th anniversary of Thang Long -Hanoi.The two-part fair will cover 20,000m2with about 750 booths representing
300 domestic and foreign business-es in area of agriculture, construc-tion, trade and technology.Section A1 will depict Hanois socio-economic achievements and poten-tial through many pictures, docu-ments, charts and artifacts. Thissection will also have 30 pavilionsintroducing the land, people, cultureand potential for economics, invest-ment, trade and tourism of countriessuch as France, India, South Africa,Denmark, Chile and Cuba.Meanwhile, Section D will be re-served exclusively for agriculturalproducts, methods and technology.This section is expected to createfavourable conditions for agricultur-al businesses to seek opportunitiesfor trade and market expansion.
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Useful tourism information when visiting Vietnam
Vietnam is an attractive destination for tourists with a beautiful natural landscape, and a unique culture and cuisine.Most visitors to Vietnam will need a valid visa to enter the country, though citizens of a few countries are eligible for a visa onarrival. A tourist visa is valid for about 30 days, depending on each specific case.Customs procedures in Vietnam are quick and simple. To enter and exit Vietnam, visitors are required to fill out an arrival - departurecard (available in Vietnamese and English).Passengers also must make customs declarations in the following cases: bringing an amount of goods exceeding the duty-free limit,unaccompanied luggage, temporarily imported and re-exported or temporarily exported and re-imported professional tools, habit-forming drugs, medication worth over 30 USD, cash of over 7,000 USD or the equivalent in other foreign currencies of over 15 millionVND in Vietnamese currency. Goods forbidden for import and export are also included.Visitors can take taxis, motorbikes from the airport to downtown. They may also go by bus in major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi MinhCity.
In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese. Almost all tour guides can speak English, French, Russian, Japanese or Chinese.Entering Vietnam, tourists should use Vietnamese dong (VND) for payment in daily transactions.Travellers cheques and credit cards can be exchanged into Vietnamese dong at banks and at major hotels and restaurants.Foreign currencies can be changed into Vietnamese dong and cheques at banks and foreign exchange counters. Banks are openfrom 7:30 or 8:00 am to 15:30 pm and closed on Saturdays and Sundays.The forex rate changes everyday. When leaving Vietnam, visitors can change Vietnamese dong into foreign currency at forex coun-ters at airports.
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days to come 1,000 years of Thang Long - Hanoi
Things to keep in mind when visiting Vietnam
- Do not drink water directly from the tap, especially after flooding.- Avoiding using xich lo (pedicab) services in the evening.- Wear tidy and suitable clothes when visiting local houses, temples and pagodas.
- Do not take along valuable things when going out at night or swimming in the sea.- Do not give money to ethnic minority people directly. Instead, send a donation to a local charitablefund or present them a small gift such as a pen.- Ask permission before taking photos, particularly in remote areas.
Things not to miss
- A tour of Hanois old quarter.- An overnight stay on Ha Long Bay
- A boat trip on the Huong River in Hue, visiting imperial tombs- Sleeping in guest-house amid riverside gardens in the Mekong delta.- A xich lo ride to view the colonial French-architecture quarter in Ho Chi Minh City.- Ordering tailor-made clothes at a local tailor shop.- Enjoying traditional Pho rice (noodle soup).- Watching a traditional water puppet show in Hanoi.- Attending the mid-lunar month festival in Hoi An ancient town.- Drink can wine (sipped from a jar through long straws).
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20
Travellers wanting to catch some
rays in China should head to
Fuzhou, in the province of Fujian.
The southeastern city has been
named as Chinas hottest city over
the past decade, according to a
list compiled by Song Yingjie, a
weatherman with China Central TV.
Fuzhou recorded a total of 375 days
of temperatures in excess of 35C
during the 10-year period, ahead
of Hangzhou (355 days), Chongq-
ing (343) and Changsha (326).
Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing and
Hangzhou are often referred to as
the Four Stoves or Chinas hottest
cities.
Hotels in Hong Kong experienced a 54.6% rise in revenue per
available room (revPAR) in June 2010, while Beijings hotelssurged 41.2%. These are the findings of the latest citywide data
reports from STR Global, provided exclusively to TDA. Last
month, five of the seven studied markets recorded double-digit
year-on-year revPAR rises, with Singapore also experiencing
a major increase, climbing 50.6% year-on-year. Only Bangkok,
still feeling the effects of the political protests, and Dubai sawdeclining revPAR.
The cumulative figures for the first half of 2010 saw most markets
rebound strongly from the troubles of 2009. Beijing (+35.7%),
Hong Kong (+37.7%), Singapore (+39.9%), Sydney (+41.9%)
and Tokyo (+18.7%) all saw significant revPAR rises, whenmeasured in US dollars. Despite its recent troubles, Bangkoks
strong start to the year allowed half-year revPAR to grow, albeit
marginally.
