Vietnam waives visas for five European countries to spur tourism

Travellers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain will no longer need a visa to enter the communist nation from July 1 for stays of up to 15 days, according to a statement posted on the government's official website.

The visa waiver will apply to tourists and those travelling for business, said the statement signed off by the Vietnamese premier Thursday, in a scheme in place for one year after which it may be extended.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, international arrivals to the country in May were down by 14.4% compared to the same month last year.

The declining visitor numbers have triggered increasing concern in the Southeast Asian nation.

Last week Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told state media foreigners were "scared" of travelling to the country and questioned why the scenic nation was lagging behind those such as Thailand in attracting tourists.

"When they see on the streets sellers preparing food with their bare hands, no plastic gloves, they are scared," he said, also citing begging and pickpocketing as factors deterring tourists.

Vietnam currently allows tourists to enter visa-free from Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Belarus, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

By comparison, Thailand allows tourists from dozens of countries to enter without a visa for up to 30 days.

According to government figures in the first five months of the year only 3.2 million people visited Vietnam, a drop of 12.6% against the same period last year.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/travel/article/vietnam-waives-visas-for-five-european-countries-to-spur-tourism#sthash.k9rWnS8i.dpbs

Weekly Hot Pick for Malacca, Malaysia

D’ Hotel, Malacca – 3 Star

What’s nearby

Ø      Cheng Hoon Teng Temple – 0.6 km

Ø      Nancy’s Kitchen – 0.6 km

Ø      Jonker’s Walk Night Market – 0.6 km

Ø      Tuah Walk – 0.7 km

*Awarded Certificate of Excellence 2015.

2015 Good Year to Fly for Budget Travellers

Good news travellers. According to a new report, air fares at top destinations around the world are predicted to continue dropping throughout the remainder of the year.

In a joint report prepared by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), number crunchers combed through the statistics to come up with a few general travel trends and compile a list of the 10 best travel deals for 2015.

According to the report, average ticket prices for major destinations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America are forecast to to drop between 4% and 6% throughout the remainder of the year compared to average ticket prices in 2014.

Fluctuating currencies are also impacting travel plans around the world. The strength of the US dollar is driving travellers originating from North America to stay longer in Europe this year compared to 2014.

Likewise, travellers from North America headed to China are spending an average of 25 days abroad this August, lengthening their stay by five days from 2014.

The pattern works both ways, however, as the strengthening Chinese yuan is expected to increase the number of Chinese visitors to the US this year and lengthen their stays from 12% to 14% from August 2014 to August 2015.

Analysts also point out that the bundling trend could also help travellers save an average of up to US$648.

That’s particularly true of London, where bundling flights and hotel rooms could add up to US$1,424 in savings, or US$1,087 in Maui and US$1,058 in Paris.

Meanwhile, here are the top 10 flight routes that showed the biggest year over year drops in air fare for 2015:

Malaysia to Australia -22%

Italy to Portugal -22%

Brazil to the US -17%

Spain to Thailand -17%

Germany to Portugal -16%

Japan to France -16%

United States to Dubai -15%

Mexico to France -11%

Malaysia to Thailand -10%

Sweden to Spain -7%

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/travel/article/2015-good-year-to-fly-for-budget-travellers

Weekly Hot Pick for Maui, Hawaii

Maui Kamaole – 3 Star

What’s nearby

Ø     Keawakapu Beach

Ø     Kamaole Beach Park 3

Ø     Ulua Beach

Ø     808 Deli

Ø     Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods

Ø     S & Q’s Shave Ice and Coffee

* Awarded Certificate of Excellence 2015.