Viet Nam Tourism a strategic industry, tourist increase four times

New Delhi: Viet Nam, with its open policy, rich natural landscape and cultural heritage, is one of the major and potential tourist attractions of Southeast Asia, and around the world.

The Embassy of Viet Nam organized a Tourism Road Show with the aim to facilitate B2B interactions. The event saw representatives of nearly 200 travel agencies, tour operators, hoteliers and flight operators from India and Viet Nam including IndiGo Airline showcasing their product and services in order to attract maximum tourists.

Speaking at the occasion Ambassador of Viet Nam to India Pham Sanh Chau said, ‘Viet Nam and India have a traditional and long-standing relationship. 2000-year ago an Indian monk came to “Phat Tich” and took with him the spirit and philosophy of Lord Buddha. Hindu imprints of Cham ruins in central Viet Nam are also examples of this relationship. This friendship has been preserved, nurtured and continuously developed by the generations of leaders of the two countries since our independence.’

He said, ‘With Act East Policy, the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stresses the need to increase the number of visitors from ASEAN region in general and Viet Nam in particular to India and vice versa. This is not the first but the biggest event ever organized so far. We will continue to do it in order to give Indian and Vietnamese visitors a more diverse and new destination options.’

As per statistics global tourism demand is booming and is forecast to grow at approximately 4% per year over the next decade (2019-2029), higher than the projected global economic growth rate. Chau said ‘Viet Nam, with its diverse cultural and natural tourism heritage, can fully benefit from the above favourable demand context.’

At the moment, Viet Nam ranks 32nd globally (out of 120 countries), 3rd in Southeast Asia in terms of the number of foreign visitors and attractiveness of her cultural and natural beauty. Viet Nam has up to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, on par with Indonesia as compared to most other countries in Southeast Asia, besides having top urban tourism like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Da Nang.

Ambassador Chau informed that currently, the Government of Viet Nam is taking tourism as a strategic industry and will focus on (i) developing tourism infrastructure, (ii) promoting tourism destinations, (iii) developing tourism skilled human resources, and (iv) improving state policies in the area of the tourism industry.

https://youtu.be/Wew2ORD-OhY    YouTube link of Ambassador of Vietnam Pham Sanh Chau interview in New Delhi

Over the past years, Viet Nam has made dramatic overall improvements in competitiveness such as ICT readiness, security and safety, port and ground infrastructure, development and ease of doing business.

Figures say over the last decade, international visitors to Viet Nam increased nearly four times from 4.2 million in 2008 to 15.5 million in 2018. Growth in international arrivals reached 25% during 2016-2018. Viet Nam's domestic tourism with a much larger number of visitors than international ones, is also growing sharply, quadrupling from 20.5 million in 2008 to 80 million in 2018 thanks to the rapid growth of the middle class in Viet Nam.

Airways connectivity eases travel

With Vietjet Air scheduled to open direct flights from Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City to New Delhi daily and alternatively from 6th December 2019, and Indian Airline IndiGo opening direct flights to Viet Nam from 3rd October, the number of Vietnamese tourists coming to India will increase tremendously. The number of Indian tourists coming to Viet Nam which has reached nearly 90,000 (over the past 7 months), an increase year-on-year by 124.4% will surely increase substantially.

A few tour operators and service providers that took part in the show were Jewel Tours, Hello Asia Travel, VieTravel, Windows DMC, Travel Anz, Astra Network, ThreeLand Travel, BWP Premier Best Western, Indi China Travel & Liesure, Global Destinations and Victoria Tour. Indigo was a participant too. VFS Global was partner company.

Tags: #Viet Nam #About Viet Nam, #Viet Nam Tourism, #Places to see in Viet Nam, #Ambassador of Viet Nam to India Pham Sanh Chau, #Viet Nam Tours

Vietnam Tourism Promotion Video ShowVID 20190828 172616

In talks with Ambassador of Vietnam to India Pham Sanh Chau

https://youtu.be/Wew2ORD-OhY

Tags: #Ambassador of Viet Nam to India Pham Sanh Chau #Viet Nam #Viet Nam Tourism #Travel 

Tibet President Lobsang Sangay says, 'Trade with China, be cautious, study Tibet'; on Dalal Lama reincarnation & investment in Buddhism

New Delhi: Sounding caution on relations with China, President of Central Tibetan Administration in India Lobsang Sangay said, ‘You must do business with China, have diplomatic relations with them but see that are you bringing china to the international fort or we are becoming more influenced by china.' He said, ‘Be careful, study Tibet, look at the blueprint of Tibet and then decide.’ 'How it all started in Tibet. Then in Australia. You start with trade and then it becomes politics and then it becomes security then it becomes academic and it becomes everything'. He said, 'China has completely taken over Australia in business and has good cultural ties with it too. It uses the blueprint of elite cooptation, buying all influence makers. India should be cautious’.

Tibet is facing an existential crisis with China since last 60 years. Regarding talks with China he said, ‘We are open to talks with all, Chinese, journalists, scholars. We seek autonomy within China and we want to resolve our issue peacefully through dialogue.’
‘Tibet is your litmus test as to your commitment to democracy, human rights and non violence’, he emphasized, for all countries vouching for them.