A new Hilton hotel is opening in Shanghais Hongqiao area,
which is regaining importance since the upgraded Hongqiao
Airport recommenced serving international flights.The 682-room Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao will start up in mid-
September in the Minhang district, just 15 minutes from the
airport. The location will also prove attractive to travellers
with business in the newly developed Hongqiao Development
Zone.
The three-tower hotel is close to metro lines and upscale shop-
ping malls in a neighbourhood long preferred by expatriates.
It is also just across the road from the nine-hole Hongqiao golf
course.
In the four room categories available, the 335 Standard and 221
Deluxe rooms are a minimum of 46sqm while the 73 Executiverooms are a spacious 59sqm and the 53 suites range between
79sqm to 238sqm. All rooms offer high speed internet access
and Wi-Fi, 42-inch LCD televisions, rain showers and Crabtree
and Evelyn bathroom amenities, as well as tea- and coffee-
making facilities.
Executive-room guests in Tower 3 have access to the executive
lounge with complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments and
free Wi-Fi and booking of the lounges conference room for
two hours a day, free pressing of one garment per stay and use
of the gym, pool and spa facilities among others.
The hotel offers a ballroom measuring 1,706sqm, plus six well-
equipped meeting rooms and a boardroom. Six F&B outlets in-
clude the all-day dining Essence, the Cantonese Yue Xuan, thewestern MED Grill, the lobby lounge Pulse, a Deli and Vine, a
wine bar with a well-stocked cellar and tasty snacks.
Chinese energy consumption, per
unit of GDP rose 0.1% year-on-year
in the first half of the year, the Na-
tional Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has
said. China cut energy use per unit
of GDP 14.4% between 2006 and
2009, and aims to reduce it by 20%
between 2005 and 2010.
The Chifeng Musuem in Chinas
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
is due to open on 8 August, when
it will become Chinas largest
permanent exhibition of the ancient
Hongshan culture. Xinhua reports
that the attraction, which has been
under construction for three years,
will display artifacts and informa-
tion from the aboriginal culture that
existed in northern China about
6,000 years ago.
Goa tourism sees Japanese Bud-
dhists as a travel market with strong
potential. With their strong
Buddhist beliefs, local authorities
believe that Indias Buddhist roots
and ancient sites could help bring
Japanese pilgrims to Goa, reports
the Times of India. According to the
states Tourism Director Swapnil
Naik, a Buddhism circuit is already
in place and representatives will
be sent to a travel fair in Japan to
promote the concept.
Fuzhou named Chinas
hottest city
Chinese energy
consumption climbs
Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao
opens in mid September
Chinese museum dis-
plays ancient culture
Goa eyes Japanese
tourists
Singapore, China hotels
lead recovery in June
Singapore, China hotels
lead recovery in June
View from Hilton Barbados Hotel
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore
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INTERNATIONALNEWSINTERNATIONALNEWS 21
The Asia Fitness Convention 2010 (AFC2010), which is being organized for the
second consecutive year at CentaraGrands Bangkok Convention Centre @Central World, is aiming to attract over
700 fitness and health professionals andenthusiasts from the Asia Pacific regionfrom 17 - 19 September, 2010.
With the theme of Raising the Bar, the or-ganizers of this years event are bringing
in 40% more world-class presenters andproviding more workshop and sessions
than last year. Some of the worlds lead-ing fitness experts coming to share theirlatest exercise techniques, regimes and
nutrition programs include Fabio Comana,Steve Cotter, Carrie Ekins, Joe Friel, Jen-nifer Galardi, Fraser Quelch, Jim Stoppani,
Peter Twist and Tim Ziegenfuss.
This year, as the fitness and health
industry is growing so fast in Asia, wehave also included sessions on how to
manage fitness clubs, how to attract andretain members and sustain profitability.These sessions will be led by Paul Brown,
CEO and creator of the Face2Face Reten-tion System, and Tracy Minnoch-Nuku,
SEA Director of Les Mills Asia Pacific,from Australia, said Dr. Suzanne Hosley,Managing Director of Fitness Innovations
(Thailand) Ltd., on behalf of the eventorganizers.
Running in conjunction with the AFC 2010
will be a Fitness Exhibition, which will of-fer fitness and health-related products and
services at considerable discount to notonly the delegates of the convention, but
also to members of the health-consciousgeneral public.
Confirmed exhibitors so far includeAdidas, Alkem Pte Ltd., American Coun-cil on Exercise (ACE), Central Trading
Co. Ltd., COB Group Co., Ltd., JohnsonHealth Tech (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Les
Mills Asia Pacific, Nshactive, Oasis Hong
Kong, Sportathlon (Thailand) Ltd., STOTTPilates, Sun Sport Marketing Co., Ltd and
Wellnex to name but a few.
