An announcement to this effect was made by Mr. Vu The Binh of Travel Department during a conference on the tourism sector’s action programme, which took place in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on February 6.

Under the programme, VNAT will ask travel agencies and hotels to commit to reducing their prices by up to 50%, Mr. Binh said, adding that it will also call upon local airlines to participate in this campaign.

Other travel companies must also pledge to offer discounts, with VNAT vowing to punish those who do not honour their commitments.

In addition, VNAT will conduct a broader campaign to promote Vietnam via the Internet and other mass media, as well as hosting tourism events and festivals to encourage domestic tourism.

The VNAT is to launch a new range of tourism products and intensify tourism promotion activities.

According to Mr. Binh, VNAT has to date created 99 discounted package tours for tourists from countries including Japan, ASEAN, France, Western Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand. It also plans to launch an additional 60 competitively-priced domestic tours.

On January 21, the Prime Minister signed a decision regarding a 50%-VAT reduction for travel, transport and hotel businesses. VNAT also proposed a 30% cut in corporate income tax rates for businesses involved in the tourism sector.

Singapore, 12 May 2010: Indonesia’s national carrier, Garuda Indonesia has introduced a VIP service for Executive Class passengers travelling from Singapore. Covering various aspects from pre-flight and arrival, the new service is also available to Garuda Frequent Flyer Platinum members.

This experience starts even before one board the aircraft. Upon arrival at the luxurious JetQuay CIP terminal located next to Changi International Airport, each passenger will be met by a personal concierge who will handle check-in, immigration and baggage clearances while they relax in the spacious five-star lounge. There is a host of amenities such as a full service business centre with Wi-Fi enabled PCs, a self-service bistro and a mini gym.  Passengers will then be transported via a dedicated buggy to the boarding gate in the main terminals when the flight is ready to depart.

Garuda Indonesia is the only carrier to date offering this premium service to Executive Class passengers, the equivalent of business class for other airlines. The addition of this service complements the unparalleled scheduling flexibility that Garuda Indonesia offers business travellers with seven daily flights to Jakarta from Singapore.

“While airlines across the region and beyond are scaling back on their business class products, Garuda Indonesia is actually investing heavily in service enhancements to capture the premium passenger market.”  said Iswandi Said, Senior General Manager – Area Asia, Europe & Middle East, Garuda Indonesia.

“Business and premium passengers are becoming more sophisticated and discerning in their travel preferences. Garuda Indonesia is constantly looking to develop innovative services and products to ensure that we stay ahead in this highly competitive industry.”

Passengers travelling from Singapore will fly onboard Garuda Indonesia’s new Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft. The aircraft features Garuda Indonesia’s new signature interior, with individual touch-screen LCD TVs with Video on Demand (VOD) entertainmentsystems offering 25 feature films and 25 audio tracks. Executive Class passengers will also enjoy table service during meal times as they savour authentic Indonesian cuisine such as the mini Nasi Tumpeng.

For travellers heading to Jakarta, there will be dedicated immigration counters for Executive Class passengers to fast-track their immigration clearances. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport The same service is also available for passengers departing from Jakarta and in cities such as Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

Garuda Indonesia has undergone a remarkable transformation across its safety, product and front-line service standards in its bid to become one of Asia’s most successful airlines. As a result, the airline was recently upgraded to a four-star rating by Skytrax Research in recognition of the significant improvements in its product and services quality.

About Garuda Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia. It is a full-service network carrier and serves 28 domestic and 18 international destinations. The airline’s main hubs in Indonesia are located in Jakarta and Denpasar. In July 2009, the airline unveiled a new aircraft fleet, new in-flight product, new service concept and a fresh corporate identity to mark the start of its transformation into one of Asia’s most successful and profitable airlines. Garuda Indonesia received its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification in May 2008, recognising that the airline is fully compliant with global best-practice standards for flight operations, aircraft maintenance and safety management systems. In December 2009, the airline was also upgraded to a four-star rating by Skytrax, the global benchmark for airline service standards, confirming the improvement in its front-line product and service quality.

This is the fourth time the festival has been held, and this year the focus on typical cultural activities and Vietnamese cuisine is stronger than ever. The festival took place in Van Thanh Tourism Park on February 20, featuring traditional Vietnamese markets, folk games and folk music areas and culinary areas from each region.

At the event more than 100 outstanding dishes from the North, the South and Center of Vietnam were introduced, including many traditional dishes from Ben Tre, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces, to name a few.

Moreover, visitors to the park enjoyed more than 30 Vietnamese wines at Viet Wine House area, and saw wine and cocktail making and bartending performances.

The art show is another attraction at the event. Artistic troupes from provinces around the country performed, including the five tones (of the traditional musical scale) band of Khmer people in Soc Trang Province, a performance on bamboo instruments from Buon Don District of Dak Lak Province, Cam dance and Paranung music from Ninh Thuan Province and a gongs troupe from Gia Lai Province. There were also folk music performances, such as hat cheo, hat tuong (classical drama), Hue music and the South’s traditional music.

The atmosphere were colorful and animated, depicting the daily life of Vietnamese people in every region; for example there was a real market with street vendors wearing traditional costumes and calling out to attract passers-by. Visitors saw how toys are made from natural materials, such as paper boats and toys made from water coconut leaves and clay, and should not miss the folk games of the many regions. On display in the trade village area were examples of Vietnamese crafts such as basket weaving, ceramics, conical hats, brocade weaving, wine making and rice noodles, especially banh trang (griddle cake) Trang Bang and com dep (green rice) Tra Vinh.

The pagoda was built by Lord Nguyen Hoang when he was appointed governor of Thuan Hoa Region (known as Hue today) in 1601. The Phuoc Duyen Tower, which comes into view when climbing up the hill to the pagoda, was built in 1844 by Thieu Tri King to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of his grandmother and named Tu Nhan (indulgent person) then.

The tower has stood there since, overlooking the Huong River, and has become synonymous with the landscape of Hue and the Huong River. Its impact is such that it has become the unofficial symbol of the city.

The most pleasant way to get to the pagoda is by boat along the Huong River. The river is fresh and the destination is shaded by old trees covering the dock where the boats stop.

After taking some pictures of the tower, I trekked around the pagoda garden which is a collection of plants and flowers donated to the pagoda from pilgrims around the country. Walking inside the peaceful garden, I caught sight of timid rabbits hiding in bushes and heard many kinds of birds singing on the canopies of leaves above. It was like walking in a wilderness forest.

On the right side of the pagoda is a chain of rooms. The first room showcases the historic car which carried Great Monk Thich Quang Duc to the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung and Le Van Duyet streets in Saigon on June 11 of 1963 to burn himself in opposition to the anti-religion policy of Saigon’s regime at that time.

Next to this room is where the monks of the pagoda live, equipped with wooden beds and small personal items under each bed.

In Dai Hung Temple, at the center of the pagoda, is a large censer where visitors can burn incense and pray for blessings. Fragrant incense smoke fills the air there all day long.

On a trip to Thien Mu Pagoda visitors can choose to do many different things, like sit on the wall to observe the special Huong River, or walk around the pagoda to explore the garden. But to me the most impressive thing to do is to listen to the monks reciting the Buddhist scriptures, or watch them as they sweep the yard or go about their daily routines, for those images bring me to a peaceful feeling never achievable in the hustle and bustle of my daily life.