0511-Newsletter-May

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Xin Chào!

Table of content

Welcome & News in brief ..................................... p 1News in Hospitality .................................................... p 2Golf Indochina .................................................................. p 3Destination of the month ................................... p 4Inside IT&T .......................................................................... p 5

Vietnam Raised Domestic AirfaresThe maximum price levels on Vietnam-ese domestic economy class airfares were raised by 27th April, local media reported. According to Thanh Nien News, the coun-try’s Ministry of Finance agreed to raise the ceiling price on routes longer than 1,280km from VND1.82 million to VND2.72 million (US$87 to US$129). For routes less than 300km, the maximum price will be VND863,636.The new ceiling prices do not include tax, and only apply to routes oper-ated by a single airline.

Vietnam Tourism to Surge 13% CAGRMedical and cosmetic surgeries, beautiful landscapes, developing hospitality services and a stable political environment have en-sured a steady growth in Vietnam’s tourism industry as reported by the RNCOS Indusry Research.

Tourists Flock to Paradise Caves Right next door to the biggest caves in the world, lies a 36 km long, 30-100 meter-wide cave that was formed hundreds of millions of years ago. A destination breathtakingly attractive to domestic and foreign tourists. Please contact your sales representative at IT&T for more details.

Vietnam’s Sustainability TourismLooking to preserve its heritage and histori-cal sites, Vietnam’s Administration of Tour-

ism is looking at sustainable models for pre-serving historical villages first.

Japanese Visits to Cambodia GrowThe total number of foreign tourists to Cambodia increased 14% from last year, with Japanese visitors increasing 2.1%. The two countries are now in talks about direct flights.

Da Nang Opens First Private MuseumThe central Vietnamese city of Da Nang has just recently opened Donh Dinh museum which has artifacts dating back 2,500 years ago collected from ethnic minorities in the central and highland regions of Vietnam.

News in briefAs the monsoon season rolls into South-east Asia, it’s our pleasure to bring you the May edition of IT&T’s newsletter. This month we’re enthusiastic to bring you some of the latest contemplations coming out of Indochina. In the past month we’ve had some big changes, most important of which is moving into a brand new office. We at IT&T see a bright future for further collaboration with our friends abroad and travellers throughout the world coming to stay with us and we’re investing in that. Keep an eye out for some of the changes we made in this issue. This month we’ve got some interesting news, glances into the region, hospitality and and another peek into IT&T. We wish you a marvelous May and a refreshing start to your coming summer months.

Your team at IT&T

NEWSLETTERMay 2011 Page 1


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IN HOI ANLE BELHAMY HOI AN (4*)Complimentary upgrading: Summer Beach Vacation : 3 days 2 nightsDaily breakfast for maximum two persons per room; A credit of USD 10 for spa service per stay at Belhamy Spa; Free eco-tour to Tra Que Village for one by bicycle; Free shut-tle bus to discover Hoi An Ancient Town or Danang City as scheduled; Free a My Son Hollyland Discovery Trip by van and danc-ing club for group booking from 10 rooms or 20 pax; 50% discount of on meeting room rental for group from 30 pax; Free dancing club, dancing class for group booking on every Saturday and SundayValidity: May 3 – Sept 30, 2011

IN HUEVEDANA LAGOON RESORT & SPA (4*)Stay 3 nights, pay 2 nights3 nights stay is required to be consecutive, apply for advanced bookings onlyThis special offer is not cumulative and ex-changeable with any other promotional programs.Validity: Oct. 01, 2011 – Dec. 20, 2011 & Jan. 11, 2012 – Apr. 30, 2012

Promotion

Ana Mandara Ninh Binh: A Traquil StayWith Ninh Binh being our feature des-tination this month, we can’t forget to mention Ana Mandara, which had its soft opening in late 2010. The resort offers 172 rooms that are deisnged and decorated in the traditional style of villages in the Red River Delta. This resort, hidden in the countryside of the Red River Delta, has a quiet and tranquil atmosphere for those looking to get out of the city and experi-ence some natural quietude.Just around the corner, there’s ancient historical sites, beautiful scenery and fertile land only found south of the capital city of Vietnam.

News on HospitalityCentara comes to the IslandCentara Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of its first hotel in Vietnam. The newly branded Chen Sea Resort can be found on the very bottom tip of Vietnam on Phu Quoc island. The boutique beach resort offers 36 villas, 12 large pools and spa villas. All villas feature a private terrace with ocean views, LCD flat screen TVs, DVD players and Wi-Fi access. Resort facilities include an ocean-facing swimming pool, tennis courts, restaurant, bar, dive centre, and a range of boats which can be hired or chartered. The resort also features two meeting rooms that accommodate up to 100 people.

