Month: January 2022

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has won three ASEAN tourism awards, which will be presented at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2022 in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on January 19.

Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Tran Huu Thuy Giang told Vietnam News the awards were seen an honour for the endless efforts made by the provincial tourism industry in challenging COVID-19.

Hue, which offers its unique tourism service: One Destination-Five UNESCO recognised world heritages, bagged the ASEAN MICE destination, while Silk Path Hotel and Vedana Lagoon Resort and Spa took the ‘green hotel and resort’ prize.

Tour services in the former imperial capital, royal palace and tombs as well as the ancient architecture of Hue monuments complex won the ASEAN sustainable tourism product.

Giang said the awards would help the local tourism recover strongly in 2022 and help other destinations in central Vietnam.

The provincial tourism board also introduced the winner of the ‘gastronomy capital logo’ – an initial step to building a unique cuisine brand in Thua Thien-Hue, which will promote tourism in the coming years.

Hue hosted the first 151 tourists visiting the province in the New Year on a flight on Vietnam Airlines on January 1.

Giang said Hue would be offering its unique tourism service – One Destination-Five UNESCO recognised world heritages – to attract visitors to the central city in 2022.

Hue, the imperial capital in Vietnam for over 100 years, has been a unique destination in central Vietnam with its five UNESCO heritage offerings: the ancient citadel relic complex, Hue royal court music, Nguyen Dynasty’s wooden blocks, Nguyen Dynasty’s royal administrative documents, and literature on Hue royal architecture.

In the past years, Hue was presented with ASEAN Clean Tourist Awards with Hoi An city in Quang Nam province, and Da Lat city in Lam Dong province, with the titles valid for 2018-2020.

Thua Thien-Hue province’s Department of Culture and Sports has revived the wearing of the ao dai (traditional long dress), promoting the beauty of the 300-year-old long dress fashion.

Hue city, a tourism hub in central Vietnam, aims to be a ‘zero plastic waste’ destination by 2030.

The central destination has hosted the International Hue Festival for 20 years.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on January 1 coordinated with authorities of Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang city and Thua Thien – Hue province to hold ceremonies to welcome the first tourists to the localities.

The airline said the first visitors to HCM City and Thua Thien-Hue departed from Hanoi, while those to Da Nang boarded a flight from HCM City.

The events were parts of a cooperation programme between Vietnam Airlines and the municipal and provincial People’s Committees.

Member carriers of Vietnam Airlines Group are planning to resume 10 more domestic air routes from January 2022, raising the number of such routes to nearly 50.

The group, comprising Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and VASCO, will reopen the routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Quang Ninh province; Hai Phong city with Da Lat, Buon Ma Thuot, and Nha Trang cities; Thanh Hoa province with Buon Ma Thuot and Da Lat; Vinh city with Buon Ma Thuot, Nha Trang, and Da Lat; and Hue city with Da Lat.

The routes are scheduled to resume from January 16, with three to four flights per week each.

The carriers will also increase the flight frequency on many routes to an average of about 300 one-way flights per day in total.

Vietnam Airlines is also planning to resume regular international flights linking Vietnam with 15 countries and territories in the first half of 2022. The resumption will be carried out in two phases and depend on relevant agencies’ approval.

In the first phase, scheduled to begin on January 1 and last for about two weeks, the national flag carrier will conduct round-trip flights between Vietnam and the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

Each route will have one to four flights per week, and the frequency will gradually increase basing on passengers’ demand and anti-pandemic requirements.

Meanwhile, the firm is set to reopen air routes connecting the country with the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Australia, Hong Kong (China), and Malaysia in the second phase.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are rare and endangered animals which are facing a risk of extinction on a global scale and are being protected by many countries around the world, including Vietnam.

Vietnam has carried out many programmes and action plans to conserve sea turtles. Con Dao National Park in southern Ba Ria – Vung Tau province is the first place in the country to successfully implement a sea turtle conservation programme.

Vietnam has a long coastline stretching over 3,260 kilometres and thousands of islands, which are home to many species of sea turtles such as green turtle (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). These species are currently protected at the highest level in accordance with Vietnamese and international laws. Many localities have formed marine protected areas with activities to rescue sea turtles, protect spawning grounds and turtle eggs with Con Dao being a typical example.

Nguyen Khac Pho, Director of the Con Dao National Park Management Board (NPMB), said that since 1994 it has implemented a sea turtle conservation programme that focuses on researching ecological characteristics of the sea turtles, protecting nesting habitats and egg nests and building hatcheries. Specific action programmes include wearing tags, satellite locators, and moving egg nests to a safe place as well as creating a safe hatching station, inspecting and releasing baby turtles to the sea.

The management board has also issued regulations on the conservation of habitats and spawning grounds of sea turtles associated with ecological activities of the Con Dao National Park, aiming at providing better protection for mother turtles, newly hatched turtles and eggs.

