Famous French chef to visit Hanoi

The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel will present a French dining experience featuring the cuisine of Chef Gilles Reinhardt – executive chef of Paul Bocuse’s3-Michelin star restaurant – from October 29 to November 1.

Chef Gilles Reinhardt is generally considered one of the greatest chefs of the 20th century.  He has also been awarded the prestigious title of “Meilleurs Ouvriers de France” presented by French President Jacques Chirac in 2004.

Chef Gilles will present a dinner menu, consisting of ‘Black Truffle Soup V.G.E’, Scallops Gnocchi, Bourgeois-Style Pan-Roasted Pigeon and Lobster Gratin Fernand Point and many more dishes.

The major menu is ‘Black Truffle Soup V.G.E,’ a legendary dish Paul Bocuse created in 1975 and served to former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing at the Elysée Palace of Paris.

Viet Nam sees tourist influx

The number of visitors from Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India has increased sharply during the peak tourism season.

Tour companies also said that the number of visitors demanding halal food has increased by 30 per cent this year.

The travel firms said Russian tourists prefer to go to destinations like Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan, and Phu Quoc.

Until the end of the year there will be seven or eight flights daily bringing Russian visitors.

VN 2nd ‘best-value' holiday

Viet Nam ranks second among best-value destinations to go on a holiday, according to leading global travel search site Skyscanner.

The website says Viet Nam is a well established stop on the Southeast Asia trail, describing the country as a beautiful, unspoilt destination with super cheap tourist services.

The top position goes to neighbouring Cambodia.

The website says: "You can easily get by on 5 pounds (VND170,000) a day, which includes a guest house, local food, transport and a bit of drinking. Just imagine the lifestyle you could have if you stretched to 10 pounds!"

Viet Nam is followed by Bolivia, Hungary, Honduras, Bulgaria, Sri Lanka, Argentina, and Egypt.

Da Nang hotel wins awards

The InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort has been honoured with four awards in various categories at the World Travel Awards.

These include Asia's Leading Hotel Dining and Entertainment Experience, Leading Luxury Resort, Viet Nam's Leading Resort and Viet Nam's Leading Spa Resort.

The resort was also nominated for the World's Leading Hotel Dining and Entertainment Experience, along with La Cigale Hotel in Qatar; Le Meridien She Shan in Shanghai, China; MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada; Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth, Australia; Sun City Resort in South Africa; and the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.

Last year, the Da Nang-based facility was voted Best New Resort and Viet Nam's Leading Resort.

Architect Bill Bensley of Bensley Design Studios in Bangkok designed the iconic 197-room resort, located 600m above sea level on the Son Tra Peninsula. In 2012, Conde Nast Traveller chose the resort as one of the 154 best new hotels in the world.

The northern province of Ninh Binh should methodically transform itself into a cosmopolitan tourism hub of the nation, capitalising upon its inherent cultural and natural resources.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh made the statement at a working session with provincial leaders on October 16.

Minister Tuan Anh specifically noted Ninh Binh should promote the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, which is a UNESCO World heritage site, to attract both domestic and foreign tourists.

He urged the province to organize a ceremony to receive the UNESCO certification on January 25, 2015 and to publicise the event widely to kick off the start of National Tourism Year 2015.

For his part, Ninh Binh provincial People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Huu Binh proposed that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism finance the construction of a multi-functional theatre and reservation of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.

As of September, Ninh Binh had received 3.8 million arrivals, meeting 80% of the yearly plan, grossing VND789 billion in revenue.

Da Nang seeks to draw in more tourists

Central Da Nang City’s tourism sector is implementing a host of measures to attract more tourists, especially international tourists.

The city will focus on diversifying and improving the quality of products and services, as well as upgrading the information network that serves the sector.

Director of the city’s Tourism Promotion Centre Nguyen Xuan Binh said the centre offered discounts and promotions, including MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism, to bring in tourists during the low season from September to December.

Additionally, the city is seeking ways to promote the city’s image while expanding its promotional programmes in key domestic and international markets.

Da Nang’s tourism sector set up a tourism promotion plan for 2015-2020, with the overall objective of sustainable tourism growth in the future.

According to the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 3 million visitors came to Da Nang between January and October, generating nearly 7,900 billion VND (376 million USD) for the sector, a 28.7 percent year-on-year increase.

Jetstar Pacific Airlines selling 20,000 ‘zero fare’ tickets

Budget airline Jetstar Pacific started selling 20,000 ‘zero fare’ tickets on October 17, as one of activities to celebrate the 84th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) (October 20, 1930 – 2014).

The tickets (excluding tax and other additional fees) are available on the airline’s website at www.jetstar.com or www.mobile.jetstar.com, as well as through hotline 1900 1550 and the airline's ticket offices.

The airline has launched the promotion programme from 11a.m on October 17 to 12:59pm on October 20.

The special promotion is applying for passengers, who book return tickets on Jetstar’s domestic and international routes, including from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue and Phu Quoc; from Hanoi to Da Nang and Vinh; and from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok and Singapore, with a normal ticket one way and a ‘zero fare’ return ticket.