TRAVEL IN BRIEF 6/3

      Sailing event starts in Phan Thiet
The first round of the 2009 Viet Nam Regatta Series that has begun at Jibe’s Beach Club in Mui Ne aims to promote the image of Ham Tien-Mui Ne Resort and provide tourists an exciting sporting option.
Organised by a HCM City-based yacht company in collaboration with the Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the event has attracted 40 sailors from the UK, France, the US, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Belgium and Viet Nam.
The second and the third rounds will be held in Nha Trang and Vung Tau, and the final round in Phan Thiet.
Tourists on the rise in Binh Thuan
In February Binh Thuan Province welcomed 176,000 tourists, including 29,6000 foreign visitors from Russia, Germany, Sweden, South Korea, France, the US and Australia. Provincial authorities said Binh Thuan is attracting tourists with discounts, promotions and improved facilities.
The province has received 360,000 visitors in the first two months, a year-on-year increase of 30 per cent.
2009 to welcome more cruises
Twelve cruise ships are expected to arrive in March alone compared to an average of two or three a month. Tan Hong Travel Co said it has signed new contracts to welcome cruise ships in 2009, adding that cruise tourism would not see a low season this year.
Normally, the period from May to September is considered a low season.
The news has infused optimism into the tourism industry, which has suffered due to the global economic recession, with the number of foreign arrivals by air and road down dramatically.
Cruises are the choice of many travellers as they are convenient.
The high quality of service provided by Vietnamese travel firms is one of the reasons why 2009 is expected to be a good year for cruise tourism. Ten years ago the country was chosen as one of the two destinations in Southeast Asia for cruise ships, and it has since been a favourite with travellers.
Sea worship festival to open
Khmer people in the Mekong Delta have many ethnic, religious and cultural festivals around the year, including Chol Chnam Thmay, Dolta and Ok Om Bok.
Chrorumchec, a festival to worship the sea, is held on the 14th and 15th of the second lunar month (March 10-11) and is promoted aggressively to attract millions of visitors to Soc Trang Province’s Vinh Chau District. People pray to the Vinh Chau Sea for peace, people’s safety, good weather and bumper crops.
The festival also commemorates ancestors who served the country, the God who blesses them with a good life and the sea that provides them bountiful food.
Sail on VN’s first luxury yacht
Visitors to Nha Trang will soon be able to cruise aboard the King Yacht, the first luxury yacht made in Viet Nam.
The 80-tonne, 28m long vessel, built by Nha Trang University’s Institute for Shipbuilding, has received a cruise licence from the authorities.
Its itinerary will include stops at Mun and Mot islands for swimming and diving, and Tam Island, a new 4-star tourist site.
A US$50 day cruise will come with coffee, wine, a five-course lunch and a massage. A $350 overnight cruise will include all meals.