Open from 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. daily,
the exhibition will command part of themain hall on the 22nd floor of the Centara
Grands Bangkok Convention Centre.Various free exercise demonstrations willtake place 3 times a day from 10:00 11:00
a.m., 12:00 1:00 p.m. and from 3:00 4:00p.m.
The AFC 2010 will also have pre and post
convention sessions in Kettlebell certifica-tion, yoga teacher training, group exercise
choreography development, personaltraining, business management, triathlon
training and a number of other topics. Apost-convention Beach Party is also beingplanned to take place at the Pullman Pat-
taya Aisawan during 20 - 22 September.
Last year, the Convention was attended by
over 500 fitness, health and sports profes-sionals and enthusiasts from countries
around the Asia region as well as from
Australia, USA, Qatar, UAE and Bahrain,and generated an approximate revenue of
Baht 100 million for Thailand.
Asia Fitness Convention 2010
to be held in Bangkok
Asia Fitness Convention 2010
to be held in Bangkok
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22
Artists from across Fiji are saying
bula to brushstrokes and trading
their kava for carving tools in prepa-
ration for ART ON THE ISLAND V setto take place at the Sofitel Fiji Resort& Spa in October 2010.
One of the biggest events on Fijis
cultural calendar, ART ON THE
ISLAND V is a celebration of Fijisartistic talent, presented by local arts
charity CreatiVITI in association with
Sofitel Luxury Hotels.
A gala event to launch the eight-day
exhibition at the Sofitel Fiji Resort &Spa will take place on Friday the 1st
of October. Tickets to the gala launchare F$20 per person. The visual and
heritage arts event, which includes
craft markets, will be open for Sofitel
guests and the public to enjoy untilSaturday the 9th of October 2010.
ART ON THE ISLAND V spokes-
person and CreatiVITI Secretary
Maria Rova says, Our mission is
to develop arts and crafts in Fijithrough training, promotion and the
enjoyment of creative expression
in a setting accessible to the whole
community.
Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa has always
been very supportive of the arts
community in Fiji, and this upcom-
ing exhibition a great way for us to
further showcase Fijis emerging art
talent to the world.
A celebrated artist in her own right,
Maria Rovas work is on permanentdisplay at the Sofitel.
Other Fijian artists who will show-
case their work at the hotel as part of
the exhibition include local painter
Joe Bilbu, and drawings by Lautokaartist Apimeleki Vakarau, a quad-
riplegic (victim of a rugby accident)
and talented artist who draws while
lying on a mattress on the floor, using
ink pen on bark cloth. Previously
commissioned by Sofitel to createartworks for display in guest rooms,
Apis minute pen strokes reflect thevery limited movement he has left in
his arms and hands, making him an
inspiration in person and on paper.
General Manager Adam Laker says,
Maria Rova and Apimeleki Vakarau
are two of many local artists featured
on walls in public spaces and in
guest rooms at the Sofitel.
Maria was one of the first artists we
supported when we launched the
resort in 2006, and indeed her colour
and creativity is still one of the first
things our guests see when theycheck in, with a huge Rova original
on display directly behind our recep-
tion desk to greet visitors on arrival.
In addition we have many other
local artists work on display in each
and every guest room at the hotel.
For Sofitel its a simple yet important
way for us to support the local artscommunity and ensure that Fijianculture permeates the hotel and
inspires our visitors each and every
day.
CreatiVITI is a membership-basedorganisation representing artists
from across Fiji and home to Fijis
only pottery production studio, with
showroom, mini-gallery and a crafts
garden hosting demonstrations and
classes.
The organisation specialises incustom ceramic commissions and
promoting local artists paintings,
pottery, drawings, sculpture, handi-
crafts, pottery classes CreatiVITIalso runs kids craft activities, , sea-
sonal craft markets in addition to its
annual art competition.
As Denaraus most sophisticated in-
ternational resort, the Sofitel blendstraditional French influences that are
the hallmark of the Sofitel Luxury
Hotels brand with more exotic Fijian
charms to offer a choice of modern
facilities that extend to a MandaraDay Spa retreat, the worlds first Pure
Fiji concept store, the Turtle Club for
kids, plus an impressive line up of
award winning restaurants, bars and
new sidewalk caf Parisienne.
Sofitel Fiji announces
fifth arts festival
Sofitel Fiji announces
fifth arts festival
The upcom-
ing Art in
the Island V
exhibition is a
great way for
us to further
showcase
Fijis emerging
art talent to
the world,said Maria
Rova, Art on
the Islad V
spokesperson
and CreatiVITI
Secretary.
