Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Covid-19: Additional 1,602 cases confirmed on August 6

Vietnam recorded 1,602 Covid-19 cases on August 6, according to the Ministry of Health.

Besides, the northern province of Thai Nguyen added 152,485 Covid-19 cases to the national caseload after verifying information, cited VNA.

The national caseload rose to 11,346,137.

With 6,878 patients given the all clear on August 6, the number of recoveries rose to 9,964,533. Meanwhile, there are 44 patients in serious conditions needing breathing support.

No death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood at 43,094.

On August 5, an additional 527,300 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected to 248,253,774.

Vietnam, Israel make progress in FTA negotiations

Vietnam and Israel have made progress during the eleventh round of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

Opening the market, customs and trade facilitation, government procurement, services and investments and other legal and institutional issues were tabled at the eleventh round that took place in Israel on June 1-5.

Negotiators of the two sides at the event. Photo: VOV

The two sides agreed on many important contents, especially those related to opening markets to each other, according to VOV.

They pledged to accelerate discussions in the coming time to soon conclude the negotiating process.

The FTA is expected to further boost trade and investment between the two countries as well as bring substantial benefits to enterprises, and citizens of both nations.

Vietnam and Israel officially launched FTA negotiations on December 2, 2015.

Vietnam’s tourism sees positive signs from international tourist markets

The search volume for Vietnamese tourism has been surging while the number of international arrivals has been also on the rise, signaling the tourism sector’s recovery, Lao dong (Labour) newspaper reported.

In the first seven months of 2022, Vietnam welcomed 954,000 international arrivals, increasing nearly nine-fold from a year earlier. The monthly arrival growth averaged 62%, according to the General Statistics Office.

Among 10 markets with most visitors to Vietnam, nine are located in the Asia - Pacific and the remainder is the US.

The Republic of Korea ranked first with 196,200 arrivals, up 903.7% year on year, followed by the US with 102,900 arrivals, up 5,382%. Others include Japan (46,000, 794.6%) and China (53,000, 34.5%).

Despite modest numbers of arrivals, European countries still posted sharp rises in visitors to Vietnam, including the UK (26,400, 2,958.6%), France (23,400, 2,963.7%), and Germany (23,600, 3,897.1%), data showed.

Since the year’s beginning, Vietnam has continually been among the places with the fastest growth in international searches for, by 50 - 75%, according to Google Destination Insights.

The global search volume for tourist accommodation facilities in the country reached 100 points in July, 5.9 times higher than in early March (17 points). Searches for international flights to Vietnam last month also soared three-fold from the start of March.

Vietnam welcomed 954,000 international arrivals in the first seven months of 2022. Photo: VNA

Compared to the same period last year, international searches for Vietnam’s tourism shot up by over 1,200% in July.

The top sources of those searches were the US, Australia, Singapore, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK, Malaysia, Germany, and Thailand. Meanwhile, the most searched Vietnamese destinations were Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Hue, and Vung Tau.

With positive signs from international tourist markets, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Vietnam Tourism Development Fund are working with travel companies, airlines and destinations to organise promotion activities, focusing on markets in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

The tourism sector will take part in the JATA Tourism Expo Japan from September 22 - 25 and the World Travel Market in the UK from November 7 - 9, both of which are leading regional and international travel fairs.

In addition, the International Travel Expo is scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City from September 8 - 10. A tourism promotion programme for the Greater Mekong Subregion will also be held as part of the Mekong Tourism Forum in Hoi An city, Quang Nam province, from October 9 - 14.

HCM City to host World Travel Wards 2022’s Gala Ceremony

Ho Chi Minh City has been chosen as the venue for a gala ceremony of the World Travel Awards for Asia and Oceania region scheduled to take place on September 7, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

On its website, the World Travel Awards (WTA) describes HCM City as a metropolis of boundless energy which draws together both old and new Vietnam.

“Wander through alleys and markets, explore the temples, and discover the designer malls beneath soaring skyscrapers in this fascinating fusion of different worlds," it said.

