Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Vietnam has made significant progress in trade and investment liberalization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation, or APEC, said in a report at an Asian-Pacific states meeting Mar. 9.
Hanoi has taken effective steps forward in carrying out tax reforms and removing trade barriers and its controlling administrative system, said the report, which gave APEC assessment over Vietnam’s annual Individual Action Plan (IAP).

BAC GIANG – Overcoming poverty and challenges posed by life, the women from a rural commune of Bac Giang northern province have laboured to prosper from family farming.

A case in point is Nguyen Thi Nhien, 43, from Tu Mai Commune of Yen Dung District, who now owns a modern house with all amenities, and has her two children studying in universities.

After the tsunamis wreaked havoc on beach resorts in the region, Vietnam’s Victoria Phan Thiet resort received urgent calls from European tour operators looking for alternative destinations.

Gilles Poggi, general manager of the Victoria, who had lost a close former colleague when the giant waves hit Thailand, was taken aback. "Everyone was shocked at this terrible tragedy," he said. "But the show must go on. These were travel industry professionals. People had their trips cancelled and had to be offered an alternative."

In 2005, national tourism industry sets the target of receiving 3.2 million foreign tourists and 15 million domestic tourists and with the revenue of VND 30 trillion. To this end, tourism industry has get prepared for all tourist activities on the basis of the past achievements.