Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg due to visit Vietnam next week. (Photo: Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs)

Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg to visit Vietnam next week

The Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg will pay an official visit to Vietnam from April 16-18 at the invitation of Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.

The visit takes place at a time when the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries have witnessed positive developments over the years. Both countries have maintained regular reciprocal visit exchanges to outline orientations for bilateral cooperation, and at the same time have supported each other at multilateral forums.

Austria is one of Vietnam’s export markets in Europe, with their two-way trade last year hitting US$2.79 billion. Currently, Austria ranks 44 out of 141 foreign investors in Vietnam, with 41 valid projects valued at US$148 million, cited VOV.

Vietnam and Austria signed a finance cooperation agreement in 2015 under which the Austrian government pledged US$100 million in preferential capital for Vietnam from August 2019 to August 2023, and financed ODA projects in the fields of health care, firefighting, education-training, environment, among others.

Schallenberg’s visit expected to ramp up cooperation in existing fields, including ecnomy, education-training, science-technology, labour, culture, tourism, and expand cooperation in other fields such as renewable energy and climate change response.

During the visit, the two Foreign Ministers will hold talks on measures to boost cooperation between the two countries and two ministries in Hanoi on April 17. Schallenberg is scheduled to attend a Vietnam – Austria business forum in Hanoi, meet with several Vietnamese ministers, and visit a number of economic establishments in the city.

Ministry issues urgent dispatch on COVID-19 prevention, control

The Ministry of Health on April 12 sent an urgent dispatch on strengthening the prevention and control of COVID-19 to the People's Committees of all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities.

According to the document, from April 5-11, the country reported 639 new cases, or around 90 cases a day – a 3.8-fold increase compared to that of seven day ago. Notably, the number of patients aged above 50 accounts for 30.2% of the total cases.

The number of patients hospitalised is also on the rise, while the rate of vaccination in several localities fails to meet set targets, according to VNA.

A boy gets vaccinated against COVID-19 (Photo: VNA)

To prevent the pandemic from breaking out again, the Health Ministry requested the local People’s Committees to continue directing and strictly following instructions of the Government and the Prime Minister on the prevention and control of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

More efforts are needed to accelerate the vaccination process, keep a close watch on the pandemic developments, and ready response measures.

Localities are required to direct the organisation of receiving, caring for and treating patients, especially high-risk groups such as pregnant women, people with underlying diseases, and the elderly.

In addition, attention must be paid to raising people's awareness of protecting their health and that of their families and communities.

Vietnam International Travel Mart 2023 welcomes exhibitors from 15 countries

Travel firms from 15 countries and territories are showcasing products and services at the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2023 (VITM) which kicked off in Hanoi on April 13.

They are about to market more than 10,000 promotional tours and products during the four-day expo which is expected to welcomed over 3,000 visiting businesses and 60,000 individual visitors.

The Vietnam International Travel Mart 2023 themed Cultural Tourism opens in Hanoi on April 13, attracting exhibitors from 15 countries and territories. (Photo: VGP)

In his opening address, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung affirmed that tourism, as a non-smoking industry, has made a practical contribution to economic development in not only Vietnam but also other countries around the globe.

He highly appreciated the Vietnam Tourism Association selecting Cultural Tourism as the major theme of this year’s travel expo, noting developing green and sustainable tourism on the basis of preserving and exploiting traditional cultural values in association with environmental protection is the current development trend of the tourism industry.

Tourism development contributes to generating revenue for the preservation and promotion of cultural values, and conversely, preserved heritages creates a unique feature, attracting tourists of each country, he said.

He expressed hope the travel expo gives businesses the chance to find more partners and new business directions, helping to facilitate post-pandemic tourism recovery in Vietnam and other countries, reported VOV.

The expo is expected to facilitate tourism promotion through business-to-business, and business-to-customer meetings, along with a forum on cultural tourism development and a roundtable on plastic waste reduction in the tourism industry.

Sa Pa named among 5 destinations for a healthy and happy trip: Booking.com

Conquering Fansipan Peak from the resort town of Sa Pa is one of the favourite experiences of tourists in the world to improve their physical strength, according to a hotel booking app covering 220 countries and territories.

Sa Pa is the only representative of Vietnam in the list of the world's five destinations that are most loved by sports enthusiasts, said Booking.com,

Coming there, visitors are not only satisfied with the natural scenery but also have an opportunity to practice sports and improve their health.

Standing 3,143 m above the sea level, Fansipan is the highest peak in the Hoang Lien Son range and is known as the "Roof of Indochina".

Coming to Sa Pa, visitors are not only satisfied with the natural scenery but also have an opportunity to practice sports and improve their health. (Photo: VNA)

Tourists who choose Sa Pa as their favourite destination also point out that in addition to climbing, this place also has many things that are attractive to them such as fresh air and unique cuisine. It is also an ideal place to explore the traditional culture of local residents.

The other four destinations are Lake Michigan, the US, with the experience of being a mermaid; Mumbai, India, with a laughter yoga class on Chowpatty beach; Auckland, New Zealand, with a dog yoga class to relieve stress; and Gothenburg, Sweden, picking up litter when hiking to protect the environment.

The ranking was based on a survey with the participation of more than 24,000 adults from 32 countries and territories who select destinations that both have beautiful scenery and offer experiences that help travelers improve their health and they enjoy these places.

Australian website suggests impressive experiences in Vietnam

Australian travel website Escape recently listed a range of interesting activities that visitors should experience when traveling to the nation.

The first thing assesses the driving skills of Vietnamese people on roads.

According to writer James Booth, in Vietnam tooting your horn doesn't necessarily mean you're angry, instead it's simply a way to communicate "I'm here", with Booth comparing it to a form of sonic braille.

“I'd say learning to drive in Vietnam would actually make you a much more understanding - and more attentive – driver,” he shared.

Egg coffee should not be missed when paying a visit to the country. (Photo: Escape.com.au)

Secondly, eating food in the country allows visitors to enjoy a range of delicious food and learn about the lives of local people at the same time.

Booth discovered that Vietnamese people eat less junk food, particularly as local food is so fresh and wholesome, meaning that he felt better and healthier than ever.

Napping is another interesting experience that local people enjoy. In the nation people appear to be comfortable taking a lie down everywhere, from the seat of their moped to across chairs, church benches, buggy seats, and of course in hammocks.

Sampling some of the delicious local egg coffee should not be missed when paying a visit to the country. Cafe Trung, also known egg coffee, is a kind of coffee made with black coffee, condensed milk, and whipped egg yolk.

The taste is both nice and sweet, as well as being a convenient way to tell yourself you've started the day off with some protein, the Australian tourist wrote.

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