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| Workers classify raw pangasius for processing and export. (Photo: VNA) |
As of the end of August 2024, exports of dried pangasius fish maws had reached 58 million USD with China the largest buyer.
In the first eight months of this year, this country had imported 21 million USD worth of the product, accounting for 36% of Vietnam’s total export value for this product.
Currently, 12 Vietnamese companies are supplying to the Chinese market.
Over the past two years, China has increased its purchase of the snack to compensate for a supply shortage from Mexico, boosting revenues for many Vietnamese enterprises.
“Fish maw is not only a delicacy prized in China, but also a symbol of success, prosperity and wealth in the country,” said VASEP.
“Therefore, the product is often used as a gift at important events in China."
Prices for fish maws in China can range from 450 USD to 1,000 USD per kilogramme.
VASEP added that Mexico used to be China’s top choice but due to certain endemic fish species facing extinction and tighter regulations in Mexico, China has gradually shifted its focus to Southeast Asia, significantly increasing purchases from Vietnam.
In the seafood industry, pangasius fish maws were once considered a by-product with little value. They are now relatively expensive due to the intricate processing involved. To produce one kilogramme of dried fish maws, five to seven kilogrammes of fresh fish are required.
In addition to China, Vietnam exports to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the US.
The potential for Vietnam’s dried fish maw export remains huge, but the shortage of input materials is a big challenge, according to VASEP.
Khanh Hoa receives nine millionth tourist
The Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism welcomed its nine millionth visitor to the city of Nha Trang in the southcentral coastal province of Khanh Hoa on October 1, thereby fulfilling the plan set for the year three months ahead of schedule, said Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
The tourist, named An Jin Yeong from the Republic of Korea, arrived at Cam Ranh international airport at around 10:00 a.m. on October 1.
Le Huu Hoang, standing vice chairman of the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, along with leaders of the Department of Tourism and relevant agencies duly presented gifts to Jin Yeong upon her arrival.
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| Khanh Hoa receives nine millionth tourist (Photo: VOV) |
Moving forward, in mid-October the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association will organise a programme aimed at unveiling that Khanh Hoa fulfilled its goal of receiving nine million visitors and launch a tourism stimulus campaign in Nha Trang.
To date, tourism revenue has reached more than VND44,000 billion, exceeding the target for the entire year by 10%.
Le Huu Hoang, permanent vice chairman of the Khanh Hoa provincial People's Committee, said that the locality continues to improve the quality of services so that the tourism industry can promote its role as a spearhead economic sector.
Khanh Hoa province will maintain its growth momentum ahead in the last months of the year with key tourism promotion solutions, attract direct flights to Cam Ranh - Khanh Hoa, while also striving to put on diverse events and improving service quality.
Hoi An partakes in Andong International Mask Dance Festival
An art troupe from Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam have joined in the ongoing Andong International Mask Dance Festival which is being held in the Republic of Korea (RoK), with the event helping to introduce Vietnamese culture to international friends, Radio the Voice of Vietnam said.
Local artists have brought Bài Chòi singing, a folk music genre practised in the nation’s central region and which has already been added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, to the stage in the RoK.
Meanwhile, art performances of Hát bội will help to introduce the traditional values of Vietnamese music.
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| Vietnamese artists bring Bài Chòi singing to he stage in the RoK. (Photo: cand.com.vn) |
Hát bội was developed from a folk art to a royal art in central and southern regions. Hát bội plays feature archaic words, whilst the characters are often made up with black and red on their faces.
The show also features performances of musical instruments and folk dances from across the nation.
The Andong International Mask Dance Festival is taking place in Andong, home of the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Andong Hahoe Village. The festival includes various cultural performances including the RoK’s mask dance drama, an intangible cultural heritage, and mask dance performances from around the world.
Along with watching performances, visitors can also participate in a variety of hands-on experience programmes aimed at learning more about the dances, masks, and related culture.
This year the festival began on September 27 and is scheduled to last through to October 6. It gathers together a total of 34 art troupes from 25 countries and territories worldwide, including Japan, Peru, India, Russia, Mongolia, and Vietnam.
Hanoi, HCMC enjoy strong tourism growth in nine months
Hanoi earned nearly VND82,000 billion in tourism revenue during the nine-month period of the year, up 18.5% on-year, while Ho Chi Minh City grossed nearly VND140,400 billion from tourism activities, up 11.9% on-year, Radio the Voice of Vietnam quoted the Departments of Tourism of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively.
The total number of visitors to the capital in the reviewed period stood at an estimated VND21.12 million, up 11.7% on-year. This includes 4.45 million international tourists, up 40.8%, and 16,66 million domestic tourists, up 5.8% on-year.
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| Tourists in Hanoi (Photo: VOV) |
As part of efforts to attract more international travelers, Hanoi’s tourism industry has ramped out tourism promotion activities by introducing destinations in five languages such as English, French, Chinese, Japanese, and the Republic of Korea.
Simultaneously, the capital has deployed a variety of forms of communication and digital platforms, making use of social networks like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.
Many tourist destinations have set up electronic ticket systems in a bid to serve visitors, including the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam), Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hoa Lo Prison relic site, Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, and Quan Thanh Temple.
Meanwhile, the number of international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City from January to September stood at over four million, representing an increase of 12.4% on-year, whilst domestic tourists reached 27.3 million domestic tourists, up 1.3%.
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| Visitors in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) |
To achieve positive outcomes, the local industry has recently carried out a string of activities to promote the southern city’s destinations and typical tourism products, strengthen connectivity among tourism businesses, improve the overall quality of tourism services, and create diversity for tourism programmes to serve domestic and foreign tourists.
The municipal Department of Tourism has also issued a handbook on typical tourism products which can be found in Ho Chi Minh City./.