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23INTERNATIONALNEWS
Hotels.com has selected its top 10 hotels with the best views, with
Asian properties featuring prominently. Asia Pacific properties took
seven of the 10 slots, with the new Marina Bay Sands hotel a notable
inclusion. Kempinskis Commune by the Great Wall and the Oberoi
Amarvillas, Agra, which overlooks the Taj Mahal, also featured. The
full Hotels.com list is as follows:- Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
- The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Camps Bay, Cape Town, South
Africa
- Four Seasons, Hong Kong
- The Oberoi Amarvillas, Agra, India
- Qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia- Blanket Bay Lodge, Glenorchy, New Zealand
- Four Seasons Golden Triangle, Thailand
- Il San Pietro di Positano, Positano, Italy
- Commune by The Great Wall, China
- Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge
Australians are arriving in Japan in increasing numbers. Com-
pared to June 2009, Australian arrivals in Japan were up 26.8percent in June 2010, according to a preliminary report by theJapan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).
For the first six months of 2010, cumulative Australian visitor ar-
rivals totaled 117,200 - up 14 percent on 2009 figures.
Australia represents Japans sixth major inbound tourism market
behind South Korea, China, Taiwan, USA and Hong Kong.
The increase in Australian arrivals is mostly due to the increasein flights to Japan, special sale airfares, the Visit Japan Year2010marketing campaign which ran until March 2010, and con-
tinued consumer confidence, the report cited.
Japan is proving attractive to all of its 14 major inbound markets,
recording increases on 2009 figures across the board. Cumula-tive visitor arrivals from all markets were up 35.8 percent on 2009figures.
The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has set its annual international
visitor arrivals target at 10 million in 2010, 15 million by 2013, 20million by 2016, 25 million by 2019, and 30 million in the years
beyond.
Asian hotels offer
best rooms with a view
Japan increasingly
attractive to Australians
Japan increasingly
attractive to Australians
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS 25
India has now seen the opening of its first Aloft hotel, which is a brandowned and operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Thenew Aloft Chennai OMR-IT Expressway property is also the 42nd prop-
erty to open in the world for this brand. It has 130 rooms and accessibletechnology.
The Aloft Chennai, OMR - IT Expressway, is situated on the Old Mahaba-
lipuram Road (OMR), a place known for its abundance of IT companies,capitalising on one of Indias fastest-growing and most important indus-tries.
Each of Chennais loft-style rooms will include design-led features suchas high ceilings, Alofts signature bed and walk-in showers, as well as
free wifi and large high-definition TVs that link to most common electronicdevices.
But hot on Chennais heels is the 170-room Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield,due to open in less than a weeks time and already taking bookings forstays starting September 9. Like Chennai, the Bengaluru property is situ-
ated in an IT-industry hotspot.
One more Aloft is due to open before the year is out the Aloft Coim-
batore Singanallur which launches 1 December. The Aloft Ahmedabad,SG Road, and Aloft Chandigarh Zirakpur will open next year, while the
Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park is slated to open in 2012.
Aloft, with its 40-strong portfolio, has pursued a rapid expansion since its
US debut in June 2008, having gone global within its first 15 months. Star-wood recently announced its first London property and second in Europe,the Aloft London Excel, due open in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.
The first Middle Eastern Aloft opened in Abu Dhabi in October last year
while Europes first property, the Aloft Brussels, is due to launch 1 Sep-
tember this year.
Aloft hotels
debut in India
Aloft hotels
debut in India
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The Singapore Tourism Board (STB)launched in Thailand its new destina-
tion brand YourSingapore. An evolu-tion of the Uniquely Singapore brand,YourSingapore underpins Singapores
strengths as a destination that offers anexperience which can be easily person-
alised by the visitor, thanks to its concen-
tration of sights, sounds, tastes, cultureand attractions coupled with unparalleled
user-centricity.
As a brand, YourSingapore articulates Sin-
gapores uniqueness and captures whattravellers seek a personal travel experi-
ence. Visitors can look forward to an emo-
tional reward of empowerment campaignwebsite facilitates sharing of experiencesamong travellers and local residents alike,
and will be powered by up-to-date multi-media content about all things Singapore.
The websitewww.yoursingapore.com willdeliver a new virtual experience that noother destination website currently offers.
In the past few years, the way that peopleplan and book travel has fundamentallyshifted from passive content consumption
to the active engagement of empoweredindividuals, primarily due to the domi-nance of digital and social media. Video-
on-demand, online news, blogs andwebsites that enable social interaction
have changed the way that travellers seekand obtain information. YourSingapore isa response to the pervasive influence of
digital media and the rise of virtual com-munities, as well as consumer demandsfor personalised travel plans.
Singapore welcomed 318,000 Thai visitors
who spent S$501 million in 2009, mak-ing Thailand the 10th largest sourcemarket of visitors to the city state. In the
first six months of 2010, close to 200,000Thais have visited Singapore, which is anincrease of 27% over the same period in
2009.
