This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
DESTINATION | SWEDEN — VIETNAM


Sweden F


or travellers keen to make the most of the great outdoors, Sweden


is a unique destination where days, quite simply, blend into nights. With such a northerly location, the summer sun sets only for short periods of time and not at all north of the Arctic Circle. This means outdoor activities can carry on later in the evening than usual. Sweden offers a plethora of


natural attractions, including lakes and forests, but of note is the Gota Canal, which runs from Stockholm to Gothenburg.


Stockholm


Other attractions include the Vasa Maritime Museum in Stockholm, located on the island of Djurgården. The museum displays the only, almost fully intact, 17th


century ship to be


salvaged – the 64-gun warship Vasa, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. Millesgården art museum and sculpture garden, located on the island of Lidingö in Stockholm, is another popular destination. Tourism is one of Sweden’s


fastest growing industries where the national objective is to double the industry


commercial spaceflight and offering innovative space adventures in Sweden, with the vision of becoming Europe’s gateway to space. Kiruna, the northernmost


Some 33.4 million passengers travelled to or from one of state-owned group Swedavia’s 10 airports in 2013, a new record and up 1.3 million on 2012


turnover, revenue, jobs and visitors until the year 2020. The country is most popular with tourists from neighbouring Scandinavian countries: Norway, Finland and Denmark. Germany and the UK are other strong inbound markets. Some 33.4 million passengers


Sweden at Arabian Travel Market Swedavia Swedish Airports EU8476


Vietnam Halong Bay V


ietnam's diverse natural environment, geography, history and culture make


it truly enticing for visitors. Its stretches of coastline, forests and mountainous regions with magnificent landscapes can be added to a long history, diversified culture and a host of legends – all compelling reasons why the country attracts more than seven million visitors a year. In 2013, Vietnam welcomed


7.5 million visitors, according to the General Statistics Office. This year has also begun well,


with a 33.4 percent increase in arrivals for January and February compared with the same months in 2013. This puts Vietnam on target to receive eight million tourists during 2014. Travellers are attracted to


Vietnam because of its colourful past. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Hoi An and My Son provide insight into Vietnam’s history, with ancient lifestyles and Hindu temples wowing visitors. Its cities are also popular, with the capital Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City proving


Vietnam at Arabian Travel Market Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Centre AS6778


travelled to or from one of state-owned group Swedavia’s 10 airports in 2013, a new record and up 1.3 million on 2012. International passenger totals increased six percent while the number of domestic passengers crept up one percent. The growth of passenger numbers, for both domestic


and international travel, took place mainly in the last two quarters of the year. Stockholm Arlanda Airport was the country’s busiest airport, welcoming 20.7 million passengers. Göteborg Landvetter Airport served five million, Malmö Airport achieved 2.1 million and Luleå Airport 1.1 million. For those looking to achieve


even greater heights than air travel, Spaceport Sweden is planning to develop a Space Visitor & Science Centre in Kiruna. Inaugurated in 2007 by the former Minister of Enterprise, Spaceport Sweden has been hard at work establishing


town in Sweden located in the province of Lapland, was selected by the Swedish Government, through the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, as one of five locations with the potential for development by Spaceport Sweden into a sustainable and internationally competitive destination. The town is already one of the world’s most advanced space cities, a result of Spaceport Sweden’s pioneering efforts to establish space tourism and manned spaceflight as an emerging industry. Spaceport Sweden has already


proved its tourism credentials, attracting 145,000 annual visitors to Kiruna, which offers a host of experiences, both on the ground and in the air. The company, together with Ice Hotel and Lapland Resorts, is already offering flights to experience the Northern Lights. Lapland’s microclimate has been scientifically proven as an ideal viewing spot for the Northern Lights and flights transport tourists high above the clouds and up over the Arctic for optimal views.


29


Hand of God statue, Stockholm Sweden fact file


Sweden is the third- largest country in the European Union by area, covering 450,295 square kilometres and borders Norway and Finland


Population: 9.6 million Climate: Despite its northern latitude, Sweden offers a temperate climate with four seasons and mild temperatures throughout the year Local time: UTC +1 Currency: Krona (SEK) Language: Swedish Getting there: Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the country’s busiest airport, welcoming 20.7 million passengers in 2013. Global airlines serving Stockholm include Emirates and Qatar Airways


to be tourism hot spots. Hanoi will host the 18th


in 2019, drawing thousands of athletes and spectators. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly


Saigon, is a firm favourite with international visitors. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a Tourism Promotion Centre (HTPC) in 2013. HTCP is responsible for advising and implementing the strategies, programmes and plans of the government’s tourism department. It works with domestic and


Asian Games


foreign destinations and other organisations for joint promotion and investment and is also responsible for representing Ho Chi Minh City at workshops, fairs and exhibitions. Ho Chi Minh City is a


beautiful destination adorned with wide elegant boulevards and historic French colonial buildings. Tourism highlights include the Reunification Palace, Municipal Theatre, City Hall and City People’s Court. Close to Ho Chi Minh City, in


Long An Province, scheduled to open this year, is Vietnam’s


answer to Disneyland. Happyland, as it’s named, is being developed at a cost of US$2 billion and the theme park will have the capacity to serve 14 million visitors a year offering an entertainment park, shopping mall, hotels, restaurants, water park, indoor and outdoor theatre, floating market and Vietnamese cultural centre. Away from the cities,


Vietnam’s natural attractions are abundant. Visitors flock to the coastal regions of Nha Trang, the caves of Halong Bay and the Marble Mountains.


Ho Chi Minh City is a beautiful destination adorned with wide elegant boulevards and historic French colonial buildings


Vietnam fact file


Lying on the eastern part of the IndoChinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter ‘S’. China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, to the east is the East Sea and the Pacific Ocean sits both to the east and south


Population: 85 million Climate: The country covers a vast area, incorporating either a tropical or monsoon climate depending on region Local time: UTC +7 Currency: Ð ` ˆong (VMD) Language: Vietnamese Getting there: Vietnam has international airports at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Non-stop flights are available from China, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, Qatar, Turkey, Dubai, the US and many other locations


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32