Vietnam attends opening ceremony of ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024

The Vietnamese delegation, led by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, attended the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 on January 24 in Vientiane, Laos. The event aims to enhance cooperation, promotion, and development of tourism among ASEAN member countries, as well as between ASEAN and countries around the world, in the context of the global tourism industry's strong recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.

10 years of UNESCO-recognized Trang An Complex 

Landscapes in the cultural and natural complex of Trang An, Ninh Binh Province. Photo: trangandanhthang.vn

Several events will be held until September 2024 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Trang An cultural and natural complex being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Ninh Binh's authorities said the events would raise public awareness, especially among younger generations, about the role of heritage in Vietnam's development and promote the site worldwide.

Key events will include a Tet (Lunar New Year) festival in February and an international seminar to promote heritage values and link them with other sites in the UNESCO network.

Japanese company to work on green industrial parks in Dong Nai

Japan's Sojitz Corporation and the central city of Kobe will jointly develop green, intelligent industrial parks in the southern province of Dong Nai, a meeting heard on January 24. The designs of the industrial parks will focus on green database development, better industrial waste treatment, and energy-saving models.

The provincial authorities agreed to allow Sojitz to implement the projects from 2024 to 2026. The projects are expected to strengthen relations between Dong Nai Province and Kobe City, Japan.

North-South high-speed railway project to be considered by policymakers this year

The Vietnamese Government expects to complete the development plan of the North-South High-Speed Railway Project and submit it to national lawmakers in 2024, according to Deputy Minister Le Minh Khai. Other major tasks that the government will complete this year include the operation of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien urban railway in Ho Chi Minh City, the inauguration of several highway projects, and the upgrading of access roads to major ports in the central and southern regions.

By 2025, Vietnam aims to have about 3,000 kilometers of highways completed and operational.

Co To Island - the first to develop plastic-free tourism

On the beach, visitors join hands to pick up trash. Photo: quangninh.gov.vn

Co To Island will become the first place in the northern province of Quang Ninh where all accommodation, services, and tourism tours will be plastic waste-free. On April 1, the Co To Island District Authority will release a list of hotels and restaurants that meet green criteria to implement Project 175 - Co To Island without plastic waste. To concretize the goal of developing green tourism, the district has completed the draft criteria of Co To Green Tourism, which focuses on environmental protection and reducing plastic waste in tourism activities.

Investment in industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City exceeds US$1 billion

Total investment attracted to export processing zones and industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City exceeded US$1 billion in 2023, the highest recorded so far, up 84% year-on-year. Of the total investment, domestic investor Viettel's project in Cu Chi District accounted for $624 million, according to the report of the Ho Chi Minh City Industrial and Export Processing Zones Management Board (HEPZA).

Vietnam has its first animation and game training institution

Sconnect Academy of Media Arts (SAMA), the first international animation and game training academy in Vietnam, was launched on January 24. The academy will provide a broader opportunity for young people passionate about the country's animation and the game industry amid the lack of specialized training in animation. The first class will start in August.