Sri Lanka Has Approved Visa-Free Entry For Visitors From Six Countries Including India

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 11, 2023

Vietnam has exceeded its target of attracting eight million international visitors for the year 2023 by welcoming 8.9 million tourists in the first nine months. This target was set before China reopened following COVID-19-related border closures, from where around one-third of Vietnam's total international tourists came in 2019. This figure is less than half the pre-pandemic international arrivals, which were 18 million. With the introduction of new, more open visa policies, there have been calls to revise the target. Vu The Binh, the chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said that Vietnam could increase the target to 10-12 million tourists by 2023, which is achievable. During the first nine months of 2023, the number of visitors was 4.7 times higher than the same period in the previous year, but only 69% of the figure seen in the same period of 2019. In September, Vietnam welcomed over one million foreign visitors, down 13.4% compared to the previous month. Out of the total number of tourists, 87.5% arrived in Vietnam by air, 11.8% by road, and 0.7% by sea. The majority of the arrivals were from Asia, followed by Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and Africa. The revenue from accommodation and catering services in this period saw a rise of 16%, and earnings from travel and tourism services increased by 47.7% year-on-year. Micenet Magazine, Australia, has recently called the central region of Vietnam the new hotspot for MICE tourism. The magazine wrote, “Central Việt Nam is coming into its own as more international and domestic flights serve Đà Nẵng City, which is growing as a destination for conferences, meetings and incentive events. Its location between two UNESCO world heritage sites – Hội An, 30km southeast, and Huế, 100km northwest – also helps”. The city offers an array of choices from luxury and 5-star international as well as local brand hotels around the city, with a long beach stretching 60 km. This surge in Vietnam’s tourism has been a result of the accessible e-visa policy made available by Vietnam to its visitors. Even travel agencies have contributed to the spike that has made travel easier for tourists. They are offering cheaper flights and attractive deals to streamline e-visa services for travelers, especially from India. It makes visas a 100% online process, with limited documentation. Now you can look up the best time to visit Vietnam, because this is probably a sign for you to get packing for a Vietnam trip. Read Also: November Trips In 2023: From London To The World The Best Hotels In Mexico City For A Frida Kahlo Pilgrimage Excited For Christmas? Leicester Square’s Glittering Christmas Market Is Returning To London From Nov 8

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 24, 2023

The Department of Tourism in the North launched its second travel expo on Saturday in a bid to ensure a spur in the tourism industry in the northern provinces. Cordillera Administrative Region and the DOT Regional Offices I, II, and III kickstarted the 2nd North Luzon Travel Expo (NLTE) at the Grand Sierra Pines Hotel, North Outlook Drive in Bagiuo City. It is scheduled to be held from the NOV 25 to 27, 2023. The first of the NLT fairs was launched at SMX Convention Center Clark, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga. The DOT-CAR is lining up the activities with the Tourism and Travel Fair being the main feature. This event will take place at the CAP Convention Center at Camp John Hay, Baguio City. The other activities include a music show featuring local artists of the four regions. The art in the park at Reflection Pool of Wright Park, Baguio City, Business to business networking activity at La Fayette Hotel, Baguio City. There will be product presentations at the CAP Convention Center as well as a familiarization tour or the North Luzon Inter-regional Circuit which will be a post-tour. The key destinations in Baguio City and Benguet in the Cordillera and Naguillan, San Fernando City, Bauang, San Juan and Luna in La Union in Region 1 will be visited. On November 26, a "Hibla ng Lahing Pilipino Fashion Parade will be staged at the Manor Garden, Camp John Hay. This will showcase regal fabrics from North Luzon to recognize the weavers of indigenous Filipino textiles." The DOT Cordillera chief Jovy Ganongan says the activities are aimed "to create a synergy to develop a robust tourism value chain by converging existing and new domestic tourism products, destinations, and services of the North Luzon regions to the local and international markets. She also said this is also to further strengthen the relationship of the North Luzon regions with their tourism stakeholders." Read Also: The Italian Train Group FS Will Launch A New “Night Train Like Hotel”: Rome To Dolomites Traveling Christmas Tree For The Western Lawn Of U.S. Capitol Venice Reveals 2024 Dates For Tourist Entry Fees: Report

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 24, 2023

Are you planning to visit Venice? Have you been looking for things to do in Rome or best hotels in Rome? Before you do that here is some news to stay updated on. Venice has unveiled the 29 dates in 2024 when the new €5 entry fee will become active for day-trippers starting on 25 April, which is a public holiday in Italy. The fee is said to be applicable only for day trips and not those who are staying overnight. On Thursday Mayor Luigi Brugnaro confirmed on Thursday further adding that the multi-lingual booking system will be operating from January 16. The dates when the entry fee will be in place are 25 April to 5 May and every other weekend in May (11,12, 18, 19, 25, 26 May), It will last four weekends in June (8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 June) and the first two weekends in July (6, 7, 13, 14 July). On the days mentioned the entry fee system will be effective from 08:30 to 16:00 along with penalties of up to €300 if the rules are violated. ANSA news agency has reported Brugnaro of saying that once the day trippers pay the fee they will receive a QR code "which will be checked randomly" at eight access gates to the historic center. "It is an experiment that has never been done anywhere in the world" - Brugnaro told reporters - "The city is complex and fragile, but it is alive, and we have the obligation to take measures because in the historic center, at certain times of the year, there is crowding that we must reduce." Brugnaro underlined that the trial measure "will cost us more than we will earn" and is "to evaluate the bookability of the city, which will never be closed". This move which kept getting postponed due to the covid pandemic and other logistic obstacles is designed to ease the added pressure hordes of tourists pose to the fragile lagoon city. Read Also: Chinese And US Presidents Have Come To A Common Ground Regarding Tourism Facilitation! The Italian Train Group FS Will Launch A New “Night Train Like Hotel”: Rome To Dolomites Traveling Christmas Tree For The Western Lawn Of U.S. Capitol