TRAVELLIVE MAGAZINE Travellive 03-2016 | Page 137

GENERAL NEWS HOI AN Quang Nam's provincial government has officially recognized Tra Que village as a provincially traditional craft village. This agricultural village has existed for over 400 years. After a tumultuous history, locals in Tra Que have changed from fishmen on De Vong River to famers and began developing their rich agricultural tradition in Hoi An. Tra Que village is a favorite destination for many foreign visitors when travelling to Hoi An. CAN THO The Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism for Can Tho City has said that in 2016, Can Tho will cooperate to get the conservation and development for the Cai Rang floating market project underway. The project is supposed to promote tourism at the Cai Rang floating market as well as in the Mekong Delta in general. In 2016, Can Tho city aims to welcome 1,7 million visitors including 250,000 international visitors. TRANG AN - NINH BINH The Ministry of Construction has submitted a project proposal to the government to begin development of a Trang An scenic landscape complex which is projected to be completed by 2030 . The prospective site spans an area of 6,226ha within 5 districts of Ninh Binh Province. The proposal aims to ensure uniformity in management of zoning, safeguarding the integrity of the heritagesite according to UNESCO regulations. At the same time, the project aims to manage the construction of infrastructural works for tourism and socioeconomic development in the area. SINGAPORE In a move aimed at strengthening security amid the rise of perceived terrorist threats, Singapore will scan and record the fingerprints of all visitors to the city-state beginning June this year. The fingerprinting will take place at all points of entry. It's believed that this move will help the government verify the identity of visitors before granting them entry as well as create favorable conditions during procedures. ASEAN VISA From the start of 2016, the immigration provision for citizens traveling to ASEAN countries formally took effect. Accordingly, citizens of the ASEAN countries only need a valid passport and round-trip air ticket to travel and stay in Vietnam up to 30 days. Vietnamese citizens with a return ticket and a valid passport (valid for at least 6 months) can travel to other ASEAN countries. Those who wish to stay more than 30 days must ask for a visa in accordance with legal provisions. BRAZIL The Brazilian Federal Government has announced that citizens of USA, Canada, Australia and Japan will be able to enter Brazil for Rio Olympic Games 2016 (until September 18th), and stay for 90 days, without having to arrange for a visa in advance. The country's Minister of Tourism has stated that they expect a 20% increase in the number of tourists from these four countries in just the first 9 months of the year. The Olympic Games will take place between the 5th and 21st of August and the paralympic Games will be staged between the 7th and 18th of September. There will be 14,000 athletes competing in the 2016 Olympics and 25,000 journalists from 100 countries to report on this sporting event. Brazil expects to welcome 500,000 tourists for this occasion. CLOSER TO JAPAN Hanoitourist Travel has cooperated with Vietnam Airlines and the Japanese Tourism Board to announce "Closer to Japan", a new tourist package with interesting programs at reasonable prices. For 4 days and 3 nights, visitors can visit numerous sites such as Mt. Fuji, Oshino Hakkai village, Aishi Lake, Asakura Temple, the Japanese Royal Citadel, Tokyo Sky Tree Tower, and the manmade Odaiba island. Yasukuni is a striking destination - a shrine of Japanese heros, representing Japan's national and spiritual identity. Additionally, tourists can experience the Onsen mineral baths to relax and soak in the spirit of the community, watch sumo performances to understand more about the spirit of Samurai's land, and have fun while shopping. For further information, please contact: Hanoitourist, 18 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Tel: 04 3826 6715. Hotline: 0934 390 688 THAI NGUYEN Thai Nguyen Province and The Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise have celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for development of tourism at Nui Coc Lake. With a total investment of 15.000 billion VND, these developments will connect the Dinh Hoa safety zone, Tan Trao historical relic (Tuyen Quang), and Ba Be Lake. The project's main priorities are to add on to the 150m high Thap Temple, the shrine of Tam Hoa Thanh Mau, Quy Minh Dai Vuong, and Tran Hung Dao. Plans include building a reception area with a welcome center, a 5-star hotel, a 36-hole golf course and wharf and trails around Nui Coc Lake as well as the ethnic villages. Updated information about new flight routes, culture programs, tourism policies, ranking & awards... in Vietnam and other countries KEUKENHOF, NETHERLANDS The Keukenhof Flower Festival 2016 with the theme, "Golden Age", will take place from March 20th to May 18th. This is the 67th Flower Festival held at the famous flower park in Keukenhof, Netherlands. Through 66 years of operation, Keukenhof, in the Lisse suburb to the south of Amsterdam, has become a renowned tourist attraction. The festival is a chance for many exhibitors and companies to exchange, introduce, and develop floricultural industry in this country. Come to the Keukenhof Flower Festival, where visitors can enjoy themselves among thousands of fragrant tulips in the spring atmosphere. TRAVELLIVE 137