World Travel Awards describes HCM City as a metropolis of boundless energy which draws together both old and new Vietnam. Photo: VNA

This year, Vietnam has received a series of nominations for different categories at the WTA 2022. Specifically, Vietnam was nominated for awards in the Asian region for Leading Destination, Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination, Leading Heritage Destination, Leading Cultural Destination, Leading Nature Destination, Leading Youth Travel Destination and Leading Beach Destination.

The capital city of Hanoi was shortlisted as Asia’s Leading City Break Destination and Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination.

Last year, Vietnam won the title of Asia’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards. It also honoured Vietnam as Asia’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination, and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism as Asia’s Leading Tourist Board 2021, reported VNA.

The WTA was launched in 1993 to acknowledge excellence in the travel and tourism industry. Heralded as the “travel industry’s equivalent of the Oscars” by the Wall Street Journal, the awards are based on votes from the public and travel professionals across the globe.

Samsung to manufacture semiconductor products in Vietnam next year

Samsung Electronics plans to manufacture semiconductor products at its Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam located in Thai Nguyen province in July 2023, Samsung Electronics CEO Roh Tae-Moon told PM Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on August 5.

Roh who is visiting Vietnam revealed that the group is expected to inaugurate its research and development (R&D) centre in Hanoi in late 2022 or early 2023 to support not only Vietnam but also other countries in Southeast Asia.

He said Samsung plans to support 50 Vietnamese businesses in enhancing their competitive capacity through the development of a smart factory model, in addition to promoting cooperation with universities and research institutions of Vietnam.

He thanked the Government of Vietnam and relevant agencies for helping foreign businesses, including Samsung, to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and for creating a good environment for businesses to operate constantly in the context of global changes.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Samsung Electronics CEO Roh Tae-Moon in Hanoi on August 5. Photo: VGP

According to the CEO, Samsung Vietnam raked in US$34.3 billion from exports in the first six months of this year, up about 18% year on year. It aims to raise its export turnover to US$69 billion this year, invest an additional US$3.3 billion and continue to expand operations in Vietnam.

He suggested that Vietnam improve the quality of human resources through training to meet the needs of businesses and investors.

Receiving the CEO, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the group’s operation plans in Vietnam, saying the Vietnamese government is committed to improving the investment environment for foreign investors in general and Samsung in particular, while actively dealing with Samsung’s recommendations.

He suggested that Samsung expand investment in semiconductor manufacturing, one of the groups’ three major development orientations in Vietnam along with its existing production lines for mobile devices and consumer electronics products.

In the context global FDI inflows undergoing investment restructuring and supply chain repositioning, the PM expected that Samsung would support and serve as a bridge to bring Korean businesses to Vietnam and at the same time help to diversify the supply chain in the near future, cited VOV.

Currently, the Republic of Korea is Vietnam’s third largest trading partner after China and the United States. Last year saw two-way trade turnover between the two countries reach US$78 billion, accounting for 11.6% of Vietnam’s total trade value.

The RoK is the largest FDI partner in Vietnam with 9,383 operating projects valued at nearly US$80 billion.

Vietnam News Today (Aug. 4): Tourism Industry Intensifies Efforts to Attract Foreign Visitors Vietnam News Today (Aug. 4): Tourism industry intensifies efforts to attract foreign visitors; Businesses spice up Vietnamese market; Vietnam-Warsaw culture festival 2022 introduces local water ...

Vietnam News Today (Aug. 5): Northern Region to Suffer Heavy Rain Amid Tropical Depression Vietnam News Today (Aug. 5): Vietnam logs 2,012 Covid-19 cases on August 4; Northern region to suffer heavy rain amid tropical depression; Vietnam to add ...

Vietnam News Today (Aug. 6): Vietnam Records US$4.7 Billion Trade Surplus with UK Over 12 Months Vietnam News Today (Aug. 6): Vietnam logs 2,074 Covid-19 cases on August 5; Vietnam records US$4.7 billion trade surplus with UK over 12 months; Vietnam ...