A voluntary youth helping tourists crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Diep Duc Minh Seventy percent of international tourists do not return to Vietnam for a second time and there are seven things that scare many of them away, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said at a tourism promotion conference in Quang Nam Tuesday. They are robberies, minor thefts, traffic gridlock, traffic accidents, services quality, dirty toilets, and pollution, he said. “Vietnam is a promising destination but it lacks three vital elements: competence [of relevant agencies], services and specific products.” A day earlier the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed setting up a tourism promotion fund with an initial corpus of at least VND300 billion ($13.11 million). Hue said the problem facing Vietnam’s tourism is lack of creativity, not lack of money.   “A recent seven-minute video about Vietnam tourism, made using a fly-cam...

  A voluntary youth helping tourists crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Diep Duc Minh Seventy percent of international tourists do not return to Vietnam for a second time and there are seven things that scare many of them away, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said at a tourism promotion conference in Quang Nam Tuesday. 1.robberies,  2.minor thefts,  3.traffic gridlock  4.traffic accidents 5.services quality 6.dirty toilets 7.pollution “Vietnam is a promising destination but it lacks three vital elements: competence [of relevant agencies], services and specific products.” A day earlier the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed setting up a tourism promotion fund with an initial corpus of at least VND300 billion ($13.11 million). Hue said the problem facing Vietnam’s tourism is lack of creativity, not lack of...

Cycling around the old town, dropping lanterns on the Hoai River, enjoying local cuisine... are the experiences that tourists should try in the ancient town of Hoi An, a world cultural heritage site in central Vietnam.                               1. Cycle to explore the old town. 2. Taste che (sweetened porridge) on the roadside. 3. Take breakfast in markets with local specialties like mi Quang (Quang noodle), cao lau, banh beo… 4. Taste the world's most delicious sandwich in Hoi An – banh my Phuong. 5. Drink milk coffee at a roadside shop. 6. Buy clothes at a tailor’s shop.                               7. Swim at Cua Dai beach and enjoying fresh seafood.  8. Read on An Bang Beach - one of the most beautiful pristine beaches of Vietnam. 9. Take a...