Travel agents worried about Tourism Ambassador

The name of Vietnam’s first Tourism Ambassador, “Ly Nha Ky”, is likely a Chinese name, so it is difficult to help market Vietnam’s tourism to the world, said Viet Circle Tourism Company’s director, Phan Dinh Hue.

Actress Ly Nha Ky.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on September 21, appointed actress Ly Nha Ky as its first tourism ambassador for one year, starting from September 2011. The actress started her new role by a press conference in Hanoi on September 28. The decision has stirred up a public outcry.
Hue said that if Vietnam needs to have a beauty to welcome international visitors, Ly Nha Ky is a good choice, but she is not appropriate to be the country’s Tourism Ambassador. “Whether Ly Nha Ky has good knowledge of Vietnam’s tourism and the world tourism to do her job?” he wondered.
Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, Fiditour’s representative, said that the tourism sector made a decision that is related to thousands of travel firms in Vietnam but it did not consult their opinions.
Phan Xuan Anh, director of Vietnam Travel Company, said that it is not important to have a tourism ambassador at this moment. He said the tourism sector should focus on key markets and profound activities rather than on surface activities.
“Ly Nha Ky does not make any considerable contribution to popular art, culture or tourism. On hearing her name, I can only think of someone who likes to expose her body,” said Ta Thi Cam Vinh, from the Ben Thanh Tourist.
Vu Huy Ngoc, from Vacation Travel Company, said that he wondered how Ly Nha Ky could persuade foreigner tourists to visit Vietnam when she herself is unpopular among travel agencies.
Cao Tri Dung, from Vitour, said choosing ambassadors should be publicized so that tourism businesses can nominate and vote.
Tran The Dung, from Young Generation Travel company, said a cultural ambassador should have a clean past while Ly Nha Ky involves with many scandals.
In May 2011, the actress angered many audiences when she wore a dress that showed part of her chest in a play titled “General Vo Nguyen Giap”, and the symphony of Dien Bien which was broadcast live on the national television channel.
At the Nha Trang Sea Festival in June, she was criticized for exhibiting 500 photos of herself in swimsuits and revealing clothes for a charity event. She is also criticized for taking many sexy photos. In addition, Ly Nha Ky is rumored with some love scandals.
Nguyen Van Tinh, head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of International Cooperation, explained why Ly Nha Ky was appointed as the Tourism Ambassador.

According to Tinh, a tourism ambassador needs to be a celebrity who contributes to the society. Ly Nha Ky had nominated herself and expressed a strong desire to contribute to Vietnamese tourism. She can also speak English, German and Chinese. Besides, Ky was an ambassador for Operation Smile Organization in 2009, and vice-chairwoman of the Sheen Hok Charitable Organization in Vietnam in 2008. She is thus capable of raising funds to promote tourism.
This official also said that Ly Nha Ky has agreed to campaign for Ha Long Bay, suggested inviting Jackie Chan to come to Vietnam and promote this campaign, and said she would herself sponsor a conference on cultural industry in Hong Kong to promote Vietnam tourism.
As for the several scandals Ly Nha Ky had gotten herself into, Tinh said they belonged to the past.
The decision to appoint Ly Nha Ky as Vietnam’s first tourism ambassador for a year, therefore, will remain unchanged despite her past scandals, confirmed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s spokesman To Van Dong.
“It’s not that everyone is against the decision. I read online news and saw many people supporting Ly Nha Ky. Her scandals aren’t about burning up anyone’s house or related to murders,” said Tinh. He said that his department had invited 10 beauty queens but none wanted to join them.
In an interview with local press, Ly Nha Ky affirmed that she would be prudent with everything she does and says.
“Everyone has two sides: instinctive and controlled. With a new role attached to national image, my words and actions will be adjusted accordingly. I hope everyone will look at the present me and the future me instead of the past me,” she said.
Born in the beach city of Vung Tau, Ly Nha Ky moved to Germany to pursue studies when she was 16. At 24, she returned home, started her acting career and became known for several TV series and movies.
Robert Tan, a Singaporean tourism expert, who has had close attachment with Vietnam’s tourism, said that some countries have chosen famous Vietnamese singers and actors as their tourism ambassadors in Vietnam, for example singer My Linh as tourism ambassador of South Korea and singer Hong Nhung as tourism ambassador of Malta. “Vietnam, thus, is impatient to seek someone as its tourism ambassador?” he questioned.
“If the tourism body chooses Ly Nha Ky as tourism ambassador, it should tell travel firms about tourism marketing programs that are based on her image. What will we advertise in the coming time? Her scandals should also be considered. However, the most important thing of Vietnam’s tourism now is keeping domestic tourists, because more Vietnamese choose foreign countries as their destinations,” Robert Tan said.
Some countries also appointed famous characters as their tourism ambassador, for example Jackie Chan of Hong Kong or Hello Kitty cat of Japan. Some others appointed tourism ambassador for specific markets.
Representative of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in HCM City said: “We only choose tourism ambassadors for specific markets that need promotion, for example India or Malaysia. It is very difficult to select a national tourism ambassador for the global market because each market has its own characters.”

