Immediate Release: Typhoon Mirinae Update

Mirinae swept across the coast between Nha Trang and Qui Nhon on Monday afternoon and then weakened into a tropical low pressure as it moved further inland. Consequently, the Central region of Vietnam between Thua Thien-Hue and Binh Thuan province is having heavy rains and flooded.
Some update on destinations affected by the typhoon:

Nha Trang : Heavy rains have flooded most of the roads in the city.

Quy Nhon: The situation is much the same and the city has been isolated since last two night as main roads that link the town with highway 1 are being inundated. Many parts of this city are also experiencing power failure.

Hoi An and Danang: Despite being affected with some high winds and rains, our tours and excursions in Hoi An and Danang area are being conducted as normal. The only activity that is being suspended is the boat trip on the Thu Bon River due to high water and strong currents.

Domestic flights: All the domestic flights to/from Nha Trang, Qui Nhon, Danang and Hue were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday. The national carrier Vietnam Airlines has resumed all flights today and increases the flights to affected areas.

HG Travel currently has very few customers in these areas but all those in the vicinity and clients scheduled to arrive in this week have been informed of the situation. All clients have been advised to stay indoors during the worst of the storm and flood, and to follow instructions given by the hotels.

Please contact your usual HG Travel contact for any question or more details about the situation on the ground. We have been in regular contact with our guests who are traveling in this area to make sure everyone is safe and sound.

HG Travel will feature its comprehensive range of tours and travel services in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia with at WTM 2009

Hanoi, 12 Oct 2009 – HG Travel, Indochina premier Destination Management Company, will be attending this year’s World Travel Market (WTM), which has its debut from 9-12 November 2009 in London, England.

Mr. LONG Dao Viet, Inbound Sales Manager and Ms. NGUYEN Tran Thi Xuan, Regional Sales Manager in Europe will be representing HG Travel at stand no. AS7100. The HG Travel team will be available on hand to update the travel information as well as to make recommendations and to answer inquiries.

At this trade show, HG Travel will feature its comprehensive range of tours and travel services in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Yunnan (China) as well as its unmatched expertise in tailor-made travel.  The accompanying Standard Programs and Confidential Tariff 2010 contains a wide range of tour options, from short excursions to overland adventures with detail daily itineraries, whole sales rates for the use of travel trade partners. Its also provides an up-to-date database of the company’s preferred hotels, flights and overland transfers in the region.

The company will also introduce its six programs of small group tours in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos with detail programs and departures date until 31 December 2010. In addition to three existing Premium programs for upscale travelers, this year HG Travel increases its portfolio of small group tours in Indochina by introducing three new Super Saver programs for budget-conscious travelers Operating on a weekly basic with a maximum of 12 travelers per group, the six programs offer truly authentic experiences of Indochina with a diverse mix of history, culture and scenery. The hardcopy brochures of HG Travel Small Group Tours will be available at WTM 2009.

To make an appointment with HG Travel at WTM 2009, please e-mail to Ms. NGUYEN at nguyen.tran@hgtravel.com or call to: 0030 698 370 8297

Long-stay Promotions at Ho Tram Resort in Nha Trang, Vietnam

- Stay 6 consecutive nights, pay 5 nights only
- Stay 9 consecutive nights, pay 7 nights only
- Stay 13 consecutive nights, pay 10 nights only
- Stay 18 consecutive nights, pay 14 nights only

Complimentary:

• Daily breakfast & dinner
• Airport transfer

Validity: 10 September 2009 – 31 October 2009

Seasons Promotions at Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Tower in Saigon, Vietnam

Winter Promotion:

Premier Deluxe Pool: US$ 198/ single room night & US$ 216/double room night

Grand Tower Studio: US$ 305/ single room night & US$ 322/ single room night

The above rates are inclusive of buffet breakfast, service charge and VAT

Validity: 1 October 2009 – 31 March 2010

Terms and Conditions:

-         Applicable for Non-Japanese market, NEW FIT bookings only, not for existing, amended or cancelled bookings

-         Incase there are group bookings of five rooms or more please contact the hotel directly for quotations

-         This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other promotions or offers

Holidays Promotions:

50% off from current rates for Grand Tower Studio and Premier Deluxe Pool Room in Grand Tower during “Grand Holidays”: Christmas, New Year and TET holidays.

Validity: 18 December 2009 – 10 January 2010

05 February 2010 – 21 February 2010

Terms and Conditions:

• The promotion rates include tax, service charge and daily breakfast.
• Applicable for Non-Japanese market FIT bookings only (maximum 5 rooms).

Winter Promotions at Sunrise Beach Resort & Spa in Nha Trang, Vietnam

50% off the rates for Superior, Deluxe and Sunrise Club Suite Rooms

Validity: 01 October – 28 December 2009

Special benefits:
• 10% discounts on Food & Beverages (except room service)
• 10% discounts on Qi Spa
• 10% discounts on tours at hotel counter
Terms & Conditions for above offer:
• The above room rates are net, inclusive of breakfast (maximum 2 persons), taxes and service charges.
• Above offer is applicable for new bookings only; existing booking made prior will be as per agreed.
• Not applicable in conjunction with any existing offer or promotions offer to your company during this period.

AirAsia launches Jakarta-HCMC flights

AirAsia has launched direct flights between Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), becoming the first airline to serve the sector. Operated by the Malaysia low-cost carrier’s Indonesian subsidiary, Indonesia AirAsia, the sector will be served by four return flights per week. The carrier earlier said that it was targeting a load factor of 75-85% on the sector.

Bangkok Airways suspends regional routes

Bangkok Airways is going to suspend the flights from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and vice versa effective from 25 Oct 2009.
Bangkok Airways will suspend services from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City and Xian from 25 October 2009, and to Hiroshima and Guilin from 27 October and 10 November respectively.

Accor takes over management of Hanoi Horison Hotel

Accor has taken over the management of the Hanoi Horison Hotel in Vietnam. It is Accor’s third hotel in the bustling capital city. The 250-room Hanoi Horison Hotel is located in a prime city location on Cat Linh Street, with easy access to embassies, government offices, commercial institutions and tourist attractions. The hotel will undergo extensive refurbishment, following which it will adopt Accor’s Pullman brand, in 2011.

Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel and Spa delays openings

The five-star Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel and Spa is expected to open from 1 November 2009 but it is now tentatively scheduled on 01 January 2010 due to unforeseen construction delays in finishing the restaurant and bar area.

Hotel openings in Hanoi

Silk Path, a new 4 star hotel is scheduled to open in Hanoi this December. The hotel features 106 guest rooms, 2 restaurants & bar and 2 meeting rooms. Located in the heart of the Old Hanoi Quarter, the hotel will be an ideal option for both leisure and business travelers.

The newly opened Imperial Hanoi hotel is perfectly located in the heart of the city, offering you some of the best accommodation available in Hanoi with easy access to the restaurant, shopping and nightlife areas in Hanoi’s historic Old Quarter. This 3-star hotel has 40 guest rooms.