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Vietnam As MICE Destination

Patterned after a letter “S”, Vietnam has a population of more than 86 million inhabitants.  Vietnam has a balance melange of ancient and modernity from the cultural scene located in Northern Vietnam to the vibrant Saigon in the South.  Blessed with a tropical climate, the country is divided into 63 provinces and cities.

Vietnam is increasingly becoming one of the most popular MICE destinations in Southeast Asia.  Its progression in technology, modern infrastructure, distinct facilities and political stability has poised Vietnam to be an excellent destination for MICE events and activities.

A growing number of international hotels have developed a fine range of room accommodation, modern conference and recreational facilities whether it is a city hotel or a resort to boost the MICE business in recent years.

Bestowed with a unique blend of rich culture and fascinating beauty, authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been upgrading local infrastructure and services to boost the attractiveness of these cities appealing to the discerning travellers to experience a vivid combination of cosmopolitan and traditional lifestyles.

Vietnam offers heaps of activities such as sightseeing, activities for cultural lovers, wellness enthusiasts, gourmet aficionado and colourful entertainment that sum it up as an ideal destination to building business relationship, strengthening partnership ties and fostering camaraderie.


Spanning a surface area of 128,000 square miles, Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia brimmed by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest and the South China Sea to the east. 

Blessed by nature, Vietnam is endowed with bountiful forests, fertile deltas, picturesque mountains, mysterious caves, natural rock formations, heavenly waterfalls and magnificent beaches.  The northern part of Vietnam is known for its alpine peak, the Red River Delta, the plains of Cao Bang, Vinh Yen, the enchanting Halong Bay and historic Hanoi which account for its diversity in ethno linguistic minorities. 

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam, bursting with urban lifestyle between the northern edge of the Mekong Delta and South Eastern region. Saigon, as it is formerly called, is interwined with natural forest, vast plains, stretched coastal area and hundreds of rivers and canal. The Saigon River laces around the city and connects it with the East Sea.

The city has a total area of 2,090 square kilometers, which encompasses 24 districts with an area of 230 square kilometers and five outer-counties with an area of 1,860 square kilometers. Ho Chi Minh, which a total population of over seven millions, is one of the liveliest cities in South East Asia.

A popular tourist destination, Ho Chi Minh City displays a colourful combination of rich culture and remarkable heritage in the various attractions of Ho Chi Minh Museum, formerly known as Dragon House Wharf, Cu Chi Tunnels, systems of museums, theatres, and more recently Thanh Da, Binh Quoi Village, Dam Sen Park, Saigon Water Park, Suoi Tien, Ky Hoa.

Influenced by the charms of Vietnamese, Chinese and European cultures, visitors can expect to marvel at various beautiful buildings such as Nha Rong (Dragon House Wharf), Quoc To Temple (National Ancestors Temple), Xa Tay (Municiple Office), Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre and a myriad of pagodas (Vin Nghiem, Giac Vien, Giac Lam, Phung Son pagodas)and churches. Many of these represent landmarks that create a harmonious blend of northern and western cultural features.

Source of information: Ho Chi Minh city – Department of Tourism

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North Vietnam - Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital and second largest city in Vietnam. Exuding an old charm of French colonial atmosphere, the city is dotted with lakes and lovely parks. The Son La Mountains lies on the west of Hanoi, famous for its sanctuaries, grottos and pagodas. The ethnic minorities still survive in the northern province’s mountains retaining the traditional cultures of ancient Vietnam. Travel north to Halong Bay where a tranquil and magical bay is surrounded by more than a thousand limestone islands which arise from the water in dramatic rock formations and harbour extensive grottos and caves. The most notable cave in Halong is Dau Go, an extensive cave that features magnificent stalactites and stalagmites resembling a menagerie of birds and beasts.

Central Vietnam
Forming the central region of Vietnam are Hue, Danang and Hoi'an. Dating back to the 18th century, Hue is the city of citadel associated with the ancient southern Vietnam and home to many ethnic minorities. Rich history resides in the city of Danang, a seaport town while Hoi'an is a small seaport laden with a perfect blend of remarkable architectures. Centred around an archipelago of 14 islands in Con Dao National Park; the largest is Con Son. The island depicts a mountainous picture dominated by a granite ridge running from south-west to north-west. The Mekong Delta is a massive wetland with a network of canals and rivers stretching from Cambodia to the South China Sea.

Source of information: Asia Geographia
According to myth, Vietnam's origin lay in the harmonious union of the Dragon Lord Iac Long Quan and the Immortal Fairy Au Co. Like most countries, Vietnam's early history has recorded its early struggle for autonomy where an entire millennium of Chinese dominated the nation which was overthrown in the 9th century.
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External control was imposed once again in the 19th century, when Vietnam was occupied by the French. The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew throughout the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.

Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them are successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increase economic liberalisation and regulated structural reforms needed to modernise the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries.

The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups, the vast majority connected to land-use issues and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests. In January 2008, Vietnam assumed a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 terms.

Source of information: The world fact book
Location:
Shaped like the letter "S", Vietnam lies on the eastern part of Indochinese peninsula. China borders it to the northwest, Laos and Cambodia to the southwest, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south. The capital is Hanoi.

Land area:
The country’s total length from north to south is 1,650km. Its width, stretching from east to west, is 600km at the widest point in the north, 400km in the south, and 50km at the narrowest part, in the centre, in Quang Binh Province. The coastline is 3,260km long and the inland border is 4,510km.
Latitude: 102º 08' - 109º 28' east
Longitude: 8º 02' - 23º 23' north

Vietnam is also a transport junction from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean Mainland territory: 331,211.6 sq.km
Source of information: Vietnam Tourism Board

Climate:
The monsoon climate also influences the changes of the tropical humidity. Vietnam has   two seasons, the cold season occurs from November to April while the hot season from May to October. The difference in temperature between the two seasons is almost unnoticeable, averaging 3ºC.

Every year there are 100 rainy days and the average rainfall is  between 1,500 to 2,000mm. The humidity ranges around 80%. The sunny hours are 1,500 to 2,000 and the average solar radiation of 100kcal/cm2 in a year.

Ho Chi Minh City’s climate is divided into two seasons, with the rainy season lasting from May to November. The average annual temperature is 27.5oC without winter, and yearly rainfall totals 1,979mm. Tourism is convenient all year round.

Population:

The population of Vietnam is approximately 91 million.

The Vietnamese nation was formed through a process of two major ancient cultures, the Chinese and the Indian. Thus a peculiar trait of Vietnam's culture was formed. As far as anthropology is concerned, the Vietnamese people have their origin in the Mongolic race, believed to be one of the major races of the world and often found in northern and eastern Asia.

Eighty percent of these are ethnic Vietnamese, while the remaining twenty percent comprises more than fifty other ethnic groups. About seven million of these ethnic minorities are members of the hill tribes or montagnards (French for mountain people), making their homes and livelihoods in the spectacular mountains of the north and central highlands. Among the many languages spoken in Vietnam are Vietnamese, Chinese, English, French, and Russian.

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Religion
The major religious traditions in Vietnam are Buddhism (which fuses in forms of Taoism and Confucianism), Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), Islam, Caodaism and the Hoa Hao sect.

Languages:
Among the 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, some have had their own scripts for a long time and some have not preserved their ancient scripts. As a matter of fact, some ethnic groups consisting of some hundreds of individuals living in remote areas have their own languages.

Politics:
The Communist Party of Vietnam (Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam) is the currently ruling, as well as the only legal political party in Vietnam. It is a Marxist-Leninist Communist Party supported by (and a part of) the Vietnamese Fatherland Front. In most cases, the Vietnamese press and people refer to the Communist Party of Vietnam as "Đảng" (Party) or "Đảng ta" (our Party).

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June 2006); Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (since 25 July 2007)
Head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien NHAN (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly
Elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last election held 27 June 2006 (next to be held in July 2011); prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly

Political parties & leaders
Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nguyen Phu TRONG]; other parties proscribed.

Source of information: The World Fact Book (Vietnam) 2011

Economy

Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy.

While Vietnam's economy remains dominated by state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which still produce about 40% of GDP, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration.

Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink from about 25% in 2000 to about 20% in 2010, while industry's share increased from 36% to 41% in the same period. Deep poverty has declined significantly and Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year.

In 2010, exports increased by more than 25%, year-on-year, but the trade deficit remained high, prompting the government to consider administrative measures to limit the trade deficit. Foreign donors pledged nearly $8 billion in new development assistance for 2011.

However, the government's strong growth-oriented economic policies have caused it to struggle to control one of the region's highest inflation rates, which reached 11.8% in 2010.

GDP (Purchasing power parity): $278.1 billion (2010 est.)
GDP (Real growth rate): 6.8% (2010 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP): $3,100 (2010 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.9% (2010 est.)

