As of the second quarter of 2019, Vietnam had welcomed 8.48 million foreign tourists, making it a top 10 destination for international arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a report released Monday by the Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA). The Quarterly Tourism Monitor report said the U.S. was most visited country/territory in the region, followed by Hong Kong and Mexico. Macau and Thailand rounded out the top five while the rest of the top 10 included Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam was fourth after Thailand (19.7 million), Malaysia (13.3 million) and Singapore (9.3 million). The report also showed Vietnam’s tourism growth experienced a year-on-year surge of 7.5 percent, ranking 12nd in the Asia-Pacific region. PATA’s statistics are based on the number of foreign visitors to 35 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region in the first six months of this year. Accordingly, the region, excluding the Chinese market, received more … [Read more...] about Vietnam among top 10 Asia-Pacific tourist destinations
Asia pacific stock market
Stock market eases after two days of gains
Stock Market Stock market eases after two days of gains The Saigon Times Daily Tuesday, Dec 10, 2019,19:08 (GMT+7) Stock market eases after two days of gainsThe Saigon Times Daily Investors watch an electronic board displaying stock information at Bao Viet Securities Company. The indexes of the HCMC and Hanoi exchanges tumbled today, June 27 - PHOTO: VNA HCMC – After two days of rising, the VN-Index of the Hochiminh Stock Exchange declined today, December 10, as a selloff came back on the southern bourse. With 130 stocks gaining and 204 others falling, the main index ended at 960.3 points, down 5.76 points, or 0.6%, against the day earlier. Trade volume tumbled 11% to 242.72 million shares but value increased a slight 2% to more than VND5 trillion. In block deals, nearly 72 million shares changed hands with a total value of over VND1.7 trillion. Many blue-chip stocks lost further. For example, gas distributor … [Read more...] about Stock market eases after two days of gains
Foreign investors grasp more control overn Vietnam’s aviation market
Experts believed that the government’s decision on increasing foreign holding will be a springboard for foreign investors to penetrate into the Vietnamese burgeoning market. The Vietnamese aviation market is expected to undergo significant changes next year as the government opens up more room for foreign investors in the industry amid share sale plans of domestic airlines. Under new regulations on the conditional business lines in the aviation sector, effective from January 1, 2020, Vietnam will raise the foreign ownership limit in domestic air carriers to 34% from the current 30%. Analysts from Ho Chi Minh City Securities Corporation forecast that Vietjet would be the first airline to reach the new foreign holding limit as the budget airline seeks a strategic partner by 2020. A higher foreign holding ratio will be also expected at Vietnam Airlines that will have to unload 35.19% of state holding in order to reduce state ownership to 51% from the current 86.19% under the … [Read more...] about Foreign investors grasp more control overn Vietnam’s aviation market
US official urges Pacific Island nations to keep ties with Taiwan
U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia W. Patrick Murphy also said the United States was keen to help Pacific countries protect their sovereignty, in a region where the United States and is allies are competing for influence with China. "Our encouragement on countries that have relations with Taiwan is to maintain the status quo," Murphy told reporters in Canberra, on a three-day visit to Australia. China claims self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as sacred Chinese territory and merely a province with no right to state-to-state ties. Taiwan is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and China's increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea. "China is changing (the) status quo, and the Pacific is a good example where China is attempting to reduce Taiwan’s diplomatic relations in the region," Murphy said. "And that's kind of heavy handed." "Countries should be able to make their own … [Read more...] about US official urges Pacific Island nations to keep ties with Taiwan
Blue chips continued to diverge
MML shares plunged 12 per cent on Tuesday morning to VND64,000 a share. Photo news.zing.vn The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange decreased 0.34 per cent to end the morning trade at 962.75 points. On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index edged down 0.39 per cent to 101.97 points. A total of 148 million shares worth nearly VND2.1 trillion (US$90.5 million) were traded in the two markets. Blue chips continued to diverge. 16 of the top 30 largest shares by market value and liquidity sank while nine increased. Other five closed flat. Masan Group (MSN) was the biggest loser with its price going down 5.6 per cent to VND57,100 ($2.46) per share. On Monday, its subsidiary Masan MEATLife (MML) debuted 324.3 million shares on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) at a reference price of VNĐ80,000 per share, valuing the company at VND26 trillion ($1.12 billion). Despite high expectation, MML shares plunged 12 per cent this morning to VND64,000 a share. On the bright … [Read more...] about Blue chips continued to diverge