STB launches
YourSingapore in Thailand
26
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Business EventsSydney expands
China presence
Business EventsSydney expands
China presence
Business Events Sydney (BESydney) is expand-ing its sales and marketing reach in China with
the opening of a new office in Shanghai. Ms ShuPing Chen has been appointed as Business De-
velopment Manager to be based in Shanghai.Asia is a key growth area for us especiallyChina, where we have seen strong interest in
Sydney for outbound corporate incentive groups.We are delighted that Shu Ping has joined us,said BESydney Chief Executive Officer, Jon
Hutchison.
BESydney works closely with the New SouthWales (NSW) government to align prioritiesand collaborate on winning business events
for Sydney. Business development efforts arefocused primarily on core segments; finance and
insurance services, information communicationtechnology (ICT), pharmaceutical, manufactur-ing and direct selling sectors.
Shu Ping boasts an impressive background, withover 10 years working in the tourism industry.
She has strong knowledge of the Australiantourism product from her past roles, where shehas attained the Aussie Specialist Certification
awarded by Tourism Australia.
Reporting to Sinead Yeo, Business Development
Director Asia, Shu Ping will be responsible for
developing relationships with key corporateclients from the priority sectors.
Her most recent position was as Business Devel-
opment Manager with Experience Tours Austra-lia, a division of the Australian Outbound Travel(AOT) group, where she was responsible for the
markets of Singapore and Vietnam.
Since opening the BESydney office in HongKong in 2003, we have confirmed an estimated$373 million worth of business from Asia for Syd-
ney, of which 77% originates from China. said
Hutchison.
BESydney secured 69 business events in2009/10, a significant increase from the previousrecord of 47 wins in 2002/3. These events will
deliver an estimated $179 million to the NSWeconomy.
27
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AVIATIONNEWS 29
Passengers flying THAI Airways
should remember to hold onto
their boarding passes.
By showing their boarding pass-
es to the customer relations staff
of popular Bangkok malls, Siam
Paragon, Siam Center, The Em-
porium and Siam Discovery, they
can receive The Pride of Thai
card which offers five to 10 per-
cent discounts in the establish-
ments as well as up to 70 percent
reductions in big department
stores. First and Business class
clients even enjoy the services
of a personal stylist and premium
giveaways at Siam Paragon and
The Emporium.
Special promotions are also avail-
able at Siam Ocean World, Para-
gon Cineplex, Big Loft, Mob.F,
Coffee Bean by Dao, Asia Books
and Laser Definition.
The campaign runs until April 30,
2011.
The initiative is part of THAIs
World@THAI programme, aimed
at boosting tourism, in partner-
ship with a variety of commercial
establishments.
Tiger Airways has reported strong passenger volumes and loadfactors for July 2010.From August 2009 to July 2010, a total of 5.4 million passengerschose to fly with Tiger Airways, an increase of 51% over the 3.6million passengers who booked in the preceding 12 months. Av-
erage load factor for the 12-month period to July 2010 was at 86%,an increase of 5 percentage points year-on-year.The number of passengers in July 2010 grew 42% over last year to523,000. The average load factor across both airlines in Asia andAustralia for the month was a very strong 89%.Externally, the robust economic performance and outlook in theAsia Pacific has significantly boosted demand for air services, es-
pecially on the routes operated by Tiger Airways. In addition, ourrecently increased frequencies and new routes to points in Chinaare seeing very high demand, said Tony Davis, President andGroup CEO of Tiger Airways Holdings. We are capitalising onthe ongoing strength in economic growth and visitor arrivals in
Singapore by growing our business with the largest increase inTiger Airways Singapores network since its inception. New ser-vices are being introduced to Taipei, Trichy and Trivandrum, andfrequencies are being increased on existing services to China including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Weare also increasing services in Australia with the commencementof services from Avalon Airport in November.
THAI passengers entitled
to shopping discounts
Tiger Airways Reports Strong passenger
volumes for July 2010
AirAsia X will launch daily direct flights between Kuala Lumpur
and Seoul from 1 November 2010.
Flights depart from Kuala Lumpur International Airport for the six-
hour journey to Seoul, arriving at Incheon International Airport.
Return flights depart Seoul and arrive in Kuala Lumpur next day.
An Airbus A330 aircraft feature premium flat-bed seats in Busi-
ness class.
KLIA-Seoul Incheon is AirAsia Xs 11th international route. It also
flies to Australia, India, Taiwan, China and London.
AirAsia X offers
Kuala Lumpur-Seoul air route
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30
Qantas has identified China as a potential base for
its passenger and freight operations to Europe, it
has been reported.
