Socialist Republic of Vietnam

(VNA) The Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park and the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty of Vietnam are among 37 heritage sites proposed for inscription into the UNESCO World Heritage List as natural and cultural properties.

Addressing the on-going session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Irina Bokova said that the 35th session will examine the World Heritage List, the state of conservation of 169 World Heritage properties and increasing challenges to the preservation of these sites.

(VietNamNet Bridge)  The world’s first 3-dimension scientific reportage is about Vietnam’s Son Doong cave and it will be broadcast in 60 countries on June 25.

The 3D reportage was produced by Japan’s Kyodo Film and will be broadcast on Japan’s NHK World TV in 60 countries, according to officials from Quang Binh province, the home to Son Doong, which is classified as the largest cave in the world.

(VietNamNet Bridge ) The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is planning to hold more cultural and tourism festivals in foreign countries like South Korea, Japan, Russia and Norway this year to promote inbound travel.

Nguyen Van Tinh, head of the ministry’s International Cooperation Bureau, told the Daily that along with such festivals, the bureau would arrange familiarization trips for foreign media to look into the country’s tourism potentials.

Phu Quoc is not only a beautiful island but also one of the most interesting places to visit in Vietnam. With a new regulation granted by the Prime Minister exempting visa requirements for international tourists, Phu Quoc is opening up to welcome international cruise ships to the picturesque island.

Thanh Nien and Tuan Chau Resort launched Monday an international campaign to vote for Ha Long Bay, a famous seascape in northern Vietnam, as one of the world’s seven new natural wonders.
Situated in the gulf of Tonkin, it was acknowledged as a World Heritage twice – in 1994 and 2000.

The US-based Rockingham Corporation has reached agreement in principle with Vietnam’s southern Kien Giang province to lease land for a US$1.2 billion tourism complex on Phu Quoc Island.
The province has agreed to make available 923 ha on the island but further details of the agreement are awaited. It will allot the land by next year.

Experience luxury travel at very affordable prices
By Joel Widzer
Travel columnist
Tripso.com
Updated: 12:55 p.m. ET Nov 9, 2006
I have traveled a lot this year. In fact, I have traveled 245,000 miles to 21 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Panama, Mexico, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Ethiopia, Korea and Vietnam.

And which is the Contrarian Traveler’s best bet?

Vietnam, hands down.

It’s cheap, it’s safe and there's much to see and do, so it’s no wonder that more and more Americans are coming to Vietnam these days.

“What happed with earthquakes and tsunamis in other parts of the region, Americans want to travel to Vietnam”, says Mr. Losebastien, Secretary General of the ASEAN Tourism Association.

A tour of five Central Highland provinces programme will be launched by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) to attract a large number of international and domestic tourists.