A book featuring 200 Hanoians’ authentic dishes will be published on the occasion of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Nhan Dan- The Spring Flower Festival opened in Phu My Hung urban area, Ho Chi Minh City on February 6.

Nhan Dan- The fifth Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival of the southern Khmer ethnic minority people will be held in April in Tinh Bien district, An Giang province.

The tourism sector needs to focus on the local market, considering it as the sector’s key to future development, a senior official has said.

The Tich Dien Mua Xuan (Spring Ploughing) Festival, which was initiated more than 1,000 years ago to promote agriculture, will take place in the northern province of Ha Nam from February 18-20 (from the fifth to seventh day of the first lunar month).

Hanoi plans to put into operation five more luxury hotels, offering an additional 2,000 rooms during 2010, the National Tourism Year.

Nhan Dan Online- Mong ethnic minority people in Son La northern mountainous province normally celebrate their lunar New Year festival (Tet) from lunar November 30 to lunar December 5.

Vietnam’s second international kite festival will be held from March 24-28 in the southern city of Vung Tau.

Two showrooms featuring Oc Eo and Champa cultures opened at the Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnam History Museum on January 12.

Nhan Dan- A new kind of tour to discover Vietnam’s traditional martial arts has recently been introduced to visitors.

A photo exhibition opened in Beijing on January 11 to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations.

A wide range of activities will take place in the northern province of Phu Tho to celebrate the death anniversary of the Hung Kings and the opening of the Hung Temple Festival, to take place from April 14 to 23.

Nhan Dan- During the first days of the New Year, the number of both domestic and international visitors to different localities of Vietnam increases sharply, according to Vietnam Administration of Tourism.

Falling in love with Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam is falling in love with its wonderful alleys, which for locals are the soul of their home town.

A traditional Vietnamese cookery competition will take place in Hanoi from January 5 to 9.

As of 6am on January 1, 2010, Hanoi received its first 300 European tourists from Paris, France on flight of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

Cat Ba island welcomes its one millionth tourist

Nhan Dan - Cat Ba island in the northern port city of Hai Phong has received its one millionth tourist.

Nhan Dan - Da Lat City in the central province of Lam Dong has officially been recognised as the city of flower festival according to an official dispatch No 2567/TTg-KGVX, signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung on December 22.

Nhan Dan- The Buon Me Thuot-Dak Lak Tourism and Culture Week entitled “ The Legend of the Central Highlands Elephant” opened in the central highlands province of Dak Lak on December 16.

The 15th anniversary of Ha Long Bay’s recognition as a world natural heritage was celebrated in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on December 15.

Nhan Dan – Duy Xuyen district People’s Committee of Quang Nam province has recently held a meeting to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of My Son sanctuary since its being recognised as the World Cultural Heritage.

A series of activities to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Ha Long Bay’s recognition as the world natural heritage (December 7) will be held in Hanoi from December 11-14, according to the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee.

The US-based Frommer’s travel magazine has recommended Hanoi as one of the 12 most attractive destinations for 2010.

Hanoi is holding a floral festival, only the second of its kind, on the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake) in the centre of the capital from December 30, 2009, to January 1, 2010, which will turn the area into a gigantic flower basket.

The Saigon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) has just begun a busy season of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tours, welcoming more than 10,000 visitors in November alone.

Nhan Dan Online- Quang Nam Tourism and Culture Week which is to open in Hanoi tomorrow aims to promote culture, history and tourism of the central province of Quang Nam to Hanoians as well as to domestic and foreign investors.

The Minh Viet Investment Joint Stock Company (MVIC) on Nov. 15 announced that it will invest in building Bay View Towers in Ha Long in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh.

Nhan Dan Online- The second Korean food festival and exhibition in Vietnam opened last night in Hanoi.

A map of Vietnam made from 1,000 gold dragons worth nearly VND 1 billion  will be highlighted at the ‘Quang Nam Culture-Tourism Week’ in Hanoi at the end of November.

Nhan Dan Online- The annual Vietnam – China international trade and tourism fair will be held in Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh northern province from December 4 to 12.

An art performance and an ethnic costume show presented by Hoa people in the southern province of Soc Trang as part of main activities to mark the Ooc Om Boc festival, concluded on November 1.

Nhan Dan – The Red (Hong) River Delta possesses a variety of natural and humane tourism resources. Hanoi ancient capital city along with thousands of historical and cultural relic sites; traditional craft villages and intangible cultural heritage systems all converge in the Red River Delta, making it possible a key tourism centre of the nation, Luu Nhan Vinh tells more.