China offers a huge opportunity for us, Qantas
CEO, Alan Joyce said in a Herald report.We wouldlove to hub out of China into Europe.
Though Qantas has been approved air rights by
Chinese authorities, it is still waiting on approval
from European regulators.
However, Mr Joyces enthusiasm was tempered by
the airlines tumultuous history with China. The air-
line lost a lot of money during the global financial
crisis, conceded Mr Joyce, having to cancel flights
between Shanghai and Sydney in 2001 and unable
to reintroduce them for another four years.
In January, Qantas budget offshoot Jetstar chose
Singapore as its main hub in Asia, over Ho Chi
Minh City or Bangkok. The low fare airline is look-
ing to fly to Athens and Rome with new Boeing 747aircraft, the first of which are due to arrive in 2012.
Singapore is a focus for us but eventually, if our
pan-Asian strategy works, you could see the Jetstar
and Qantas operations based in a number of cities
in Asia, Mr Joyce said. Jetstar will eventually have
multiple hubs in Asia.
Qantas eyes China as hub for Europe
Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds (THAI) Techni-
cal Department and Societe Concessionaire De LAeroport (SCA), the
airport operator of Cambodia, signed a four-year extension contract for
aircraft maintenance services at Phnom Penh International Airport and
Siem Reap International Airport. This is an extension of the previous
agreement made in 2004 for handling such airlines as Asiana Airlines,China Airlines, Korean Airlines, and Silk Air.
At the signing ceremony in Phnom Penh, Captain Montree Jumrieng,
Managing Director of THAI Technical Department, announced, THAIs
Technical Department was honored to have been awarded the con-
tract extension for Technical Handling Services of airlines operating at
these two airports. The SCA and THAIs Technical Department have
enjoyed a long standing cooperation. THAIs Technical Department is
determined to maintain the good reputation it has built with proven reli-
ability, by following the IATA Standard Ground Handling Agreement.
This agreement, said Mr. Nicolas Deviller, CEO of SCA, will en-
hance our airports services for carriers serving medium range des-tinations and, in the future, the prospected companies with long haul
flights. Aircraft maintenance, which requires high level of expertise, is
a major driving force for the development of the Kingdons internation-
al airports and partnering with Thai Airways International, a reputable
airline, is definitely a plus.
THAI extends maintenance contract in CambodiaTHAI extends maintenance contract in Cambodia
NOi dung: Qantas coi China nhu
trung tam du lich cua cac nc Chau
Au
Hinh anh: Qantas
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AVIATIONNEWS 31
Japan Airlines and Vietnam Airlines are to expand the scope of their
bilateral agreement from 1 October 2010, to again offer VN-operated
codeshare flights between Nagoya (Chubu) and Ho Chi Minh, as well
as between Tokyo (Narita) and Hanoi.
Vietnam is one of few countries that have successfully maintained a
high economic growth. Complemented with a rich and captivating cul-
ture, its cities remain key destinations in South East Asia that attract
many foreign business and leisure travelers.
From 1 October 2010, JAL and VN will be able to collectively offer code-
share flights on 8 routes that effectively connect vital gateways in Japan
- Tokyo (Narita), Osaka (Kansai), Nagoya (Chubu) and Fukuoka, with
both Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.
Vietnam and Japan Airlines to Expand Codeshare
THAI Airways and Tiger Airways are forming a new low-cost
carrier - Thai Tiger. Thai Airways will own 51 percent of the
new airline, while Tiger Airways will hold 49 percent.
Thai Tiger plans to start up domestic and international servic-es in January 2011, pending regulatory approvals, but has yet
to announce its routes. It will fly out of Suvarnabhumi Inter-
national Airport, offering short-haul, point-to-point services
within a five-hour flying radius. Airbus A320s will be used on
the flights.
Although based in Bangkok, Thai Tiger will not operate routes
that may overlap with those provided by THAI.
Key officials of both airlines lauded the joint venture. Piyas-
vasti Amranand, THAI president, said: We believe that this
move will provide revenue opportunities for THAI and allow
THAI to be more competitive in the region with the antici-
pated growth in the low cost market.
Tony Davis, Tiger Airways group president, said that from
Thailand, the new airline would be well positioned to offer
low fares to even more parts of the Asia-Pacific region in-
cluding destinations in North Asia and the Indian sub con-
tinent. Spreading our paw-print means greater economies
of scale for Tiger Airways which in turn enables us to lower
costs and fares even further.
THAI and Tiger Airways form low-cost carrier
Illustrated picture
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AVIATIONNEWS 33
More than 17.9 million air travellers from over 100 different nationalities took part in
the 10 month survey, between July 2009 and April 2010. These Passengers Choice
awards are respected and recognised around the world for being the only truly global,
independent passenger survey of airline standards. Established in 1999, the Skytrax
survey and awards apply an unmatched level of integrity and transparency that is un-
matched.
