Hoi An ancient city in central Quang Nam province (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Tourism in Vietnam and other countries in the lower part of the Mekong River such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand has been booming in recent years, which is expected to help Vietnam draw investment from diverse sources both at home and abroad.
Michael Duck, Vice President of Informa Markets Asia Corporation, said there are more flights in Vietnam connecting domestic and foreign locations. For example, new airline Vinpearl Air is expected to start flying soon after receiving a business licence in July.
Earlier, in December 2018, Air Asia signed a memorandum of understanding with local partners in Vietnam reaffirming its intention to establish a low-cost airline, he added.
Recently, many international hotel groups have revealed plans to build more locations in Vietnam. Specifically, Oyo Hotels & Homes will invest 50 million USD in Vietnam in the next years. Meanwhile, Eastin Grand Resort Vung Tau Vietnam will open in 2022 with 192 villas and 4,000 resort units, and Centara Hotels & Resort strives to open at least 20 new hotels in Vietnam by 2024.
The luxury cruise ship Mekong Jewel is expected to begin its journey down the Mekong River by 2020. This will open up a new market for travellers who want a luxurious and unique vacation by cruise ships from Vietnam to Cambodia.
In particular, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 45 million USD loan for Vietnam, which will be used to develop Hoa Binh, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue into competitive tourist destinations.
Katerina Giannouka, President of the Radisson Hotel Group in Asia-Pacific, said the central coast of Vietnam is becoming one of the most attractive destinations in Asia.
Particularly, the ancient city of Hoi An gives visitors a perfect blend of the charm of ancient culture and modernity. This is also why the Radisson Hotel Group has participated in a number of projects in Vietnam, including the Radisson Blu Hoi An project, she added.
Vietnam welcomed 11.3 million international tourists in the first eight months of 2019, a year-on-year rise of 8.7 percent. The country aims to serve 17.5-18 million foreign arrivals and 85 million domestic ones this year.-VNA
VNA