Sofitel Arrives in Phnom PenhHospitality powerhouse Sofitel just had its grand opening on March 29th thus jo-ing the Phokeethra Group. The Phokeethra Country Club in Siem Reap has hosted the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open for the past four years. The USD 70 million invest-ment went towards 7 classes of rooms and suites, 8 restaurants/bars and one of Southeast Asia’s most ambitious meetings facilities, a Sofitel-designed spa and execu-tive club, and the Phokeethra Sports Club. Sofitel brings with it high-quality profes-sional services and luxury hospitality to South-East Asia.


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Golfing with IT&TMany of our clients only have a limited amount of days to take a stroll through beauti-ful golf courses and new lands, therefore we want to give golfers a pleasant and easy experience while they’re playing through Indochina. Our Golf Trail tours include trans-portation, set-up with golf courses in the region or of your choosing, intermittent sight-seeing and cruises.For more info on golfing or tours we offer, please e-mail: [email protected]


Indochina Golf

New Golf CourseDai Lai Golf & Country ClubVietnam’s newest golf course opened up in November 2010. Dai Lai is only 40km from the center of Ha Noi, thus making it an easy getaway from the capital city. The 18-hole Championship golf course sits at the base of the Ngoc Thanh Mountain and around the Dai Lai lake. The golf course is filled with diverse terrains and elevation changes thus making for some interesting holes for beginner and advanced golfer alike.

Your golfing tour through Dai Lai is sure to be comfortable and relaxing. With the facilities designed and constructed by Linksshape Hongkong and the club house designed by Grant Taylor experiencing world class design and facilities is no sweat. With such a comfortable setting, you can focus on your game, have a cup of tea, and even get a chance to explore some quintes-sential mountains and lakes of Vietnam.

Playing Golf in a Hot ClimateGolfers playing through South-East Asia will often find a climate that they’re not used to. It’s decidedly humid and warm, but somehow the weather delivers a thrilling and relaxing atmosphere. You just have to be prepared. Playing in the heat puts po-tential pressures on the body including de-hydration, fatigue, and in rare cases, heat exhaustion so it’s important to be mentally and physically prepared for the challenges on the fairway. Here’s some of IT&T’s tips for staying fresh on the course.• Book a tee-time early in the morning• Wear a cap or hat• Drink plenty of water before and dur-

ing the game• Apply sun block (particularly on the

ears, nape of neck, nose and other ex-posed areas)

• Wear light-colored clothes made of breathable fabric

• Wear sunglasses• Bring a small towel to dry off sweat.• Don’t eat heavy meals on the course -

fruits are preferrable• Stay in the shade as much as possible

when not hitting and carry an umbrella• Bring 2 or 3 gloves and change ever 3

or 4 holesKeep these tips in mind and you’ll be re-freshed while enjoying every stroke on tropical green.

Across the Indochinese region, golfing professionals are taking advantage of breathtak-ing scenery. This month we’ve added a golfing section to highlight prominent golf courses in the region. So sit back, relax, and tee off to the tropics.

Tip


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Royal Golf Club

Ancient Royal CapitalAlthough Ninh Binh is tucked away from the current modern capital of Ha Noi, Hoa Lu, the old capital city, was once the head-quarters for the Dinh and Le dynasties from the 10th century. Therefore, many of the structures that these monarchs built still remain. Visiting the old structures gives

you a peek into how Vietnamese royalty lived hundreds of years ago. In addition to this, royally sponsored temples are dotted throughout the area, giving a picture of a humanity deeply intertwined with their natural surroundings.

Ninh Binh: “Ha Long Bay on Land”

In the midst of Ninh Binh’s blossoming green landscape lies a hidden secret for you golfers out there. Surrounded by Ha-Long Bay-looking mountains and adjacent to the Yen Thang lake are 54-holes for your leisure.The 670-hectare complex is equipped with three international standard 18-hole golf courses, a clubhouse, 5-star hotel, restau-rants, shopping malls and villas. With this golfing resort only 100 kilometers from Ha Noi it’s an ideal getaway for a golfer who wants to experience natural beauty with every swing. The Royal Golf Club will have its official Grand Opening this year.

Ninh Binh Legend Hotel

Tien Dong, Ninh Khanh Ward, Ninh Binh Province - VietnamTotal of rooms: 96 rooms.08 Superior (35 m2) ; 82 Deluxe (40 m2) ; 05 Suite (80 m2) ; 01 Executive Suite (163 m2) .Ninh Binh Legend Hotel is 600 metres from the Ninh Binh Square, close to Trang An Eco-Tourism Complex and Hoa Lu ancient capital. It takes 5 minutes to walk to A Nau pagoda which is dedicated to the Princess of the Tran Dynasty from the 16st century. Also nearby is the Binh Khang village, a small mountain range.

