The government should add six more countries to the list of those with visa exemptions: Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Belgium, and Switzerland, Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh, Head of the Tourism Advisory Secretariat Board at the Vietnam Private Sector Forum (VPSF) told a workshop on resolving difficulties in the tourism sector held within the Forum, the second session of which will take place in Hanoi at the end of July.   Tourists from these six countries often stay for a long time in Vietnam and spend an average of $1,200 each, he said, and they present almost no security risk and therefore can access visa exemptions from 170 other countries. He also suggested that the travel period under a visa exemption be extended to 30 days from the current 15. “I propose the government apply 30-day visa exemptions from the third quarter of this year, to attract more tourists over the remainder of the year,” he told the workshop. In order to provide more favorable...

HCMC will have 13 fresh mid- and high-end hotels with 3,500 guest rooms in the next three years, according to a survey of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a    professional services and investment management firm.    Ascott Waterfront Saigon Hotel will be inaugurated this year with 217 rooms, Citadines Regency Saigon Hotel with 200 rooms, Vinpearl Hotel with 450 rooms and Holiday Inn & Suite Saigon Airport with 350 rooms. Majestic Hotel will be expanded with an additional 325 rooms. In 2019, Dragon Tower and Hilton Saigon will put 120 and 350 luxurious rooms into service respectively. Okura Prestige Saigon and Ritz-Carlton Saigon will put into use 500 high-end rooms by 2020. JLL said the presence of many international and domestic luxury hotel brands in the city has fueled strong competition. Meanwhile, the number of mid-end hotels is still small, with some brands available on the market such as A & Em, Alagon, Odyssea and SilverLand. Tao Van...

Whether it's steamed snails or pig's trotter noodles, a taste of the north is there for those willing to look for it. Banh cuon (steamed rice rolls) The unique taste of Hanoi’s banh cuon comes from a strict selection of ingredients. The rice should be neither too soft nor too dry so that when it’s spread out on the cooking plate it's not too sticky. For the filling use wood-ear fungus and flavored ground meat, and fried onions on top are indispensable. The fish sauce served with Hanoi’s banh cuon is not as sweet as Saigon's, and often has chilli peppers and fried onions, and sometimes gio lua - Vietnamese sausage. Even though there are many banh cuon restaurants in Saigon, only a few serve up the Hanoian variety. We recommend La Chanh Restaurant, 5/5B Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, District 1. Prices range from VND20,000 - 40,000 ($0.88 - $1.76). The unique taste of...