Source: Tuoi Tre/VNE/VNN

China will next week launch an experimental craft paving the way for its first space station, an official said on Tuesday, bringing the growing Asian power closer to matching the United States and Russia with a long-term manned outpost in space.

Photo illustration, Photo: Internet

The Tiangong 1, or "Heavenly Palace," will blast off from a site in the Gobi Desert around September 27-30, adding a high-tech sheen to China's National Day celebrations on October 1, the Xinhua news agency said.
The small, unmanned "space lab" and the Long March rocket that will heave it skyward have been readied on a pad at Jiuquan in northwest Gansu province, Xinhua said, citing an unnamed spokesperson for the country's space program.
It will be the latest show of China's growing prowess in space, and comes while budget restraints and shifting priorities have held back U.S. manned space launches.
The big test comes weeks after its launch, when the eight ton craft attempts to join up with an unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft that China plans to launch.
"The main task of the Tiangong 1 flight is to experiment in rendezvous and docking between spacecraft," said the Chinese spokesperson, who added that this would "accumulate experience for developing a space station."
China's government will hope to set a successful Tiangong mission alongside other trophies of its growing technological prowess, including the launch of a trial aircraft carrier. And the launch, just before China's National Day holiday, is sure to come accompanied by a blaze of proud publicity.
"I would say there's a lot of political pressure to make sure that it's launched before the birthday party," said Morris Jones, a space analyst based in Sydney.
"The real test of Tiangong doesn't come with its flight as a solo mission. The real objective of this mission will come later on when it tries to dock with another spacecraft," said Jones.
"Without rendezvous and docking, you really cannot run an advanced space program. You're confined to launching small spacecraft that just operate by themselves," he told Reuters.
Russia, the United States and other countries jointly operate the International Space Station, to which China does not belong. But the United States will not test a new rocket to take people into space until 2017, and Russia has said manned missions are no longer a priority for its space program, which has struggled with delays and glitches.
Beijing is still far from catching up with space superpowers. The Tiangong launch is a trial step in Beijing's plans to eventually establish a space station.
"Tiangong-1 is, I think, primarily a technology test-bed," said Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert on China's space program at the U.S. Naval War College on Rhode Island, in emailed answers to questions.
"Technically, it has been compared to where the U.S. was during the Gemini program," she added, referring to NASA's manned space flights in the mid-1960s.
Over the next two years, China will probably attempt a Tiangong mission piloted by astronauts only after two initial missions, Gregory Kulacki, the China Project manager for Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote.
That feat will be followed by the launch of the Tiangong 2 and 3 space labs in following years, and preparations for a space station weighing 60 to 70 tons, wrote Kulacki.
"The real story is that when they eventually get around to building a space station it will look nothing like Tiangong," said Jones, the Australian expert.
"It's a test of a spacecraft that will one day be used as a cargo carrying vessel to a larger space station," he said.
This week, NASA unveiled plans for a deep-space rocket to carry astronauts to the moon and Mars. President Barack Obama has called for a human expedition to an asteroid by 2025 and a journey to Mars in the 2030s.
China launched its second moon orbiter last year after it became only the third country to send its astronauts walking in space outside their orbiting craft in 2008.
It plans an unmanned moon landing and deployment of a moon rover in 2012, and the retrieval of lunar soil and stone samples around 2017. Scientists have talked about the possibility of sending a man to the moon after 2020.
China is also jostling with neighbors Japan and India for a bigger presence in space, but its plans have faced international wariness. Beijing says its aims are peaceful.
"With most space technology dual-use -- of value to both civil and military communities -- anything done by China in space will have spillover to the military, much the same as NASA's technical advancements do in the U.S.," said Johnson-Freese, the expert from Rhode Island.
"Tiangong is not going to immediately or directly provide China any military capabilities," she said.

Source: Reuters

Thai PM's Twitter account hacked

Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra came under fire from her own Twitter account on Sunday when it was briefly taken over by an anonymous hacker who accused her of incompetence.

Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra came under fire from her own Twitter account on Sunday when it was briefly taken over by an anonymous hacker who accused her of incompetence. , Photo: AFP

Thailand's Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) ministry said it was investigating the hijacking of the PouYingluck tweet feed for around 20 minutes early Sunday.
Yingluck, the sister of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, was lambasted on a variety of subjects in eight posts, including her response to recent serious flooding and a number of key government policies.
"How can she protect the country, if she cannot protect her own Twitter account? Think about it," said the final post.
Yingluck, who was propelled to victory in a July 3 election with Thaksin's backing, has put forward a raft of measures, including a rise in the minimum wage, aimed at her poor and rural support base.
One of the hacked posts questioned a high profile promise to give tablet computers to schoolchildren, saying it was no substitute for education reform, while another accused Yingluck and her government of cronyism.
The tweets said that rather than "image building", the premier should look to find long term solutions for two months of flooding that has left more than 200 people dead and inundated huge swathes of the country.
Thailand deployed about 10,000 soldiers on Friday after Yingluck ordered the army to take action to assist flood victims.
The username PouYingluck refers to the Thai leader's nickname, Pou, which means crab.
ICT spokesman Songkran Taechanarong said the ministry was hunting for the hacker and was considering closing the prime minister's twitter account.
Thaksin, who remains a highly controversial figure in politically-divided Thailand, was removed from office by royalist generals in 2006 and lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.

Source: AFP

Exploring Cuc Phuong National Park

Coming to the northern province of Ninh Binh, after spending time on historical sites of Hoa Lu Capital (968-1009) such as temples of King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh in Hung Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District, visitors should not miss Cuc Phuong National Park in Nho Quan District, about 120 kilometers from Hanoi.

Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is the oldest national park in Vietnam. Nestled between the provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa, Cuc Phuong boasts engaging cultural and wildlife heritage and enchanting scenery. 
Covering over 22,000 hectares at a height of 300-600 meters above sea level, the forest has magnificent limestone mountains rising majestically from the green rice-terraces and traditional stilt houses of the Muong hill-tribe and a rich habitat for some of Asia’s rarest species. That is why it is no wonder that researchers, naturalists, enthusiasts and conservationists alike are drawn to this corner of the world.
The forest is also an archaeological site as there are many relics dating back 12,000 years such as tombs, arrows, axes and knives.
To Cuc Phuong, travelers firstly will be guided to visit the Cuc Phuong fauna garden where 2,000 fauna species grow. Then move onto the home of flora systems with 100 animals, 300 birds, 36 reptiles and fish, butterflies and insects. Some of the rare animals are panthers, bears, gibbons, flying squirrels and pheasants.
Lying in a limestone area, Cuc Phuong includes numerous caves, in which the highlights are ‘Nguoi Xua’ where two ancient tombs have been discovered, along with Neolithic remains and evidence of stone implements. There have been similar finds at Trang Khuyet (Crescent Moon), Thanh Minh and Con Mong Caves. While Hang Dan Cave is known for its bat population and Con Mooc Cave is famous for its biodiversity.
The forest is also known for centuries-old giant trees and giant lianas.
Hiking in Cuc Phuong will see you follow long trails and passing through old-growth forests with long vines wrapped around strangled trees, where you will visit caves, waterfalls and streams in the forest or stop over at a Muong ethnic village. Tourists will see stilt houses, waterwheels, bamboo rafts, brocade looms and insights into the unique Muong culture.

Source: SGT

Hạ Long Bay enters New7Wonders final

President of the NewopenWorld Bernaro on September 27 in the northern province of Quảng Ninh handed over a certificate to local authorities to confirm that Hạ Long Bay entered the final round of the online poll for seven new world natural wonders (New7Wonders).

 A corner of Hạ Long Bay – Illustration photo

Mr. Bernaro expressed his impression of the natural picturesque beauty of Hạ Long Bay, affirming that he would vote it for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. He also promised to send voting message to the outside world.

In the coming time, Quảng Ninh province will sprint to gather more votes for Hạ Long Bay, especially via short message service (SMS), said Mr. Phạm Minh Chính, Quảng Ninh Provincial Party Secretary.

In addition, Quảng Ninh will invest more in tourism activities and preserve the environment for Hạ Long Bay to become an attractive and impressive destination for both domestic and foreign visitors.

NewopenWorld will officially announce the voting outcomes of the New7Wonders on November 11, 2011./.

Source: VGP News

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Hanoi, Hoi An among best Asian destinations

Hanoi and Hoi An ancient quarter in the central province of Quang Nam have been named among the top ten destinations in Asia for 2011, in an online poll conducted by Hong Kong-based travel and trade journal, Smart Travel Asia.