Ninh Binh Province, an obvious stop-over in the Red River Delta. Saturated with an-cient Vietnamese history and surrounded by natural beauty that spans from caves to mountains to grottoes. It is no wonder that Ninh Binh’s favorite destination, Tam Coc, is referred to as the “Ha Long Bay on Land” with beatuiful rock formations burst-ing forth out of the rice fields, hidden caves and grottoes a boatride away and greenery that stretches to the horizon. Natural beau-ty mixed with history: the ultimate combi-nation for an awe-inspiring and enriching trip through the countryside of Vietnam.

The cliffs of Ninh Binh frame Yen Thang lake which lies south of Ninh Binh city. The area surrounding the lake comprises of 100 aquatic flora and fauna making it an ideal place for nature lovers. ClimateThe climate of Ninh Binh is characterized by two monsoons. The winter monsoon and

the summer monsoon. It can get relatively cold in Ninh Binh due to the natural sur-roundings and the dry climate. The mean annual temperature is about 23 oC with lowest temperature ranging from 13 oC to 15 oC in January and with highest tempera-ture of 28.5 oC in July.

How to get thereGetting to Ninh Binh is relatively easy due to its proximity to the capital, Ha Noi. Trav-ellers can take train, bus or taxi from the capital in under three hours. Travelling from Hai Phong, one of the North’s major cities, will take about two hours.

Ninh Binh

Laos

Vietnam

China

Hanoi


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Safe TravelsAt IT&T we believe that every traveller un-der our care deserves a safe and secure trip during their adventures through a fresh new land. We believe that if you do not feel safe while travelling, you cannot truly enjoy yourself. For this reason, IT&T has an insur-ance policy in case of emergencies during your travels. We accept responsibility for unexpected damages or injuries in your travels with us. First & foremost, we want you to feel secure in your time in Indochina.For more information about our insurance policy, feel free to contact [email protected]

Flying Indochina? It’s getting easier!This month we’ve seen a surprising amount of direct flights initiated to go to Indochina, thus making it much easier to get here from wherever you are in the world. The new flights?: Emirates Airlines will fly Dubai to Phnom Penh, Air France has recommenced flying from Paris to Phnom Penh, Aeroflot Airlines will from Moscor to Phnom Penh, and Vietnam Airlines will start flying from London to Ho Chi Minh city. These new flights run parallel to Ho Chi Minh city’s ex-pectation to serve 100 million passengers by 2020.

Mr. “Jimmy” Hai has been working for IT&T since 2008, a passionate young sales execu-tive at IT&T.

A Path into TourismMr. Hai has always had a dream to be in the tourism industry, fueled by a love of the English language and an urge to travel, it was a natural progression for his favorite things. Having grown up in Ho Chi Minh city, Hai was already surrounded by a sup-portive environment where the cosmo-politan meets Vietnam. He attended Open University in 2004 and majored in Tourism Management. Finding IT&TIt was during his studies at Open University that he got his first introduction to IT&T. His professor, eager to support Hai in his passions, recommended IT&T as a place to do his internship. After 3 months with IT&T, he had found a family of people with shared interests and like-minds. After grad-uating, IT&T invited Mr. Hai to come back to work and he’s been with us ever since. We’re glad he accepted.

Current FrontiersNow, Hai works in serving clients in the Asian Market, namely our friends in Hong

Kong, Singapore, Thailand and FCm. He loves that he can use his English everyday with new and old clients and he event con-tinues to study English in his free time at an English center in the city. He’s also looking towards the future: “I want to expand IT&T to new markets in Asia too. I’m looking at Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philllipines. I think the interest is there. We just have to reach out.”

Closing ThoughtsMr. Hai says that he sees IT&T as a second family that synchronizes his three main hobbies: travelling, English and soccer. Mr. Hai plays on the company’s soccer team every week with a spirit of camraderie: “Everyday, I wake up and think about what I would like to do for our clients. I’m always thinking about what to do for the clients, and how to keep them as our clients. I’m always thinking about what we could do better and practice my English at the same time. IT&T is like a family to me, and I have a lot of support from my brothers and sisters. We have so much fun, it’s a really friendly and open environment. I want to work here for a long time. I feel at home here.”

You can contact Mr. Huỳnh Xuân Hải [email protected]

In Focus: Mr. Huynh Xuan Hai

Mr. “Jimmy” Huỳnh Xuân Hải, Sales Executive for the Asian Market

Tropical Fruits Coming!With the monsoon season around the cor-ner, tropical fruits are almost ready to be plucked from the branches of Indochina’s diverse and multitudinous orchards. Make sure to come at just the right moment, when the fruits are the ripest and most delicious! Fruits to look forward to this season? Mangosteen, Rambutan, Sapo-dilla, Mangoes, Star Apples and Longans.

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0511-Newsletter-May