The up-coming Mekong-Japan Tourism and Cultural Festival is aimed at highlighting the unique aspects of local culture to promote Mekong Delta tourism, affirmed Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Chien Thang at a press briefing in Hanoi on October 26.

A photo contest promoting tourism has been launched under the theme of Vietnam -My Homeland.

Hoi An town in the central province of Quang Nam is building a VND 2 billion tourism promotion plan between now and 2010.

Hanoi plays host of national tourism year 2010

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on the evening of Oct. 10 to celebrate the 999th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and announce the Year of National Tourism 2010.

Nhan Dan- Hanoi today lauches the 2010 Tourism Year with the theme “Thang Long – Hanoi – Thousand Year of Convergence” today, on October 10 after months of preparations.

Vietnam Airlines on October 9 opened a direct route linking Hanoi and Fukuoka city in Japan’s southern Kyushu island.

National carrier Vietnam Airlines (VA) announced an increase on many international and domestic routes from October 25 this year to March 27 next year in response to increasing demand.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said on October 8 that Ha Long Bay has been ranked as one of the 150 most beautiful natural wonders in the world by the French leading e-magazine, L’Internaute.

Hanoi’s tourism authorities and travel agents have kicked off various activities in the run up to National Tourism Year 2010 which takes the theme of “Thang Long-Hanoi, a thousand years of coming together.”

Foreign tourists OK’d to use right-hand drive

Foreign visitors will be allowed to use right-hand-drive cars in Vietnam following a Government decree on the issue to come into force on November 15.

Efforts to build Ha Long free from smoke

Nhan Dan - Ha Long city is determined to make the city a smoke free tourism city. The announcement was made at a ceremony on September 26 in Ha Long City.

Nhan Dan Online – The direct flight connecting Pleiku (Gia Lai) with Hanoi and vice-versa will be launched on October 27.

Nhan Dan - Vietnam has comparative advantage for sea travel, compared to many other regional countries. These values can be used to create special sea tourism products, with national pride. However, income from sea travel is still low in Vietnam, which poses question for the development of Vietnam’s sea travel brand.

Tourism Year 2010 to kick off next month

National Tourism Year 2010 will kick off starting next month with a series of commemorations of the 999th anniversary of the capital Thang Long-Hanoi, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (VNTA) said.

Central Highlands province busy for Gong festival

The atmosphere in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai these days is heating up with preparations for the International Gong Festival which is scheduled to be organised on November 12-15.

Laos eyes Luong Prabang-Dien Bien Phu air route

The Lao government has agreed to the opening of a direct air route between the Lao province of Luong Prabang and Vietnam’s north-western city of Dien Bien Phu.

Da Lat ‘Crazy House’ joins bizarre global list

A uniquely odd architectural work in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat, has been shortlisted by the Chinese People’s Daily as one of the world’s ten most bizarre buildings.

Tourism year 2010 to be kicked off in October

Hanoi’s authorities are set to launch a ceremony to announce the National Tourism Year 2010 and commemorate the 999th anniversary of the Thang Long-Hanoi capital on October 10.

Promoting culture, arts, sport and tourism activities in rural areas

Nhan Dan - A co-ordination programme which aims to promote culture, arts, sport and tourism activities in rural areas in the 2009-2014 period was signed by the Vietnam Farmers' Association and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi yesterday.

Thai Nguyen praises outstanding cultural villages

Nhan Dan - A ceremony to honour outstanding cultural villages was held by the People's Committee of the northern province of Thai Nguyen yesterday.

Khmer people cheer Sene Dolta Festival

Nhan Dan/VNA- Nearly 1.3 million Khmer people in Mekong Delta localities are celebrating the Sene Dolta Festival, a Khmer holiday to express their gratitude and appreciation to their ancestors.

Nhan Dan – Vietnam has around 40,000 relics across the country, including five relics recognised by the UNESCO and 3,000 others classified as national relics. However, not until now, the Institute for Preservation of Vietnamese Relics and its partners have recently started a project to make maps of the country’s relics.

Hoi An ancient town protects environment for sustainable tourism  development

Nhan Dan- Environmental protection is now an issue of great concern of Hoi An administration in Quang Nam province. On September 9, they organised the first ever Day without Nylon Bags – Nature Day as an effort for sustainable development of tourism in city of world cultural heritage.