Commenting on the Airline of the Year 2010 award received by Asiana Airlines, Ed-
ward Plaisted of Skytrax said: this is a fantastic achievement for Asiana Airlines to
be named winner of this top Airline of the Year Award, and Asiana Airlines are clearly
meeting and exceeding their customers expectations. This award represents a true
recognition of the front-line product and service that Asiana Airlines is delivering to its
customers, and being the Passengers Choice awards underlines the fact that Asiana
Airlines are succeeding in satisfying the hardest critics - their users.
Asiana Airlines President and CEO, Mr Young-Doo Yoon, said : We would like to ex-press our most heartfelt appreciation to our customers who voted us for Skytrax 2010
Airline of the Year Award. Asiana Airlines is extremely honored to be recognized as
the worlds top airline by our customers and to be awarded our industrys highly es-
teemed accolade from Skytrax. To be the winner of the 2010 Airline of the Year Award is
even more special and holds greater meaning, as it is The Passengers Choice.
1. Asiana Airlines
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Qatar Airways
4. Cathay Pacific
5. Air New Zealand
6. Etihad Airways7. Qantas Airways
8. Emirates
9. Thai Airways
10. Malaysia Airlines
The top 10 places in the Airline of the Year were:
Asiana Airlines named
Airline of the Year
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Vietnam Air is looking to
board 12 million passen-
gers over its domestic
and international flights
in 2010, after the carrier
became a full member ofthe global airline alliance
Skyteam.
The figure was released
at a function for other
Skyteam member airlines
to welcome membership
of Vietnams national car-
rier, held in Ho Chi Minh
City on Thursday 5 Au-
gust, Viet Nam Business
News reported.
2010 is an important year
for Vietnam Airlines as
the airline is expandingfast in terms of network
coverage and transport
capacity, Deputy General
Director of Vietnam Air,
Duong Tri Thanh said.
We currently have 68
aircraft and our number
of passengers will sur-
pass 11 million and prob-
ably reach 12 million this
year.
Should the carrier reach
the target, it will be a sig-
nificant increase on the9.34 million that it hosted
in 2009.
For Skyteam, the inclusion
of Vietnam Air marks a
major step for the alliance
and signals clear intent to
gain a firmer foothold in
the Asian market.
By welcoming its first
member in Southeast Asia,
the alliance significantly
strengthens its network
in Vietnam and in the re-
gion, Country Managerof Air France in Vietnam,
Thierry Beragnes said.
Last year, Vietnam Air
posted revenue of over
VND24.6 trillion, includ-
ing VND150 billion in pre-
tax profits
Cathay Pacific (CX) customers
can now make changes to their
online bookings without having
to go through reservation of-
fices or travel agents.
The new service enables them
to change or re-issue their
tickets on CXs website, www.
cathaypacific.com through its
Calendar Display feature. It al-
lows them to choose alterna-
tive flights or travel dates and
applies to all e-tickets, whether
unused or partially flown.
It also covers all flights, whether
inbound or outbound, one-way
or round trip, as well as those in-
volving interline partners. Nor-
mal ticketing rules and Terms &
Conditions still apply.
To access the booking change
facility, passengers need to
click on the websites Manage
My Booking function, and then
click on the Change Booking
icon. Features include ticket eli-
gibility checking, calendar dis-
play, re-pricing function, offers
for tickets in other far groups
and ability to reissue e-tickets.
This online facility was first
launched in the US, and will be
rolled out next in Singapore,Australia, New Zealand, the UK
and Europe, and by year-end, in
Hongkong. It will be available
in all CX markets by the second
quarter of 2011.
Vietnam Airlines aims for 12 million passengers in 2010
CathayPacificallowsonlinere-booking
s
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Polands LOT Airlines has announced its plan to make its
maiden passenger flight from Warsaw to Hanoi in Novem-
ber this year, offering passengers more air connections be-
tween Europe and Vietnam in the winter schedule.
The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) con-
firmed that the Polish carrier had been granted the traffic
right to fly on the Warsaw-Hanoi route on Mondays, Wednes-
days and Saturdays from 13 November.
LOT Airlines has loaded fares for the Warsaw-Hanoi service
on www.lot.com, with the return fare starting from 2,450 Pol-
ish zloty, or equivalent to US$800. The carrier said on this
website that tickets to Hanoi were also available for pur-
chase at ticketing offices and sales agents.
LOT Airlines, a member of STAR as the worlds biggest air-
line alliance, will operate its Boeing B767-300 aircraft for the
Warsaw-Hanoi service.
The route to Vietnams capital city of Hanoi is one of LOTs
10 new routes to be opened this year. With this route, LOT
will join the list of carriers operating non-stop flights be-tween Vietnam and Europe.
