Thua Thien – Hue Province is seeking US$30 million from Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) to renovate and reconstruct the works in the Forbidden Purple City of Hue City, said a provincial official in charge of heritage restoration.

Phan Thanh Hai, deputy director of Hue Monuments Conservation Center, said that one-third of the amount would go to the reconstruction of Can Chanh Palace, the imperial city’s second largest place after Thai Hoa Palace, which was destroyed in wartime.

Phan said that the renovation had been scheduled for ages, adding that in 1994, the center in cooperation with Japan’s Waseda University conducted research into the restoration of Can Chanh Palace as well as some works damaged in wartime.

Ninh Binh will focus on developing two main kinds of tourism – ecological and cultural-spiritual, a tourism official in the northern province has said.

Speaking at a conference on promoting the province’s tourism destinations in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday, Le Huy Hoang, a representative of the province’s Tourism Promotion Information Centre, said: “Authorities have instructed the tourism sector to focus on the province’s strengths.”

In the short term, it would focus on weekend, leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions) tourism.

From 2015 it would intensify golf, shopping, homestay and river tourism.

Jetstar Pacific Airlines has called off its daily flights between Hanoi and Nha Trang City after more than three months of flying to the city in Khanh Hoa Province in summer.

The local low-cost carrier confirmed suspension of the flights between Noi Bai Airport and Cam Ranh Airport that it began in late May this year, attributing to low seating occupancy after the National Day holiday from September 2 to 4.

According to airlines and travel firms, demand for air demand increased dramatically for the flights from Hanoi to Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hue, Phu Quoc and Con Dao, and vice versa last summer when tourists flocked to seaside sites for their vacations.

A one-week photo exhibition themed Vietnam’s World Heritage will open in Da Nang on August 30.

The event will show 206 photos of 11 exhibits which were recognised as world heritages by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

They include Halong Bay, My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An ancient town, Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park and relics of the Thang Long imperial capital and the Hue ancient capital.

The Giong Festival, Bac Ninh love duets, gong culture, ceremonial songs and court music will also be displayed.

PANO – The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, will carry out a promotional program during the coming fall for passengers on both international and domestic routes from August 8th.

Accordingly, return tickets on Southeast Asian and European flights will cost between VND 1.2 million (US$ 59) and VND 10.3 million (US$ 499), respectively.

Between August 15th and 31st, Vietnamese passengers can buy one-way tickets on domestic routes Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City–Hanoi/Vinh/Hai Phong at prices of VND555,000 and VND999,000, respectively, with departures from September 15th to December 15th and from March 1st, 2012 to May 31st, 2012, excluding peak periods and holidays.

The central Thua Thien Hue Province’s People Committee hopes to get 43 projects completed to host National Tourism Year 2012.

The projects, costing a total VND49 trillion (USD2.3 billion), include 22 on which work has already started or the projects have been completed. Five hotels of the Mercure and Mondial groups are already in use while others are in progress.

Hue national tourism year 2012, themed “Hue ancient capital city, new experiences”, is a major tourism event that is expected to be held all year round.

It aims to promote Vietnam’s tourism products and cultural heritage to both international and domestic tourists.

Vietnam has a big “gold mine” – the heritage – which is very attractive to travelers. However, Vietnam travel industry still does now how to exploit the mine.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to name the 2012 tourism year “the national tourism year of coastal provinces in the north of the central region – Hue” with the themed “heritage tourism”.

Cultural heritages overexploited

Cultural tourism is now the growing tendency in many countries in the world. This type of tourism helps preserve the traditional culture, while it helps create jobs and increase in the incomes of local people. Vietnam has a gold mine of heritages, but it still does not know how to exploit it in the most effective way.

Vietnam Airlines recently announced that it would add more than 1,350 fights on 12 domestic routes during the peak summer season from July 1 to August 15.

“With the increase of flights, the airline expects to ease overload due to increased travel demands,” said Vietnam Airlines representative Nguyen Hoang Dung.

According to the air carrier, total transport will be increased by 1.6 million seats, a rise of 12 percent compared to the same period last year.

The first meeting of the Steering Committee and the Organizing Board for the 2012 National Tourism Year recently took place in the old imperial city of Hue. Thua Thien Hue Province will host nine master events during the year.

The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism will get together with related ministries and sectors to launch other programs in Hue within the framework of the 2012 National Tourism Year. These will include a program entitled, “Vietnamese Businesses & National Culture, Heritage” (expected for launching in February 2012), a program entitled, “Vietnamese Charm 2012″ (to be held in March 2012), a second international chorus festival, a Southeast Asia international chess competition (to be kicked off in June 2012), an international U18 tennis tournament, a national traditional martial art championship, and more.

Lang Co Festival 2011 – the World Beautiful Bay will be held in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on July 9-10 to promote tourism and encourage investment in the Lang Co-Chan May economic zone.

This year’s festival aims to evaluate to what extent the Bay can contribute to promoting tourism development two years after it was recognised by Worldbays Club as one of the “World’s Most Beautiful Bays”.

Lying between Da Nang and Hue cities, Lang Co Bay, Hai Van pass, Bach Ma Natural Reserve and an ancient fishing village in this area present a wonderful view of people living in harmony with nature.