Travel in brief 9/7

Foreign business tourists increase
More MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) meetings are being held in HCM City after a slowdown last year. Fiditourist reported 25 MICE groups with nearly 1,300 guests from Malaysia, Japan and Singapore in the first six months of the year, up by 22 per cent compared with the same period last year. Bui Viet Thuy Tien, managing director of Asian Trails Ltd, said the number of MICE groups at her company was lower than in 2008 but improving. According to the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 300,000 foreign visitors arrived in the city for business, accounting for 20 per cent of the total in the first half of the year.
Contest celebrates love for Ha Noi
A photo and video-clip contest called Ha Noi - the City I Love will be held until September 30. It aims to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Ha Noi.
Organised by Viet Nam Data Communications Company Centre 1 (VDC1), the contest aims to attract works depicting historical relics and daily life and culture, from before and after the city’s expansion. Contestants can register and submit works to VDC1 via www.congdonganh.vn. A list of winners and their entries will be announced on the same website.
Hoi An serves up a taste of Japan
Japanese traditional dishes were prepared by Prof Iijima Yukichica, deputy president of the Global Tourism Association, at Hoi An Hotel in the historic city of Hoi An on Wednesday, in celebration of Viet Nam’s Tourism Day. The culinary night, which presented Vietnamese dishes prepared by a Japanese professor, was a chance for local people to understand Japanese culture. Vietnamese tourism products were also introduced to Japanese travellers. The event was organised by Quang Nam Tourism Association and the Institute for Human Resources Development in Japan.
New Hue tour launched
Hue Tourism authority has joined hands with tour operators in the city to launch a tour of Tam Giang Lagoon in Thua Thien-Hue Province.
Departing from Hue, the tour stops first at Thu Le Temple in Sia Town of Quang Dien District, which is recognised as a national historical relic. From the temple, tourists will be taken to Ngu My Thanh fishing village where they can observe how local residents make nets and use fishing devices. Next is a bicycle trip to visit vegetable farms. Then, at Thuy Lap Village, travellers will learn how to make bamboo products and join in weaving with local artisans. After lunch they will explore Tam Giang Lagoon. The next stop on Quang Ngan Commune includes a visit to royal tombs and folk dance shows by local children, followed by relaxing with waves on a beach in Tan My Hamlet. The final step is a visit to Bau La bamboo weaving village where travellers can learn more about the craft.
HCM City, Nagoya route resumes
Viet Nam Airlines will resume flights between HCM City and Nagoya, Japan’s fourth most populous city on August 13, with two flights per week. Once the service is resumed, Viet Nam Airlines will offer its customers a total of 25 flights per week from HCM City to Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya. The national carrier opened the HCM City-Nagoya route in July 2005 but suspended the service in December 2007 due to a lack of passengers. Viet Nam Airlines launched its Ha Noi-Nagoya route last November.