Japanese community celebrates Bon Odori festival in HCM City

The Japanese community celebrated together with Vietnamese friends Bon Odori, a traditional festival, at the Japanese School in South Sai Gon, District 7, last week.

The festive event included a picnic in the schoolyard featuring traditional Japanese and Vietnamese foods and games, drum and vocal performances, a best yukata (traditional Japanese costume) contest, and Bon Odori dancing.

Travel firm organises first of a kind trans-ASEAN caravan tour

Vinh Tan Tourism and Trade Company (Vyta Tours) wanved off in HCM City a caravan tour through five ASEAN member-countries on Wednesday, the first of its kind to take in Viet Nam.

Nine tourists from the US, Canada, and Norway left on the two-month tour that will travel through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, and Viet Nam.

Phan Than, director of Vyta Tours, said the tour cost nearly US$20,000 per person.

Windsor Hotel to hold Oktoberfest in HCM City with German business group

Windsor Plaza Hotel and the German Business Association will organise the traditional annual German beer festival, Oktoberfest, from October 8 to 12 in HCM City.

The five-day festival will offer a chance for beer-lovers to enjoy different kinds of draught and bottled beer and enjoy German music, dancing, food, and traditional games.

German Ambassador Rolf Schulze will perform the "O’zapftis" or the traditional tapping of the first beer barrel, signalling the opening of the festival.

Thailand tourism authority honours Saigontourist with award

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has awarded Saigontourist Travel Service Co the Friend of Thailand Awards that is given to individuals, international tour operators, and airlines.

The awards are based on criteria like the number of tourists sent to Thailand, tourism products, traditional activities, and promotional campaigns by Vietnamese travel agents.

Last year the number of tourists Saigontourist took to Thailand increased by 37 per cent over 2006. The company operates daily tours to Thailand with at least 25 people on each of them.

In the first eight months this year, Saigontourist sent more than 250 groups to Thailand, up 20 per cent compared with last year.

South Korea promotes Viet Nam tourism exchange with new flights

Korean Air has announced it will increase the capacity on its Ha Noi-Seoul route by 60 per cent from October 26. It will replace its 180-seat Boeing 737-900s, with 269-seat Airbus A330-300s.

It will also launch an advertising campaign in South Korea promoting Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay as tourist attractions. South Korea will also waive visas for Vietnamese tourists flying to the US, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand who make a two-day stopover in Seoul. — VNS