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| Illustrative image (Source: VNA) |
The ministry is drafting a Government resolution on measures to increase IP, EZ efficiency.
It said IPs and EZs account for 50% of the country’s total export value.
However, the ministry pointed to a number of problems related to the IPs and EZs, including their unsustainable development in different aspects. Living conditions of local communities where the zones are located have not seen remarkable improvements.
In the draft resolution, the MPI suggested the building of a Law on IPs and EZs in 2022, and the issuance of a Prime Minister’s decision on the coordination mechanism among ministries, sectors and localities in managing IPs and EZs.
The draft also looked to stipulate the maximum acreage of an IP and an EZ, as well as define orientations in investment attraction to match the advantages of each region and locality, and the creation of a cooperation mechanism between the State and the private sector in developing new IPs and EZs for particular sectors and industries.
ASEAN Online Sale Day aims to promote e-commerce activities among countries
ASEAN Online Sale Day, the largest online event of its kind, was held from August 8 to 10 to celebrate the 55th anniversary of ASEAN founding.
This is an annual event, co-organized by ASEAN countries on August 8.
The program aims to promote e-commerce activities among countries in the region; focuses on cross-border e-commerce transactions, and wishes to bring consumers and businesses in ASEAN countries a safe and healthy online Sale and business environment with quality products.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, this year's program was co-chaired and organized by Cambodia, the ASEAN Chair in 2022, together with Singapore and Vietnam.
ASEAN Online Sale Day has two main groups of activities, including: Domestic e-commerce Sale and cross-border e-commerce Sale.
During the program, consumers of Vietnam or other ASEAN countries can shop on digital platforms of domestic and foreign enterprises and e-commerce platforms with special offers exclusively for the ASEAN Online Sale Day.
Starting from 2020, ASEAN Online Sale Day has attracted great attention from businesses and consumers in many countries, not only in ASEAN. With the efforts of connecting and organizing from the member countries, the event has contributed significantly to the development of e-commerce in particular and the digital transformation process of the region in general.
In 2020, more than 200 e-commerce businesses in ASEAN participated in AOSD and offered a large range of goods and services at promotional or discounted rates through their e-commerce platforms. The event continued to grow in 2021, with more than 350 businesses participating across ASEAN. It is expected that interest in AOSD among businesses and consumers will continue to be strong this year.
ASEAN’s e-commerce sector is expected to triple in size from 100 billion USD to 300 billion USD by 2025 . The COVID-19 pandemic has further boosted this trend of e-commerce adoption, providing a bright spot of growth.
In Southeast Asia, 40 million people came online for the first time in 2021 alone, bringing the internet penetration in Southeast Asia to 75%. Consumption of digital services remained strong more than a year into the pandemic – a trend that will likely continue. The total number of Internet users had grown to 440 million, up from 250 million in 2015.
WTA Asia and Oceania Awards to take place in Ho Chi Minh City
The homepage of the World Travel Awards (WTA) has announced Ho Chi Minh City as the venue for the 2022 Asia and Oceania Awards Ceremony.
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| On behalf of Vietnam’s tourism industry, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Trung Khanh received the Asia’s Leading Destination Award 2019 in Phu Quoc. (Photo: VNAT) |
The important event will officially take place on September 7, ahead of the opening of the Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo, scheduled to take place from September 8 to 10, 2022.
This is the second time Vietnam is selected to host the WTA. Previously, the pearl island of Phu Quoc was the location of the Asia and Oceania Awards 2019.
World Travel Awards is the world’s leading prestigious award in the field of tourism, likened to the Oscars of world tourism. Established in 1993, this award aims to recognize, reward and honor the best performers in all areas of the global tourism industry.
According to the WTA, Ho Chi Minh City is a dynamic metropolis that attracts tourists thanks to its blend of the past and the present. Coming to Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can wander the alleys and busy markets, explore commercial centers located in skyscrapers or visit peaceful temples.
In November 2021, Ho Chi Minh City was honored to receive the award of Best MICE Travel Destination in Asia 2021 voted by WTA.
Since 2017, Vietnam has been honored to receive many prestigious awards of the WTA such as World’s Leading Heritage Destination, Asia's Leading Destination, Cultural Destination, and the World's Best Golf Destination.
VNAT has twice been honored as Asia's leading national tourism management agency in 2017 and 2021.
Da Nang welcomes famtrip delegation from India
A delegation of leading tour operators from Mumbai (India) has conducted a survey of Da Nang with a program of urban sightseeing, night tourism products, and exploring the Golden Bridge in Ba Na Hills.
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| Da Nang welcomes famtrip delegation from India. |
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Binh, Deputy Director of the Danang Department of Tourism, said the Famtrip titled “the Best of Vietnam” gathered eight leading tour operators, including One Above, In Time, Tourister, Vinnaayak Holidays, Kesari Travels, Jain & Jain Travels, Whiteboard, and Plutus Voyages.
The tour operators surveyed Vietnam’s popular destinations from August 2 to 9, in which hot spots in Da Nang were surveyed on August 5-6.
Through famtrip activities, the Da Nang tourism industry wants to introduce to Indian tour operators the deep cultural connection between Vietnam and India, creating a highlight for the tour programs of Indian tourists to Da Nang.
Aiming at high-quality guests including MICE and wedding, the famtrip program included luxury services and 5-star accommodation at Furama Resort Da Nang.
Mr. Basheer Adul Rahim, Director of One Above and Head of the delegation, said that Da Nang is actively promoting its destinations to the Indian market. Along with the direct flight network from India to Da Nang, he believed that the central coastal city will soon reach the milestone of 3 million Indian visitors within the next 2 years.
Within the framework of promotional activities for the Indian market, the Da Nang Department of Tourism successfully organized the Da Nang Tourism Introduction Program in New Delhi, India on August 4.
Da Nang also welcomed a school tour group with 33 guests who were professors and principals from universities in the state of Assam, Northeast India, to the city.
RoK becomes Vietnam’s largest tourism market
The Republic of Korea (RoK) has become the largest market of Vietnam’s tourism industry. In the first 7 months of 2022, 196,200 visitors from the land of kimchi visited Vietnam.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), along with the increase in frequency on routes from Seoul to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, airlines have re-opened many routes connecting the RoK with tourist destinations in Vietnam.
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| Korean tourists in Quang Nam. (Photo: The SaigonTimes) |
According to the General Statistics Office, in the 7 months, 954,600 international visitors visited Vietnam, down 90.3% from the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 epidemic.
Among the top 10 markets sending tourists to Vietnam, besides the US, the remaining markets are from Asia and the Pacific.
According to CAAV, along with an increase in frequency on the routes from Seoul to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, airlines have re-opened flights to some tourist destinations such as Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Nha Trang.
Before the epidemic, China was always the largest market of Vietnam and the RoK came second place, but now China has not yet allowed people to travel abroad, making the RoK rise to the top of the list.
CAAV reported that the agency, the Tourism Development Support Fund and many tourism businesses and airlines are preparing to carry out many activities to promote destinations abroad with the focus on markets near Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and some distant markets in Europe.
As scheduled, Vietnam will participate in the JATA Tourism Expo in Japan from September 22 to 25, and the World Travel Market in the UK from November 7 to 9. In addition, festivals and programs will be held to introduce and welcome business delegations and press from the RoK, Japan, Taiwan (China) and Europe./.