All Nippon Airways, Japan's five-star airline and the eighth biggest in the world, has launched its first-ever direct flight to Vietnam last March of this year and will start flying on June 1, 2014 through its Boeing 787 model and taking the Hanoi-Tokyo (Haneda) route.

787 Dreamliner is at the forefront in commercial aircraft design and boasts of advanced technologies. Its introduction into the market meant a giant leap in the development of the aviation industry. As of May 2013, 890 units of the airplane have been ordered. All Nippon Airways (ANA) is proud to be one of the first companies to purchase the aircraft and the first airline to use the jet for its international destinations, including Vietnam. ANA introduced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its Tokyo-Hong Kong route in October 2011. The aircraft's pioneer flight garnered 25,000 people who registered to be among the first 100 passengers to be included in the airplane's first voyage. A business class seat on the same flight was auctioned off for charity at $33,000.

Because of the current tension in the East Asia though, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) released an urgent notice to its units, travel and hospitality companies to ensure “absolute” safety for tourists, especially Chinese nationals. The said agencies can still operate as usual, but are requested to be alert of any emergency by implementing specific measures to properly address any untoward circumstance. The memo states for the following offices to “avoid provocations and discrimination against Chinese visitors and at the same time, keep joint activities with their Chinese counterparts.” A media campaign was also required to inform tourists of the ongoing situation in the East Asia and what measures Vietnam would take to protect its sovereignty. Domestic travel agencies are given the responsibility to assure tourists to Vietnam that the country will always welcome visitors from all over the world.

The central province of Quang Nam will celebrate the Tam Thanh Beach Tourism Week on June 13-15. Tam Thanh is famous for its long sandy beach and clear waters. The festivity will include the following activities: musical performances; painting and photo exhibition; beach football and volleyball games; kite flying; boat and bicycle races; martial arts and local traditional games. The event will be held at Tam Ky City's Tam Thanh Commune.

In the light of local travel agencies not offering satisfactory services to tourists, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Tourism Information and Promotion Center is conducting a survey on some of the area's tourist destinations in order to formulate and implement measures to improve its tourism services. Located 120 kilometers away from HCM City, the coastal province is considered one of the country's best tourist destinations because of its long stretches of coastline, breathtaking beaches, majestic mountains, lakes, thermal springs and other stunning natural sights. Tourist attractions such as craft villages, historical sites, temples and pagodas are being surveyed in sites such as the An Ngai rice paper village, Hoa Long wine village, Chau Ro ethnic minority village, Ong (Whale) fish cemetery, Co Temple and Grave, Linh Quang Pagoda, Long Phuoc tunnel and the memorial house of heroic martyr Vo Thi Sau.

In honor of the local tutelary goddess Ba Chua Xu, the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Province of An Giang will also celebrate a festival of its own, the Ba Chua Xu Temple Festival. It is considered a national festival in the area and held annually from the 23^th to the 27^th of the fourth lunar month. Based on local legend, Ba Chua Xu is so sacred that it is capable of fulfilling any wish. As such, the temple receives over 3.5 million people from all over the world every year. The event is composed of five major solemn ceremonies including washing the statue of Ba Chua Xu, while other activities include dragon dance and art performances.

The Northern Province of Lao Cai is blessed with beautiful terraced fields which make it a tourist attraction, especially to photographers. During its “water pouring season,” local farmers take rainwater from the mountains and use it on their fields to plant a new rice crop. The terraced-field complex in Ta Van, Hau Thao and Lao Chai Communes; and the Vu Lung Sung terraced field in Trung Chai Commune are equally popular, the latter bearing the most number of steps of 121 in the whole of Vietnam.

In the summer, travel companies offer tours to famous sea destinations like Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Mui Ne-Phan Thiet, Phu Quoc and Con Dao. The tour promotions can be between three days to a week and offer discounts of up to 40%. There's also a boom in coffee tourism as cafes and other coffee shops continue to proliferate in the area. In fact, the Dang Le Coffee Tourism Centre was established to serve as a one-stop shop for tourists where they can drink coffee, receive tourism information and buy coffee and handicraft products all at the same time. Definitely an innovation, the center can be found at 45 Ly Tu Trong Street in Buon Ma Thuot City in the central highlands of Tay Nguyen, Dak Lak Province, the establishment is 4,000 square meters big.

In order to fulfill its promise to help Japanese tourism and at the same time establish its position as a market leader, Vietnam Airlines has introduced two more routes to Japan. Starting on July 1, the national flag carrier will be taking a Hanoi to Haneda route while on July 16, it will fly from Danang to Narita. There will be a total of four flights per week for the said routes. As an added incentive, the airline also offers discounts for customers who fly on certain dates and purchase two-way tickets. This gives travellers more choices for their travelling pleasure.

Vietnam is abundant in natural resources. It has 3,260 kilometers of beaches and more than 2,700 islands, among others. The increasing tension in the East Sea has not deterred Vietnamese travellers from visiting its beautiful beaches and islands. In fact, a great number are still coming to the area to show their love and loyalty for their country. Some travel agencies attest that tourist spots such as Ly Son Island, Hoang Sa-Bac Hai Fleet Museum, Cham Island, Hang Pagoda and the flag tower have enjoyed an increase in visitors recently, some even returnees.

This has greatly helped boost sales in support services such as hotels, restaurants, taxi cabs, and diving companies, among others. But more importantly perhaps, these tourism sites have made people more aware and appreciative of their or any nation's history and culture. The local government and travel companies are working hand in hand to further plan, implement and promote innovative tour packages in these destinations to continually attract visitors.