According to Pho, the Con Dao National Park is the first place in Vietnam to successfully carry out a sea turtle conservation programme. The number of sea turtles laying eggs in Con Dao accounts for about 90 percent of the number of sea turtles in Vietnam. In 2021, sea turtles were found to nest on Con Dao island from January to November with the peak season lasting from June to October.

About 1,956 egg nests were recorded on 13 beaches in the Con Dao National Park and an estimated 647 mother turtles went to the nesting grounds as of November 20, 2021.

The protection of the sea turtles is an outstanding success of the park, contributing to the conservation of endangered marine species worldwide.

In 2022, the management board will implement a plan to manage and conserve the sea turtles, creating favourable conditions for mother turtles to lay eggs. It will coordinate with Con Dao Resort Ltd. Co. in realising a project on preserving sea turtle spawning grounds at Dat Doc in the 2021-2025 period. The board will also collaborate with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in Vietnam in organising a volunteer programme on sea turtles conservation in 2022.

With the success of sea turtle conservation activities, Con Dao has been recognised as an official member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia (IOSEA), becoming the 11th member of the marine turtle conservation network.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Developing energy is a strategic task to realise the goal of industrialisation and modernisation.

Over the past years, the energy industry has developed strongly in all stages, from exploration and exploitation to production, transmission, distribution and use. However, with the demand for energy expanding 10.5 percent yearly, Vietnam has to import 1-2 percent of the total capacity of the entire power system.

It is forecast that Vietnam will face a shortage of energy in the future. Therefore, the development of other energy sources apart from fossil fuels is becoming more and more important in Vietnam’s energy structure.

Renewable energy will contribute to addressing the energy shortage, diversifying energy sources, easing risks, enhancing and ensuring national energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing global climate change.

Addressing the recent Vietnam Energy and Technology Forum 2021, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said Vietnam has consolidated a legal corridor to promote investment in green technology and renewable energy development.

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Nam Binh 1 wind power project with nine turbines installed (Photo: VNA)

The State and the Government have adopted various strategies, resolutions, mechanisms and policies to facilitate renewable energy development, he said, adding that by the end of September 2021, renewable energy, excluding hydropower, has reached 22.68 billion KWh, accounting for 11.8 percent of the total electricity output.

In a draft science and technology development strategy for the 2021-2030 period, to be submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister for approval, attention has been paid to the restructuring of national science and technology programmes, he noted.

Hoang Tien Dung, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority, said the National Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8) for the 2021 – 2030 period has placed focus on the renewables, such as wind power, offshore wind power and solar energy.

Provided with supporting policies, green energy generation is expected to account for about 70 percent of the total output, Dung said, adding that Vietnam is in the early stage of shifting from fossil fuels to renewables.

Smart grids and integrated energy storage technologies are the future of Vietnam’s energy sector, he said, adding that Vietnam should start thinking about producing hydro and hydro storage technology in the coming time when it is able to maintain large-scale renewable power generation.

According to the updated report of ‘non-hydro’ renewable energy sources of Vietnam Energy Magazine – VER (August 2020), Vietnam’s total onshore wind power potential is estimated at about 217 GW, and its offshore wind power potential is around 160 GW.

Meanwhile, the potential of solar power nationwide stays at some 386 GW, mainly in the South, the South-central region and the Central Highlands.

Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), said wind energy installed in Vietnam has surpassed the mark of 4 GW, noting that the energy will play an important role for Vietnam to gradually phase out coal power.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

As a driving force of economic growth, enterprises should be more proactive in building production and business plans in the new situation given complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has said.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in an interview on the threshold of the New Year, Dien said that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in which Vietnam has joined have been opening the door for exports and offering an opportunity for Vietnam to connect and integrate deeper into global value chains and production networks.

Of these, new-generation FTAs such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) or the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) are being implemented comprehensively and effectively.

In fact, since taking effect on August 1, 2020, the EVFTA has created a huge boost for Vietnam’s exports, helping to diversify export markets and products. Investment attraction between Vietnam and the EU have also benefited from the agreement.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which will enter into force in 2022 will create a new free trade area that facilitates trade and investment. It will open up a stable and long-term export market for Vietnamese enterprises while offering opportunities to attract foreign investment, contributing to economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister said.

However, according to Dien, enterprises should be proactive in looking for information as well as thoroughly grasping the commitments of Vietnam and partners in the field of business and production to fully tap the benefits that these agreements bring about. It was necessary for them to carry out innovation and enhance their competitiveness to develop and seize opportunities in the new context.

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Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. (Photo: VNA)

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will focus on connecting administrative procedures related to the State management in the import and export sector with the National Single Window and the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Single Window, and enhancing market forecasts, policies and trading practices to help enterprises improve their competitiveness and penetrate into the market effectively.

The MoIT will also devise specific plans on inspection, control and handling of administrative violations on smuggled and counterfeit goods, goods that do not meet food safety regulations and especially those relating to e-commerce and origin of goods. Inspections on listing the price, combating speculation and unreasonable price increases during holidays or pandemics will be strengthened, he said.

Source: Vietnam News Agency