Dalai Lama's own business

India educated Sangay, in an interaction with Foreign Affairs Correspondents on Dalai Lama’s reincarnation issue said that, ‘Dalai Lama’s reincarnation is Dalai Lama’s business. It is for him to decide whether he comes back or not and in what form. The Chinese have no role whatsoever.’ He said, 'The Chinese, who are wanting to name their own Dalai Lama, like their Panchen Lama, who will follow him? China has destroyed all our monasteries and monks, how can they decide on the Dalai Lama?''

‘We are not scared of China. We sincerely think we will win. Chinese came in 1959, by 1963 they destroyed 90 % of Tibetan monasteries. 99.9% monks and nuns were killed by Chinese army. Buddhism was physically destroyed. No one could practice Buddhism. His holiness and 20,000 of his followers fled Tibet and stayed in exile in India. We had only 2% chance of survival. In that we rebuilt all the monasteries in India, thanks to India. We are rebuilding Nalanda University. We revived Buddhism institutions in the whole of Himalayan belt from Sikkim to Ladakh to Himachal, Lahaul Spiti, Nepal, Bhutan.

'Now oddly China has become the largest Buddhist country in the world. 300 million Buddhists are in China. It has surpassed India. Buddhism is back in Tibet too. They may have destroyed Buddhist monasteries for dilution of Buddhism physically but in private social spaces they practice Buddhism like never before. Under the guidance of his holiness Dalai Lama we have rebuilt in exile.'

 India birthplace of Buddhism, China showing itself as leader 

‘India is the birthplace of Buddhism. All the sacred signs of Buddha are in India. But as far as Buddhist diplomacy is concerned India is far behind China’, said Lobsang Sangay, President of Tibetan government-in-exile.

Though Buddhist people in India are 10% of its population, Sangay suggested, ‘even if out of the estimated 600 million to 1 billion Buddhists which means 1%, also comes here, which further means 10 million spending 1000 dollars each, will be 100 billion dollars. UP and Bihar will prosper within 10 yrs. With 1 million investments you can have 100 billions in return.’

He said, ‘Every year China organizes World Buddhist Congress and leaders from around the world are invited including from neighboring countries. Chinese government spends billions of dollars. They look at China as a leader of the Buddhist world. Not India. India is a low hanging fruit. All the Buddhist leaders will come to India on a mere invite for an event at Bodh Gaya. Bodh Gaya is the land of enlightenment. China does not have Sarnath, Varanasi, they have the tallest statue of Buddha, biggest Buddhist monastery, deepest Buddhist cave and all Buddhist leaders are amazed with china’s development and investment. The largest cheapest export has been Buddhism, least investment highest and the longest return. India is land of Buddha. All Buddhist countries are your natural ally.’    

Tibetan identity in India

With literacy rate of 94% in Tibet, Tibetans born and educated in India love cricket, Bollywood movies, dance and songs but there is an evolution too. With 3rd generation Tibetans coming from kindergarten to school are taught everything in Tibetan till primary. In Tibetan gatherings, Gorshey, a Tibetan dance form and songs sung by Tibetan singers have replaced Bollywood and Hollywood songs which is seen as an assertion of their identity. Wearing Tibetan shirt is fashion. In Dharamshala on Wednesday everyone wears Tibetan dress mostly. In the national capital of Delhi, Majnu ka Tila, place that Tibetans have made home, Wednesday is vegetarian. Majnu ka Tila, famous for its Thopa and Momos observes White Wednesday, adopted in 2011, when they adorn Tibetan dress, eat Tibetan and drink Tibetan. Sangey says its like Gandhiji’s civil disobedience. Although Tibetan food is primarily non vegetarian, White Wednesdays are Vegetarian for laying emphasis and going back to Buddha.  

Back in Tibet, Tibetans live with bleak prospects. Sources say, even when Tibetans educated from china return back to Tibet good positions are not their share and are a fiefdom of Han Chinese. Like in the Tibet Autonoums region Chinese Secretary is the most powerful official and nothing has changed in the last 60 yrs. Not even Executive Secretary is a Tibetan. If there are 13 Standing Committees of the Polit Bureau, first one is a pure Han Chinese following in order. The 13th may be a Tibetan.

Forced migration from China is usual. All road are built to send Chinese migrants to Tibet. Han Chinese get double promotion. After one promotion they go to Tibet, with another they return to china and get promoted,(under the hardship posting). It is because of subsidies that the Chinese go to Tibet, to get license in business. The moment subsidy and license ends they come back. 80-90% of males are sent to Tibet and no females, as Chinese believe that if you give birth in high altitude the child will have a heart problem. In summer towns and cities in Tibet are Chinese majority because all migrants come to do business and in winter they return back. Tibet being at 3500 m height with -50 degrees, difficult and harsh winter season keeps Chinese away. 

President Sangay informed that according to Freedom House, an international organization measuring freedom in the world has ranked Tibet the least free region after Syria with no journalist being allowed to go to Tibet unless for an organized trip.

 #Lobsang Sangay  #Tibet #President CTA Tibet #China #Buddhism #Buddhism in Tibet #Dharamshala #China in Tibet