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In the last days of the Year of the Cat, the average coffee price in the Central Highland
provinces continued to increase compared to the previous week (Photo: VNA) |
In the last days of the Year of the Cat, the average coffee price in the Central Highland provinces continued to increase compared to the previous week. Coffee is being purchased at prices ranging from 78,200 - 79,400 VND (3.2-3.25 USD) per kg in some localities. With the current upward trend, domestic coffee prices are likely to exceed 80,000 VND per kg soon.
A surge in domestic coffee prices was attributed to the fact that traders actively purchased coffee before the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday while exporters were afraid of supply shortages like last year so they tended to buy more.
The coffee output of the 2023-2034 crop in Dak Lak province is forecast to reach 580,000 tonnes, thus the coffee export volume is estimated at 330,000 tonnes. If prices stay as high as they are now and fluctuate slightly in the near future, the province's coffee export turnover could hit 900 million USD.
Lam Dong province has about 175,700 ha of coffee and the output for 2023-2024 crop is expected to hit 535,000 tonnes.
In 2023, Vietnam exported over 1.6 million tonnes, down 8.7% in quantity but up 4.6% in value compared to last year, reaching a record turnover of 4.24 billion USD.
According to the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association (Vicofa), Vietnam’s coffee production in the 2023-2024 crop will be 1.6-1.7 million tonnes, lower than 1.78 million tonnes in 2022-2023.
Localities welcome first tourists in Lunar New Year
The Da Nang International Airport in the central city of the same name welcomed more than 125 domestic and international flights carrying over 17,000 passengers on February 10, the first day of the Year of the Dragon, said the Vietnam News Agency.
The airport served 53 international flights with some 7,500 passengers abroad on the day.
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Nearly 362,000 tourists are expected to visit Da Nang city during the Tet holiday.
(Photo: VNA) |
Up to 894 domestic and international flights are expected to arrive at the airport during the seven-day holiday, beginning February 8, up about 16% year-on-year.
The municipal Department of Tourism, the airport, the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation JSC and air carriers jointly held a ceremony to welcome the first holidaymakers.
On the same day, the central city welcomed the first international cruise ships in the lunar year with more than 1,800 passengers.
Last year, the city served 22 cruise ships with more than 18,000 passengers. The numbers are expected to reach over 45 and more than 50,000 this year, respectively.
Nearly 362,000 tourists are hoped to visit the city during the holiday, a rise of 23% from the corresponding time last year, including 172,000 international and 190,000 domestic.
The northern province of Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO-recognised Ha Long Bay, also welcomed the first group of nearly 300 visitors from the Republic of Korea (RoK) to the heritage on the day.
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| The first tourists to Quang Ninh province. (Photo: VNA) |
Pham Van Hiep, Managing Director of the Ha Long International Cruise Port, said around 2,000 international tourists visited the bay on the day.
Ha Long Bay is expected to attract some 1.4 million vacationers this year, up 25-30% from the previous year.
According to the provincial Department of Tourism, Quang Ninh province aims to lure at least 17 million arrivals in 2014, including 3 million international visitors.
The northern province of Ninh Binh, known for its Trang An Landscape Complex that was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in 2014, has organised a range of activities to welcome the first tourists in the lunar year, striving to fulfill the yearly target of serving 7.5 million visitors, of them 900 are international ones.
2024 drones light up Hanoi’s night sky on New Year’s Eve
The highly awaited "Hanoi Art Light Festival - Resplendent Thang Long" took place in Hanoi’s Tay Ho district, on the New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar, drawing the audience of thousands, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
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| The drone performance in Ho Tay area. (Photo: VNA) |
The most prominent part of the show was the 15-minute performance featuring 2024 drones, which set a Southeast Asian record in terms of number of unmanned vehicles involved, followed by high-altitude fireworks show from 00:00am when the Year of the Dragon began.
The show depicts beautiful stories and images of the Dragon symbol in Vietnamese culture and the famous scenic spots of the capital city Hanoi.
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| One-pillar pagoda (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn) |
It aims to promote the image of the capital to both the local people and international tourists, and serves as a significant highlight program to ring in the new year with vigour and joy, according to the People's Committee of Tay Ho district./.