Vietnam Insider

On the morning of December 20, the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center held an inauguration ceremony for 17 subsidized electric bus routes, which will officially begin operations on December 22 to connect with the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien Metro Line 1.

The bus fleet of 17 routes connecting to metro line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City includes 150 electric buses, with fares ranging from VND5,000 – 6,000 per trip. Photo: VNA

The fleet serving these 17 routes consists of 150 electric buses with capacities of 30 and 60 seats. These buses are equipped with cameras, free Wi-Fi, automatic stop announcements, and cashless payment systems. Passengers using these routes will enjoy free rides for 30 days, aligned with the launch of Metro Line 1.

The buses on these routes are painted in distinctive colors for easy identification by residents. The routes operate daily from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, matching the schedule of Metro Line 1, with intervals between trips ranging from 8 to 20 minutes. Ticket prices are set at VND 5,000–6,000 per trip for regular passengers and VND 3,000 for students. A 30-trip pass costs VND 112,500, while senior citizens, people with disabilities, and children are entitled to free rides under city policies.

Currently, parking lots for personal vehicles have been arranged by the Public Transport Management Center at Van Thanh, Thao Dien, Rach Chiec, Phuoc Long, and Binh Thai stations, covering a total area of ​​5,077 square meters and accommodating over 2,000 two-wheelers. The center has also invested in 23 new bus shelters near stations along the Hanoi Highway – Vo Nguyen Giap corridor and 230 additional bus stops for the newly launched routes.

@Thesaigontimes

The People’s Committee of Thua Thien Hue Province has recently approved the planning for the Ngu Ho Ecotourism Area, which will cover a total area of ​​nearly 450 hectares. This includes a designated section for a golf course with 27 holes.

A corner of Hue city. Photo: T. Dao

The Provincial People’s Committee has approved the zoning plan for the Ngu Ho Ecotourism Area, located in the communes of Phong Chuong and Phong Binh, Phong Dien District. The project spans 445 hectares and is adjacent to the white sand strip along Tram Nai Lake, Bau Bang, and two provincial roads, 4 and 6.

The planned area is divided into three sub-zones. Zone A will feature three golf courses with 27 holes stretching along the lakes, a clubhouse, and a green belt along Provincial Road 6.

Zone B will develop a resort hotel up to 10 stories high with a swimming pool, entertainment areas, low-rise villas, and several amenities including four parks and a cactus museum.

Zone C, located in the southwest and bordering Tram Nai Lake, is planned for tourism experiences, agricultural farms, museums, and wellness services.

In addition to these zones, the planning area will also include forest protection zones, water areas, green parks, centralized parking lots, and infrastructure facilities.

Upon completion, the area will become an ecotourism and experiential destination, featuring a golf course, resort tourism with restaurants, accommodation, and wellness services utilizing local medicinal plants and peat bogs. The project is expected to accommodate approximately 30,000 tourists, residents, and service staff.

@SGtiepthi

With an expected GDP of $506 billion in 2025, Seasia Stats forecasts that Vietnam will secure a spot among Asia’s top 15 largest economies, driven mainly by booming manufacturing and foreign direct investment (FDI).

Seasia Stats predicts that Vietnam will be among the top 15 largest economies in Asia by 2025. Photo: T.L.

Based on data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Seasia Stats predicts that Vietnam’s economy will reach $506 billion in 2025, earning it a place in the top 15 largest economies in Asia.

“Vietnam is rapidly developing thanks to its manufacturing boom and strong foreign investment inflows,” Seasia Stats noted.

By the end of 2024, Vietnam is projected to achieve a GDP growth rate exceeding 7%, ranking among the fastest-growing economies in the region and the world. Looking ahead to 2025, the government has set an ambitious target of 8% GDP growth, surpassing the 6.5%-7% target previously approved by the National Assembly.

According to Seasia Stats’ rankings, the United States continues to lead the world—a position it has held for over 100 years—with a projected GDP of $30.3 trillion in 2025.

Trailing behind is China, with an anticipated GDP of $19.5 trillion, marking its 15th consecutive year as the world’s second-largest economy. Together, the U.S. and China accounts for approximately 40% of global GDP.

China remains Asia’s largest economy, followed by Japan and India, with GDPs of $4.4 trillion and $4.3 trillion, respectively, significantly behind China.

The fourth spot in Asia goes to South Korea, with an estimated GDP of $1.9 trillion, while Indonesia ranks fifth at $1.5 trillion. Notably, Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, bolstered by its abundant natural resources and rapidly growing middle class.

@Znews

OAG, a leading travel and aviation analytics company, has released its annual list of the world’s 10 busiest domestic and international air routes for 2024.

Among the rankings, the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route stands fourth on the list of the world’s busiest domestic air routes, with over 10.6 million seats. The route maintains its fourth-place position since last year, although seat capacity has decreased by 2% compared to 2023.

Vietnam has had the 4th busiest domestic flight route in the world for many years.

Asia continues to dominate the domestic aviation market, with all 10 busiest routes located in the region. According to Aviation magazine, these critical routes span across South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, India, and China, highlighting the continent’s robust aviation infrastructure.

This year, the Jeju-Seoul route (South Korea) retains its status as the world’s busiest domestic air route, with 14.2 million seats, equivalent to approximately 39,000 seats daily. Its capacity increased by 3% compared to 2023 but remains 19% lower than its 2019 passenger levels.

The Chitose-Tokyo Haneda route (Japan) ranked second with 11.9 million seats, maintaining similar capacity to last year. The Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda route (also in Japan) followed closely in third place, offering 11.3 million seats.

Vietnam and Australia made significant contributions to the global top five domestic routes. The Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route ranked fourth with 10.6 million seats, while the Melbourne-Sydney route (Australia) secured fifth place with 9.2 million seats. Notably, the top five routes have remained in the same order since 2023.

Other routes in the top 10 include Jeddah-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Tokyo Haneda-Okinawa (Japan), Mumbai-Delhi (India), Beijing-Shanghai, and Guangzhou-Shanghai (China).

For international air routes, the Hong Kong-Taiwan route reclaimed its pre-pandemic popularity, topping the list with over 6.7 million passengers. This route also ranked first in 2019 and third last year. Following it are the Cairo-Jeddah route in second place, Seoul Incheon-Tokyo Narita in third, Kuala Lumpur-Singapore Changi in fourth, and Seoul Incheon-Osaka Kansai in fifth.

@Thanhnien.vn