Nhan Dan Online- The Vietnam Tourism Association (VTA) held a ceremony in Hanoi on July 5 to announce the top ten travel agents and hotels in Vietnam in 2007. This is the highest prize for the Vietnamese tourism sector, which is given annually to honour the top ten international travel agents and hotels.

The top ten hotels providing the most impressive services in 2007 were listed in order of voting as follows: the Caravelle, Hanoi Melia, Hanoi Sofitel Plaza, Ben Thanh (Rex) Hotel), Cuu Long (Majestic) Hotel, De Nhat (First) Hotel, Hanoi Nikko Hotel, Hanoi Metropole Hotel,  Dong Khoi (Grand) Hotel, and Ana Mandara Nha Trang.

Top ten travel agents were in order of voting as follows Saigontourist, Exotissimo-Cesais Tourism Joint-Venture, APEX Vietnam, Vietnam-Hanoi Tourism Joint Stock Company, Ho Guom-Diethelm Joint Venture, Ben Thanh Tourism Company, Tan Dinh-Fiditourist Joint Stock Company, Hoa Binh Tourism Company, Huong Giang Travel Agent and Orient Tourism and Trade Company.

This year, the VTA presented two additional prizes based on survey results from their website http://www.vietnamtourism.com.vn. According to these results, the hotel providing the best services in 2007 was Yasaja-Saigon-Nha Trang Hotel in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa and the most reliable travel agent was Sasco Tourism Company.

At the ceremony, deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Chien Thang affirmed that the award is an honour for travel agents and hotels which have made a great contribution to boost tourism sector, making it to become a key industry in economic and social development. He also said he hoped that the sector would receive 4.5 to 5 million of international visitors this year.