East Asia, Latin America boots ecotourism

Jakarta (VNA) – More than 200 delegates from 24 member countries of the Forum for East Asia and Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) are gathering in Bali , Indonesia , on July 17 and 18 for a conference on ecotourism.

Addressing the conference themed “Towards Sustainable Ecotourism Development in East Asia and Latin America”, Firmansyah Rahim, the Indonesian cultural and tourism ministry’s director general for tourism destination development stressed FEALAC’s significant role in promoting ecotourism internationally.

The 33-member Forum has a total population of 2.5 billion, which is huge potential in tourism if the peoples visit each others’ countries, he said.

Ecotourism promotion was expected to help increase the number of tourists visiting FEALAC member countries, he said at a press conference after the opening.

Ecotourism was educational and would encourage local residents as well as visiting tourists to help protect the environment, he added.

Among the objectives of the conference are to raise awareness among all tourism stakeholders about the importance of responsible and sustainable ecotourism development, to exchange experience and best practices in developing ecotourism, and to establish a FEALAC Ecotourism Network.

Establsihed in 2001, FEALAC has 33 member countries including Australia, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Panama, Thailand, and Peru.-

Beijing capital airport to close on Olympic inauguration

– Beijing Capital International Airport will close from 7:59 pm until midnight during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on August 8.

More than 20 flights from Shanghai to Beijing will be affected by the four-hour closure. However, all flights will return to schedule the following day.

There are only 27 flights available from Shanghai to Beijing on August 8 while 43 are available on August 7 and another 45 on August 9.

Flights to and from Nanyuan airport in the south of Beijing will also be affected by the measure which aimed at reinforcing security in the capital during the Olympic Games.-

Cambodian and Thai PMs meet over disputed border issue

Hanoi (VNA) – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej have had a “cordial” phone conversation relating to the disputed Preah Vihear temple, news reports said.

The two PMs agreed that their defence ministers would meet on July 21 in Thailand to discuss the latest flare-up over competing claims to land around the temple, Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith was quoted as saying.

They also agreed that “both sides should do the utmost to prevent anything from happening”, he said. According to Minister Khieu Kanharith, Cambodia would not “use force unless attacked” and that the “situation was stable.” Meanwhile, Thai army commander General Anupong Paojinda said he has ordered his troops to refrain from using force.

By July 16, more than 200 Thai soldiers and 380 troops from Cambodia have been deployed around the temple, according to news reports. –

Cambodia to produce 4,000 tonnes of organic rice

– Cambodia plans to produce 4,000 tonnes of organic rice this year for export to the European Union (EU) and the US, a 1,000-tonne rise over last year, news reports said on July 18.

The Cambodian Centre for Studies and Development in Agriculture will undertake the task, which is seen as a key step to strengthening the country’s agricultural sector.

Around 10,000 families in eight provinces are producing the organic rice, the centre’s director, Yang Saing Koma, was quoted by news reports as saying.

Only organic rice production can help the economic sector because this kind of rice can be sold at a high price in local and international markets, the official added.–

ASEAN charter likely to be ratified soon

– Foreign Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will urge all member countries to approve the grouping’s charter, the Singaporean Foreign Ministry announced on July 18.

Up to now, seven ASEAN members, including Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam, have ratified the charter, which was finalised by ASEAN leaders at their last year’s summit.

Speaking to the Singaporean media ahead of next week’s ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Singapore, the current ASEAN chairman, Foreign Minister George Yeo said Singapore is hopeful the remaining countries will do so by the end of the year.–

Australia sees ASEAN strategic importance

– Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith says ASEAN has particular economic and strategic importance for Australia.

The relations between the two sides have never seen such potential, the Minister said at the Lowi International Institute in Sydney on July 18.

The Minister noted that from 2008-2009, Australia’s development assistance for the East Aisa region will be nearly 1 billion USD with most of the sum for ASEAN members, making Australia one of the group’s major development partners.

Australia’s two-way trade with ASEAN totalled more than 55 billion USD last year. Minister Smith said that an on-negotiating Free Trade Area (FTA) between ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand will strengthen trading relationship and contribute to stronger investment flows.

There are over 70,000 students from ASEAN countries studying in Australia, he added.

ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.-

Cooperative alliance works to increase profit-making members

The Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) plans to increase the number of cooperatives making profits to 45 percent from the current 42.5 percent by the year’s end.

Introducing the second half plan in Ho Chi Minh City on July 18, the VCA said almost all of the profit-making coops are involved in multi-dimensional business.

The VCA also said it plans to establish 400 more cooperatives by the end of the year.

There are 17,900 cooperatives operating in the country, including 8,553 agricultural coops, 2,996 coops involved in industry, handicraft making and construction, and 1,085 transport coops.

In the plan, VCA will host the 8th meeting of International Cooperative Alliance-Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP) Regional Assembly, a trade fair for cooperatives and small-sized businesses and a conference of 100 outstanding cooperatives in Hanoi.-

Asia Commercial Bank receives Euromoney award

The Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) has been presented with the “Best Bank in Vietnam 2008” award by Euromoney, the world’s leading financial magazine.

This is the third time the ACB has received such an award with the first in 1997 and the second in 2006. This prize recognised the ACB’s sustainable growth and prestige.

The ACB has involved in securities, assets and liabilities management and financial leasing.

The bank attained a after-tax profit of 1.76 trillion VND (approximately 110 million USD) last year, a triple year-on-year increase, and 510 billion VND in the first quarter of 2008.-

MICE tourism a booming industry

Saigontourist Travel Service Company has so far this year welcomed nearly 18,300 visitors on Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions (MICE) tours, a year-on-year increase of 17 percent.

The company has arranged tours to Hoi An, Hue and Ha Long Bay for French tourists as well as served international visitors participating in seminars held in Ho Chi Minh City.

It says it will continue to boost MICE business by putting into operation the Saigon International Exhibition and Convention Center and join the IT&CMA international MICE travel fair lasting from October 7 to 10 in Bangkok , Thailand .

These activities not only help promote Vietnam as a venue for conferences and meetings, but also extends the country’s market share in Asia ’s MICE tourism.

The company has received totally 153,000 international tourists in the past six months, up by 35 percent over the same period last year.-

Young overseas Vietnamese come home for summer camp

Chairman of the Committee for Overseas Affairs Vietnamese Nguyen Thanh Son on July 18 received 82 young overseas Vietnamese coming home for the 2008 summer camp.

He expressed his hope that the young people would gain better understanding of the history and culture of the homeland at the camp and they would help promote the country’s images to international friends.

The 2008 summer camp, themed “Journey to homeland’s heritage sites”, will take place from July 18-August 2.

During the period, young overseas Vietnamese will visit well-known sites like Ha Long Bay, the Royal Palace and Citadel in Hue , Hoi An ancient town and the Cu Chi tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City in addition to various activities.
The first summer camp for young overseas Vietnamese was held in 2004.

According to the COVA, there are around 3 million Vietnamese people living in 90 countries and territories around the world.-