GENERAL NEWS
MALAYSIA
Singapore and Thailand are
quite familiar to Vietnamese
visitors and other nationalities
in Southeast Asia for medical
tourism; however, Malaysia
is also investing much in this
field. Penang Island (Northwest
Malaysia) is considered the
"locomotive" for the strategic
development of Malaysian
medical tourism. In 2015,
Malaysia welcomed more than
880,000 visitors travelling for
medical care across the country,
with the revenue of RM 730
million. Penang island authorities
are promoting its medical
tourism to new markets such as
Vietnam.
TUI NORDIC (SWEDEN)
TUI Nordic has launched a
direct route from Stockholm
(Sweden) to Phu Quoc with
the first 299 passengers. There
were three more direct flights
in March and there will be 1
direct flight per week from
December 2016 to April 2017.
Phu Quoc Airport said that the
direct route will contribute to
developing tourism in Phu Quoc
and meet the increasing demand
of Swedish visitors to the island.
The 30-day visa exemption for
foreign tourists to the island has
also attracted more and more
visitors to Phu Quoc in the last
2 years.
HUE
Pilots and balloonists from
Thailand, the Netherlands,
Malaysia, Switzerland, the
Republic of Korea, the United
States and the Philippines will
participate in The International
Hot Air Balloon Festival 2016 to
be organized in Thua Thien-Hue
on May 4th and 5th. Coming to
the festival, visitors can see
hot air balloons flying within
10km from the lauchpoint at an
altitude of 300-500m. There will
also be mini balloons and lights
anchored to the groundat an
altitude of 30-50m.
NOI BAI INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
Noi Bai International Airport
was named in the list of
world's 100 best airports by
Skytrax - the world’s most
prestigious Air Travel Review
and Airline Ratings website.
Noi Bai ranked 80th, gaining 136
spots from last year (No.218 in
2015). The airport was judged
the World's Most Improved
Airport thanks to the advances
it has made in service quality
in recent years. The Skytrax
World Airport Awards are the
most prestigious in the airport
industry. Travelers from across
the globe take part each year
in the world's largest airline
passenger satisfaction survey to
decide the award winners. The
survey ran from June 2015 to
February 2016, covering 550
airports worldwide. The award
can be considered a "certificate"
for quality.
HOI AN
Hoi An has tested its first public
bus route around the city. This
bus route (about 10km) runs
through some notable sites
such as the Tra Que vegetable
village, An Bang beach, Cua Dai
beach and past 7 schools. The
bus makes 53 trips from 8am
to 9pm. It takes 50 minutes
to finish a trip, including 23
minutes in motion and 30
minutes picking up passengers
at the 10 stops. The project is
implemented by Hoi An and the
Action for Urban Development
Centre sponsored by the Japan
Fund for Global Environment.
QUANG TRI
Those who previously wanted to
visit Con Co Island had to hire
a fishing boat, but Quang Tri has
chartered a private agency to
open a route connecting Con
Co Island with the mainland.
The tour was launched in early
April. There are two tours
each week with package prices
at VND700,000/guest for a
one-day tour or VND1,000,000/
guest if staying overnight. The
ship takes about 2 hours to
reach the island. Visitors to Con
Co Island can trek in a primary
forest, sightsee at the light
house, go diving in a coral reef,
and go fishing near the beach or
on a boat in the evening.
HCMC
Southern Airports Services Joint
Stock Company has cooperated
with the Ho Chi Minh City
Department of Transportation
to introduce high-quality buses
(No.109) running a route from
Tan Son Nhat Airport to the
centre of Ho Chi Minh City.
Buses on the 45 minute route
operate between 05:30 am
and 01:30 am at 15-20 minute
intervals. Trips of less than 5
km are priced at VND12,000
while those over 5 km cost
VND20,000. The buses have
modern designs and a capacity of
70 passengers each and conform
to Euro II emissions and safety
standards for passengers.
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Thailand,s first electric bus in Bangkok has
begun its trial run between Don Mueang
Airport and Mo Chit bus terminal. The bus
is 12 meters long and has 35 seats.
It has on-board WiFi and is also wheelchair
accessible. Each bus is equipped with a
324kWh battery pack which can run up
to 250km and can be fully charged within
5 hours. Moreover, there is GPS so
passengers can know exactly their current
position. If the three-month trial run is
successful, 20 more electric buses will be
bought in May. The city is making an effort
to replace the old diesel and gas buses to
reduce pollution.
PREMIER VILLAGE DANANG
The Premier Village Danang
Resort has been listed by
TripAdvisor as one of the best
family hotels and resorts in
Vietnam. The award is based
on the votes and reviews of
travelers from around the
world. The Premier Village
Danang Resort features 118
5-star seaside villas with
luxurious services that meet
international standards.
The resort is professionally
managed by Accor Hotels, the
world's leading hotel managing
corporation.
Updated information about new
flight routes, culture programs,
tourism policies, ranking &
awards... in Vietnam and other
countries
VIETJET AIR
Vietjet Air has announced a new international route connecting Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) with Kuala Lumpur
(Malaysia) from June 1st, 2016 to better meet the increasing travel demand of tourists and business people. The
HCMC - Kuala Lumpur route will operate on a daily basis, taking one hour 55 minutes per leg. Accordingly, flights
take off from Ho Chi Minh City at 9:30 and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 12:25 (local time). The return flights will
depart at 13:00 (for take-off) and land at 13:55 (local time). Tickets can be booked at www.vietjetair.com or at
www.facebook.com/vietjetvietnam, and at nationwide agencies with the promotion "It's 12, let's Vietjet".
TRAVELLIVE
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