Currently, Vietnam Airlines has direct services from Hanoi
and HCMC to Germanys Frankfurt and Frances Paris and
vice versa. Air France now conducts flights between Paris
and Vietnam via Thailands Bangkok, but is planning non-
stop services to Vietnam.
Thierry Beragnes, country manager of Air France in Viet-
nam, told that the European carriers schedule to operate
non-stop flights between Paris and this emerging market
later this year.
Other foreign airlines including Lufthansa, Qatar Airways,
Thai International Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Air-
lines and Malaysia Airlines also offer flights between Viet-
nam and Europe via their hub airports in Bangkok, Doha,
Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Vietnams overall aviation market is picking up strongly
in 2010, and this encourages local and foreign airlines to
increase frequencies and launch new flights in and out of
Vietnam.
Qatar Airways has recently publicized a massive plan to be-
gin four weekly services between Qatars capital of Doha
and Hanoi via Bangkok on November 1, and add three
flights to its weekly schedule for the Doha-HCMC route to
bring its total weekly services between Vietnam and Doha
to 11.
CAAVs latest figures unveiled some 45 airlines are exploit-
ing 55 international air routes to and from Vietnam. The firsthalf of this year recorded 15.2 million passengers and more
than 273,000 tons of cargo on both domestic and interna-
tional flights, up 20.3% and 31.8% respectively over the year
earlier period.
Polish airline to fly to Vietnam in November
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36
Part 2 For many travellers, Bangkok is the first stop on travels in
Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. With its chaotic veneer, Thai cus-
toms are easily overlooked in Bangkok. Respect the local people by know-
ing these ten cultural points before you embark on travels in Thailand.
10Tha
iCustomsto
Know
BeforeVisiting
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7 Religious ObjectsAbout 95% of Thailands population
is comprised of Buddhists from the
Theravada school. Despite teach-ings against material attachment,
many Thais worship Buddha im-ages and don amulets for protec-
tion.
Various animist practices have alsobeen integrated into Thai religious
life. Most buildings boast spirit
houses or altars, where offerings
of food and garlands are made to
appease the spirits inhabiting theland. Avoid touching such dis-
plays as some Thais can be highly
superstitious, fearing disruption of
harmonious balance.
8 Bodily ConductBased on Buddhist beliefs, the head
is the most valued part of the body
while the feet are the lowest, sym-
bolizing attachment to the ground, a
cause of human suffering.
Touching someones head is highly
offensive, as is raising your feet or
pointing them at people or religious
objects.
Shoes are to be removed before
entering homes and religious
structures.
Most types of attire are tolerated inareas frequented by tourists. It is
a good idea, however, to cover
up when visiting temples
and shrines. Those wearing
sleeveless tops, short skirts,
shorts, and flip flops may bedenied entrance.
It is not unusual to encounter
signs prohibiting women
from entering highly sacred
places, such as temple libraries.Women who wish to worship do so
outside the buildings.
Also, while it is taboo for a woman
to touch a monk or pass things to
him directly, polite conversation is
fine.
9 DestinationsThais are generally addressed by
their first names, preceded by the
honorific title Khun, appropriate
for both men and women. In more
casual settings, mono-syllabic nick-
names are used.
More traditional monikers covercategories such as colors, animals,
and fruit, including Daeng (red),
Lek (small), and Moo (pig); thesedays, you will encounter nicknames
such as Good, Money, and Benz (as
in the luxury auto).
10 Bathroom BasicsOutside of large cities, squat toilets
rule. These are flushed by pouring
water from an adjacent bucket into
the hole. Also, used toilet paper isto be discarded in the bin provided;
never try to flush it down as it mostplumbing isnt designed to handle
paper.
Traditional washrooms include a
trough filled with water where aladle or bowl is used to sluice water
over the body. In areas where out-
door bathing is the norm, women
will don a cotton sarong or wrap-
around, and men will bathe in their
underwear.
DO YOUKNOW 37
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3838
It is common to experience culture shock when living in a foreign
country for an extended period of time. Culture shock is defined
as the feeling of disorientation, insecurity, and anxiety one may feel
in unfamiliar surroundings. Values, behaviors, and social customs
we routinely take for granted may no longer serve us in our new
environment. To adapt to a foreign culture and effectively manage
culture shock, one should keep the following in mind:
Do not automatically perceive anything that is different to be wrong or negative. Withholding judgment will allow you to
be an objective observer and will facilitate the process of cross-cultural understanding. Also, if you are going to a country with
which you no close to nothing about, do a little background information. As you learn about the country in which you are going
to, keeping an open mind is necessary, and, who knows, you may find the reason for something you may not understand.
This increases your communication skills and it helps you to integrate with the local community. It also demonstrates yourinterest in the new country.