Vietnam News Highlights for July 14, 2023

Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon and Ho Quyen Arena - unique destinations in Asia

Ho Quyen Arena in Hue City, the central province of Thua Thien Hue. Photo: thuathienhue.gov.vn

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) highlights Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City and Ho Quyen Arena (the Tiger Arena) in Thua Thien Hue Province as unique tourist destinations in Asia. SCMP article on five adventurous destinations in Asia compares Ho Quyen Arena, the 200-year-old circular arena, to Vietnam's version of the Roman Colosseum.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon is highlighted as one of Asia's top 10 most notable Christian churches that tourists should visit. Vietnam's most famous cathedral, built in the 1880s, is located in District 1, a popular Ho Chi Minh City tourist area.

Airlines offer discounted tickets to attract tourists in fall

Vietnam Airlines, the national carrier, is implementing the "Welcome Autumn" program with ticket discounts ranging from 15% to 30% on its domestic and international routes for groups of four to six passengers or more to stimulate tourism in the last months of 2023. Customers who purchase tickets between July 10 and July 20, 2023 and have departure dates between August 16 and December 31, 2023 are eligible for the program.

Bamboo Airways is currently offering a discount program from July 12 to 14, 2023, for domestic routes departing from August 16, 2023 to December 31, 2023, with prices starting at VND99,000 (US$4.2), VND169,000 (US$7.1) and VND199,000 (US$8.4) per passenger.

Fiscal policy to cost state budget around US$8.46 billion in 2023

Tax breaks and land leases in 2023 may be worth a total of VND200 trillion (US$8.46 billion), according to the Ministry of Finance. The figure includes exemptions and deductions worth VND79 trillion (US$3.34 billion) and an extension worth VND121 trillion (US$5.1 billion).

The exemption, deduction, and extension are aimed at helping local businesses recover and strengthen their operations, which were hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2022. One of the most notable decisions is the 2% VAT reduction, which will be applied in the second half of 2023.

Consumer support call center receives nearly 4,200 calls in H1

The Ministry of Industry and Trade's Consumer Support Call Center received nearly 4,200 calls from Vietnamese consumers, and 80% of the total were related to consumer rights protection. The call center handled about 76% of the calls received.

Also, in January-June, nearly 990 letters of complaints and consumer reports were sent to the Ministry, most of which arrived by mail. The main areas of concern were housing and real estate, banking and insurance services, e-commerce and telecommunications, and transportation.

Hanoi approves price stabilization program for essential goods in 2023

Local consumers are shopping at a Hanoi supermarket. Photo: The Hanoi Times

Hanoi has approved a plan to implement a price stabilization program for essential goods in the city in 2023, including rice, beef, poultry, seafood, poultry eggs, processed foods, vegetables, sugar, cooking oil, spices, and milk for children under six. The program aims to balance supply and demand for high-demand goods during the rainy season, holidays, the end of 2023, the Lunar New Year 2024, and unusual epidemics.

2023 Vietnam Film Festival to land in Da Lat for the first time

The 23rd Vietnam Film Festival will be held for the first time in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, on November 21-25, according to the Department of Cinema. The national film festival, held every two years, will honor artists and their films.

This year's event is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the founding of Da Lat, introduce visitors to the culture, people, and landscapes of the city and Lam Dong Province, and commemorate 70 years of the development of Vietnam's film industry.