Travel news in brief

Cham Isle says ‘no' to plastic bags
Travel agencies and visitors to the famous Cu Lao Cham (Cham Island) in Quang Nam Province have been told to refrain from using plastic bags. In a decision they issued recently, the Quang Nam authorities also warned tourist boat owners not to dump waste into the waters around the island.
After being recognised as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, the 15sq.km island, which is part of Hoi An city, launched its first campaign to reject plastic bags more than two years ago, asking locals to replace them with degradable bags and collecting plastic bags from beaches.
The island, which is comprised of seven islets, has been hailed for its initiatives to become environmentally friendly.
HCM City profits from backpackers
The backpackers' area in Pham Ngu Lao Street in HCM City's District 1 attracts some 1,900 foreign travellers every day and earns revenues of VND8.32 trillion (US$400 million) a year, a survey shows.
According to figures released as part of a development plan for the Pham Ngu Lao Quarter in 2010-20 by the HCM City University of Economics and the district People's Committee, the average length of a tourist's stay is one week and average expenditure, VND12 million.
Many tourists leave for other destinations in the country after staying in the area.
There are three main groups of visitors to the area – foreigners from various countries with permanent jobs in Viet Nam, those coming to the city for temporary jobs, and those coming for tourism and entertainment.
Saigontourist to offer Star sea travel
Saigontourist Travel Service Co has cut a deal with Malaysia's cruise line Star Cruises to organise tours of Viet Nam for more than 13,000 tourists arriving by cruise vessels from now to March next year.
More than 2,200 passengers and crew will arrive aboard a ship every month and Saigontourist will be the sole service supplier for Star Cruises in Viet Nam.
Phan Thiet welcomes Aussie cruiser
The coastal city of Phan Thiet welcomed 80 passengers who arrived on board the Austria-based cruise ship Orion II on Tuesday.
The tourists, hailing from Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK, visited popular destinations such as Bau Trang sand dunes, Suoi Tien Tourist Park, and Ham Tien – Mui Ne Tourist Park, and played golf at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club.
The vessel left Phan Thiet the same evening for other coastal cities in the central region and Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh.
VN Airlines to lure Japanese visitors
Viet Nam Airlines launched a month-long programme called Next Ho Chi Minh City to attract Japanese visitors back after the earthquake and tsunami disasters in their country.
Next Ho Chi Minh City features multiple image-promotion activities for Japanese tourists and incentives like shopping coupons for the first 1,000 people booking tickets to Viet Nam, discounts for booking through certain travel agencies, and inviting Japanese tour operators to Viet Nam.
The programe partners 40 Japanese travel agencies besides hotels and resorts in Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and Quang Nam.
Travel firms suspend Thailand tours
Despite the Tourism Authority of Thailand's efforts to reassure travellers about the severe flooding in Bangkok, several HCM City-based travel agencies have suspended package tours to the city.
Saigontourist Travel Services Co, which offers tours to Thailand six days a week, said it has put off tours to Bangkok until the end of next week.
Viettours Trading and Services Co said it has also delayed tours to Thailand because most customers were concerned.
Vietravel Co is still offering Thai tours because it believes the destinations popular among Vietnamese tourists are not likely to be affected by the flooding.