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| Azerai La Residence Hue |
VOV reported that the Azerai La Residence Hue ranked first among the top 10 hotels and resorts, as well as being honoured in the category of Best Upcountry Hotels in Vietnam.
The newswire outlined that located in the former imperial capital of Hue, the iconic Azerai La Residence has been voted as one of the best hotels in the country, as well as being the top property in the countryside.
Overlooking Hue’s Perfume River, the 122-room property sits in a restored French colonial governor’s mansion and boasts an original façade from the 1930s.
Two complimentary wings were built in 2005 in a more streamlined design, with touches of the Art Deco ethos.
According to the reputable website, the hotel joined the Azerai group in 2019 and features a fitness centre, tropical garden, and 40-metre saltwater swimming pool, which is perfect after spending humid days of citadel- and temple-touring.
The chic resort brasserie Le Parfum serves a mix of Vietnamese and Western dishes, while the Le Gouverneur lobby lounge turns out cocktails, wine, and beer, including several local brews.
Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2024 is aimed at revealing the best hotels, pools, spas, and general managers nationwide.
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam look to maritime tourism connectivity
Thai media reported on June 16 that this country, Cambodia and Vietnam are seeking to cooperate in open a maritime route connecting islands near Trat province with Cambodia's Sihanoukville province and Vietnam's Kien Giang province with a view to promoting investment, trade, tourism and tourism combined with meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).
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| Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam look to maritime tourism connectivity |
VOV reported that Trat provincial Governor Natthapong Sanguanjit recently chaired a meeting on this initiative at the Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand -Trat Business Roadshow 2024, with the event featuring the participation of representatives of six provinces across the three countries. The Governor was joined by Chamnan Srisawat, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) and senior vice president at Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
Chamnan said that the TCT is in the process of accelerating the organisation of the CVTEC conference, with TCEB as co-organiser and main sponsor, adding that their goal is to promote maritime routes connecting the three countries in order to create "One market with three destinations”.
This maritime route will not only function as a modern economic route, but also as an attractive tourist route featuring beautiful nature and culture.
Meanwhile, Governor Natthapong said that it is important to find ways to enhance tourism connecting the eastern coastal regions of the three countries together through this maritime route.
Within the framework of the meeting, representatives of both the private and public sectors of the three countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly strengthen trade, investment, tourism, and the MICE industry in areas along this route.
Apichai Somboonpakorn, deputy director of the TCEB, said that TCEB believes Thailand is ready for this project and if successful, it will allow tourists to travel from Pattaya to Laem Chabang, from where they can continue on to locations such as Trat, Sihanoukville, and Kien Giang, and vice versa.
According to Wiyada Suang, vice chairman of Trat provincial Tourism Council, the sea route will likely open during the peak tourist season in November this year.
Vietnamese tourists opt for outbound tours, alternative transport
According to VNA, with summer nearing its peak and domestic airfare skyrocketing, Vietnamese travellers are increasingly looking abroad or opting for alternative transportation for their vacations, according to travel agents.
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| On a tour of the Mekong Delta (Photo: VNA) |
The rising cost of domestic flights has fueled a surge in outbound tours, with travel companies reporting a significant increase in bookings, particularly among family groups and individual travellers. Tour packages priced between 8-15 million VND (roughly 333-625 USD) per person seem to be a sweet spot for many vacationers seeking value for money, said CEO of Vietluxtour Tran The Dung.
Sharing this sentiment, General Director of the Vietnam Media Travel Pham Phuong Anh noted a high interest in trips to Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Europe, Australia, and the US, adding that while cost-consciousness is on the rise, tourists are still willing to splurge on high-quality experiences they perceive as worthwhile.
To stay competitive, travel companies and hotels are offering discounts of 15-20% for groups of five or more. Additionally, many travellers are turning to alternative transportation options like high-speed and regular trains, buses, or even road trips with their families to save money.
The recent launch of the Thang Long high-speed vessel, offering a four-hour journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao island in the southern province of Vung Tau for a price between 615,000 – 1.1 million VND, exemplifies this trend. Similarly, train tours departing from Ho Chi Minh City to various provinces are gaining traction, providing a comfortable and scenic way to explore different regions.
Looking ahead, travel experts emphasised the need for Vietnamese localities and hospitality providers to collaborate on sustainable development strategies and maintain stable service prices to effectively attract domestic tourists in the long term.
Vietnam Airlines launches Vietnam - Philippines route
Vietnam Airlines has inaugurated a route between Vietnam and the Philippines, making it the first Vietnamese carrier to establish a direct connection to the island nation, reported VNA.
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| At the launch ceremony of Vietnam Airlines's inaugural flight from Vietnam to the Philippines on June 17. (Photo: VNA) |
The inaugural flight, VN648, departed from Ho Chi Minh City at 12:50 AM on June 17 and landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila at 4:20 AM the same day.
The national carrier will operate seven flights per week between the two Southeast Asian countries, four on the HCM City-Manila route and the remainder on the Hanoi-Manila one.
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| Vietnam Airlines (Photo for illustration/ Source: VNS) |
Vietnam Airlines views the Philippines as a promising market and targets to serve tourists, business travellers, the community of nearly 30,000 Vietnamese residing in the Philippines and around 7,000 Filipinos living in Vietnam.
In recent years, Vietnam has become attractive for Filipino visitors thanks to its geographical proximity, affordable travel costs, and rich cultural heritage. The Philippines, meanwhile, is also an ideal destination for Vietnamese travellers.
As the strategic partnership between the two countries is growing soundly, Vietnam Airlines’s launch of direct flights is expected to open up numerous opportunities for the sides' tourism, trade, socio-economic, and cultural development./.