Hoi An

Hanoi is ranked equal sixth with Shanghai, China while Hoi An was jointly rated seventh with Rajastan, India and Seoul, Republic of Korea, according to the poll organised by the magazine which is regarded as a leading authority on the regional travel industry.
The Metropole Hanoi and The Nam Hai shared the first position in the travel magazine’s list of Top 25 Leisure Hotels and Resorts.
Last year, the Nam Hai ranked second while the Metropole was third.
Coming second this year is the Peninsula in Hong Kong . The Amandari Hotel and the Bulgari Resort, both on Indonesia ’s island of Bali , shared third.
In addition, the Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City claimed 23rd on the list of top business hotels in Asia .
Aside from being named Asia’s Top Leisure Hotel and Resort, the Metropole was also ranked 18th on the list of Asia’s Top 25 Business Hotels and 8th among Asia ’s Top 25 Conference Hotels. The Nam Hai collected an additional award as one of Asia ’s three Top Spa Hotels and Resorts.
A total of six Vietnam properties made the poll lists, including the Park Hyatt Hotel Saigon, the Furama Resort Danang, and Princess d’Annam Resort and Spa in Ke Ga Bay of Binh Thuan province.

Vietnam’s Internet Protocol TV market will boom in two years

Though IPTV now has many good conditions to develop, including the cheap terminal devices and the issuance of the paid-TV legal framework, IPTV still has not become popular in Vietnam, because the service users still complain about the low quality of pictures and the poor content of programs.



According to Multimedia Research Group, the number of IPTV subscribers worldwide may reach 92.8 million by 2012 (the figure was 24 million in 2008), while the annual growth rate would be 31 percent. Of these, the number of subscribers in Asia would reach 40 million by 2012, which is equal to that of Europe, while the figure was 8 million by the end of 2008.
In Vietnam, FPT Telecom is considered the pioneer in commercializing IPTV services in the country. Since March 1, 2006, FPT Telecom began officially provided IPTV services under the name of iTV, which was then later named into OneTV in 2011.
On May 12, 2009, VTC Digicom, in cooperation with Hai Phong Telecom, launched IPTV services in Hai Phong City. VTC Digicom has also joined forces with local telcos to provide services in six more provinces, including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Binh Duong and Hue City.
Meanwhile, VASC Company, a subsidiary of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) began running IPTV in a trial basis in 2008, and then has been officially providing IPTV nationwide since 2009, under the brand MyTV.
According to Nguyen Van Hai, Director of VASC, with the high growth of the number of subscribers year after year, MyTV has obtained 500,000 subscribers after two years of providing the services. Especially, the proportion of left subscribers is very small, i.e…only one or two subscribers leave in every 1000 subscribers.
“It is estimated that MyTV has 100 new subscribers every day and 30,000 subscribers every month. The average revenue per subscriber is 70,000 dong,” Hai said.
He added that MyTV has 90 TV channels, including 13 HD channels and on-demand services, including feature films, music, karaoke, games, sports, reading books, education and healthcare.
The representative of FPT Telecom said that its oneTV has 74 channels and many other types of services, including replay TV (users can replay programs within 48 hours), video on demand, programs for children, English for children, music and art performance…
The representative said that the number of subscribers of OneTV has reached over 30,000, while the figure is expected to rise to 70,000 by the end of 2011. Regarding the revenue, the package service fees are from 40,000 to 80,000 dong a month, depending on the localities. FPT Telecom has been trying to collect 30,000 dong more from subscribers on their use other kinds of services.
Meanwhile, Viettel’s IPTV under the NetTV brand has got 15,000 subscribers, while the company hopes to obtain 300,000 subscribers in the next few years. The subscribers are mostly from southern provinces such as Tay Ninh, Binh Duong and Can Tho, where cable TV has not developed, instead of big cities like Hanoi or HCM City.
The representative of FPT Telecom said that though pioneering in the IPTV market, it has realized that IPTV did not bring big profit and had not paid much attention to developing the services since 2008.
Later, in 2010, FPT Telecom reconsidered the market performance and decided that the IPTV market would really witness a boom after three more years. However, a lot of good conditions which back up the development of the IPTV have appeared: terminal devices for IPTV have become cheaper, while the legal framework on paid-TV has been issued which would help people get familiar to paid-TV, while the technical infrastructure has become good enough to run IPTV with stable quality.
Meanwhile, experts say they have every reason to believe that the IPTV market would boom in just two years instead of three.
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