Source: CIA The World Fact Book (May 17' 2011)

Vietnam Corporate income tax (CIT)

Standard rate for enterprises 25%
 
Foreign contractor tax (FCT)
 
Value added rates as a percentage (%) of taxable turnover: %
 
1. Services, leasing of machinery and equipment, and insurance. 50%
 
2. (a) Construction and assembly and installation where the tender included the supply of materials, machinery and equipment in the construction work. 30%
 
(b) Construction and assembly and installation where the tender did not include the supply of materials, machinery and equipment in the construction work. 50%
 
3. Transportation and other business and production. 30%
 
Corporate income tax rates as a percentage (%) of taxable turnover: %
 
1. Trading: distribution and supply of goods, raw materials, supplies, machinery and equipment associated with services in Vietnam. 1 %
 
2. Services, lease of machinery and equipment, insurance. 5%
 
3. Construction 2%
 
4. Other production or business activities and transportation (including sea and air transportation). 2%
 
5. Lease of aircraft, aircraft engines, aircraft spare parts and sea going vessels. 2%
 
6. Reinsurance. 2%
 
7. Assignments [transfer] of securities. 0•1 %
 
8. Loan interest. 10%
 
9. Income from royalties. 10%

 

Airline:

Hanoi:  
Airport Taxis charge a flat rate of US$ 10 (one-way) for cars from Noi Bai Airport to central Hanoi. The drive takes about 45 minutes. A minibus makes the trip for  US$ 4 per person.
Fare for buses No. 7 Kim Ma - Noi Bai and No. 17 Long Bien - Noi Bai is VND 5,000. There is a bus every 15 - 20 minutes.

Ho Chi Minh City:
A metered cab from Tan Son Nhat Airport to downtown costs around VND 50,000. The trip takes about 20 minutes.

Land transport System
Vietnam has a wide land transport system. Transportation network of national and provincial highways as well as local roads connect the provinces, cities and towns in the country. There are inter-province and inner-province bus stations in each province with convenient passenger services, which are being improved every day. There are taxi services in many big cities and provinces.  Taxi rate is declining due to competitions. In big cities, such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are everyday bus services on the main routes. In addition to public transport services, using motorbikes, cycles, bicycles and other vehicles is common in Vietnam.

Currency: 
Vietnamese dong (VND) is the official currency in Vietnam

Electricity:
Mainly 220V but in some areas 110V is also used.
Country dialing code: 84

Time:
Time zone: GMT/UTC + 7 (the same zone as Thailand, Laos and Cambodia) 

Visa:
Only citizens of certain countries can visit Vietnam without an entry visa (valid for visit within 30 days). Those countries include most countries, Korea, Japan & Scandinavians (2005). All other citizens are required to get an entry visa before departure or a pre-approved entry visa (visa is issued on arrival at Vietnam’s international airports) supplied before arrival in Vietnam.

Customs & Immigration:
Customs procedures in Vietnam are quick and simple. To enter and exit Vietnam, visitors are required to fulfil the entrance and exit procedures in the form (in Vietnamese or in English languages).
Luggage of people on entry (including clothes, personal belongings with reasonable quantity in service of the trip's purpose) must be declared in case as follow:

    • Luggage exceeds duty free concessions
    • Luggage sent before or after trips
    • Professional equipment temporarily imported and re-exported or vice versa;
    • Addictive medicines
    • Other medicines exceed 30 USD in value
    • Foreign currency exceeds 7,000 USD (seven thousand US dollars) or its equivalence other foreign currency, or over 15,000,000 VND (fifteen million Viet Nam Dong) in cash.

* Goods prohibited importing: weapons, ammunition, explosives, military technical equipment, drugs, toxic chemicals, debauched and reactionary products, firecrackers of all kinds, toys with negative impacts on the dignity education, social security and safety, cigarettes beyond the stipulated quantity, etc.

* Goods prohibited exporting: weapons, ammunition, explosives, military technical equipment, antiques, drugs, toxic chemicals, wild animals, rare and precious animals and plants, documents related to the national security, etc. A quantity over 300g of gold must be declared and be permitted by the State Bank.

* Duty free concessions for the baggage of arriving passengers:
- For liquor: Liquor at 22% and above: 1.5 liters; Liquor below 22%: 2.0 liters; Alcoholic beverage: 3.0 liters.
- For cigarettes and cigars: - Cigarettes: 400 pieces; - Cigar: 100 pieces; - Tobacco: 500 g
- For tea, coffee: - Tea: 5kg; Coffee: 3kg
- For Clothes, personal belongings: With reasonable quantity in service of the trip's purpose
- Articles other than those mentioned at items above (outside the list of goods banned from import or subject to conditional import): Total value not exceeds 5,000,000 VND.

Note: Any foreigners on entry carry luggage, which exceeds the duty-free quotas, presents and gifts with the total value not exceeding VND 1,000,000 (one million) shall be exempt from taxes.

Source of information: Vietnam Tourism Board

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