Vietnam Insider

Frasers Hospitality, a strategic business unit of Frasers Property, has just inaugurated Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen, the first serviced apartment hotel in Vinh Phuc.

Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen’s one-bedroom luxury apartment has a view of Dam Vac Lake. Photo: DNCC

Located in the historic district of Vinh Yen City, Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen offers a modern, comfortable space with local cultural experiences, making it an ideal choice for urban residents.

A key feature of Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen is its serviced apartment complex, including 88 fully-equipped units, ranging from studio apartments to one- to three-bedroom apartments. Each unit includes a kitchenette, living room, and separate dining area, catering flexibly to both leisure and business travelers.

Additionally, Yen A Café & Dining is a culinary highlight at Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen, offering a diverse menu that blends traditional and modern flavors. The restaurant serves local and international specialties and boasts a “bubble tea collection” inspired by local Vinh Phuc produce.

Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen is also the first and only hotel in Vinh Phuc to feature the Beta@Modena cinema. Guests can relax at the outdoor pool, enjoy the sauna, and work out at the 24/7 gym. For families, the Kids’ Playzone—a safe indoor play area for children under 12—provides a secure space for fun.

Ms. Eu Chin Fen, Chief Executive Officer of Frasers Hospitality, commented, “With its diverse ecosystem of experiences, Modena by Fraser offers guests a balance between work and leisure. The launch of this third property in Vietnam, in addition to our Hanoi locations, will enrich guests’ living experiences.”

To celebrate its opening, Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen is offering promotional rates starting from 35 USD++ per room per night, valid through February 28, 2025.

@SGtiepthi

The top 10 international markets sending tourists to Vietnam saw some shifts in the first 10 months of 2024, with South Korea emerging as the largest source of visitors.

According to data from the National Tourism Administration, Vietnam welcomed over 14.1 million international arrivals over the past 10 months, a 41.3% increase compared to the same period last year. In October 2024 alone, the country received 1.42 million international visitors.

In terms of market share, Asia contributed nearly 80% of the total international arrivals to Vietnam. Specifically, the four major Northeast Asian markets—China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan—accounted for nearly 60%.

International tourists on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City

Among Vietnam’s top 10 tourism markets, South Korea leads with 3.7 million visitors (26.4%), surpassing China, which ranks second with 3 million arrivals (21.3%). Taiwan is in third place (1 million visitors), followed by the United States (637,000 visitors) and Japan (585,000 visitors). Australia, India, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand follow in the rankings.

The National Tourism Administration attributes the growth in international visitors primarily to the major Northeast Asian markets. Notably, arrivals from China increased by 130.4% compared to the same period in 2023, with growth from South Korea at 28.5%, Japan at 24.8%, and Taiwan at 59.4%.

Nearby Southeast Asian markets also experienced positive growth, with Indonesia increasing by 85.5%, the Philippines by 64.5%, Laos by 13.9%, Cambodia by 12.1%, Malaysia by 5.5%, and Singapore by 4.7%.

Top 10 international tourist markets to Vietnam in the past 10 months

Several European markets showed strong growth, especially those benefiting from Vietnam’s visa-exemption policy that allows up to 45 days of stay, effective since August 15, 2023. Italy saw a 54.5% increase, France 30.5%, Germany 23.6%, Spain 23.3%, the United Kingdom 20.4%, and Russia 81.5%.

The National Tourism Administration is optimistic that with the support of a more open visa policy, alongside vibrant promotion and marketing efforts in the final months of the year, international visitor numbers to Vietnam will continue to see positive growth in the near future.

@Thanhnien.vn

Quang Ninh Province plans to develop a high-end eco-tourism and resort area in the Tra Ban island region of Van Don Economic Zone.

Van Don district will have a high-class eco-tourism and resort area. Photo: Thanh Chung.

The People’s Committee of Quang Ninh has recently approved a subzone construction planning mission (at a scale of 1/2,000) for the Tra Ban island area within the Van Don Economic Zone.

The planning area spans approximately 11,110 hectares and includes Tra Ban, Chau Zap, Cong Nua islands, as well as Van Tai, Cap Diem Chi, Buong Tro, and Cai Suoi islands, along with several nearby islets in the Van Hai archipelago, which belongs to Ban Sen, Minh Chau, and Quan Lan communes.

Under the province’s development strategy, the area is envisioned as a high-end eco-tourism and resort destination, combined with residential and public service areas, a high-tech agricultural production zone, and an ecological conservation area. The subzone will be divided into functional sections, each aligned with specific development goals.

The first is the Northern High-End Marine Eco-Tourism Zone, focused on tourism services, sports, entertainment centers, resort tourism, and residential areas tied to high-tech agricultural production.

The second is the Eastern High-End Marine Eco-Tourism Zone. This area will prioritize luxury resort tourism services, establish public beaches, develop an inland port system, and tourist piers on the Mang River, while preserving historical sites associated with the Van Don trading port.

The third is the Ban Sen Service, Tourism, and Residential Center. This area will house residents and public service facilities of Ban Sen commune, develop new low-rise eco-housing and community public services, encourage community-based tourism, and support agricultural development.

The fourth is the Southeast Residential and Tourism Service Zone, where existing residential areas will be expanded to include tourism services, with a road network connecting to Quan Lan Island.

The fifth is the Southern High-End Eco-Tourism and Entertainment Zone. Located on and near Chau Zap Island, this area will be studied for high-end eco-resorts and water-based recreational services, including marinas.

The sixth is an Adventure Tourism Zone focused on preserving mountain landscapes, located on the western shore of the island, where options for adventure and experience-based tourism will be developed.

@Znews

“Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave is so vast that you could fit 15 Great Pyramids of Giza inside and fly a Boeing 747 through some of its passages”.

Back door of Hang En Cave. Photo: Linh Huynh.

This is the observation made by Live Science, a science, archeology, and natural world publication based in New York, on November 1. Sascha Pare, a writer with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Southampton (one of the top research institutions in the UK), noted that Son Doong Cave is relatively young compared to other limestone caves.

“The cave was formed between 2-3 million years ago, containing the largest limestone structure in Asia, a massive rock over 400 million years old, created from the shells and skeletons of ancient marine life,” reported Live Science.

According to Sascha, the cave’s underground water system originates from the Rao Thuong and Khe Ry rivers near the Laos border. Water flows through cracks in the limestone, eroding the rock to form a colossal tunnel within the mountain.

Garden of Eden in sinkhole 2, Son Doong cave complex. Photo: Linh Huynh.

This is the largest natural cave ever recorded. Measurements by a team from the British Cave Research Association indicate that the cave has a total volume of 38.5 million cubic meters, large enough to hold nearly 15 Great Pyramids of Giza.

But recent research has revealed that the cave is even larger.

A diving expedition in 2019 uncovered that Son Doong is connected to another cave called Hang Thung through an underwater tunnel. This link adds an additional 1.6 million cubic meters to the cave’s volume, equivalent to two-thirds of a Great Pyramid.

“It’s like someone found a bump on the top of Mount Everest, making it over 1,000 meters taller. Any other cave in the world would be dwarfed inside Son Doong,” said Limbert from the British Cave Research Association.

@Znews