Hanoi, HCMC and Phu Quoc have made it onto the global list of 100 greatest places to explore on Earth as voted by Time magazine.
Time recommended travelers to explore Hanoi where they can enjoy a renewed life in the Old Quarter.

“Vietnam’s 1,000-year-old capital is embracing change while maintaining a strong sense of identity,” Time wrote.

The new Capella Hanoi on Le Phung Hieu Street in Hoan Kiem District, a 47-room hotel designed by world famous architect Bill Bensley, and Dolce by Wyndham Hanoi Golden Lake, a 25-floor hotel in Ba Dinh District, billed as the world’s first gold-plated hotel, add their charm to the vibrancy of Hanoi.

“Hanoi’s incredible street-food culture is another source of fierce civic pride,” Time noted.

The magazine suggested visitors try pho, the city’s signature dish, at Bat Dan Restaurant on the eponymous street, which has been serving this dish for more than 70 years. The restaurant offers both traditional and stir-fried pho, with prices ranging from VND45,000-75,000 ($2-3.27).

Time defined Ho Chi Minh City as “tastes of Vietnam” where a collection of famous restaurants converge.

Among them is Anan Restaurant, which became the first venue in the country’s southern hub to earn a berth in Asia’s 50 best restaurants in the 2021 annual ranking published by William Reed Business Media, a British business magazine and digital media company.

Located inside an old market on Ton That Dam Street in District 1 near Bitexco Financial Tower, Anan specializes in street food-inspired dishes created by Vietnamese-­American chef Peter Cuong Franklin.

“Notable recent additions to the local dining scene include Monkey Gallery, where chef Viet Hong merges Vietnamese, French and Japanese techniques and flavors, and Esta, a modern Asian eatery with an ever changing, expansive menu that runs the gamut from smoked-eel pate to veal sweetbreads,” according to Time.

The U.S. magazine called Phu Quoc island city an “idyllic paradise.”

Known as the “jewel of Vietnam,” Phu Quoc Island has become one of the fastest-growing destinations in Southeast Asia as it attracted five million visitors in 2019, a 30 percent increase from the year before.

The island is planning to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists back from this October.

It boasts luxury beach resorts and modern entertainment complexes by conglomerate Vingroup.

Time magazine said its third annual World’s Greatest Places list is “curated from editor and expert nominations from around the world” and that “the list recognizes 100 unique destinations that are offering visitors an extraordinary experience that’s unlike any other.”

Other Asian destinations in the Time list include Bangkok, Beijing, Malaysia’s Desaru Coast, Dubai, South Korea’s Gyeongju, Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park and Cambodia’s Siem Reap.

The list features 21 U.S. destinations while Europe is well-represented on the list as well, accounting for 28.

越南鐵路總公司稱，7月20日，首列開往比利時的集裝箱列車正式開行。該集裝箱列車從越南安圓站出發，目的地是比利時列日市。然後，通過公路將集裝箱運往荷蘭鹿特丹市。

該列車由23個40 英尺的集裝箱組成，運載著紡織品服裝、皮革製品和鞋類產品。按照既定行程，該列車抵達中國鄭州之後將對接亞歐班列共同開往目的地。

越南鐵路總公司稱，這是鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司與其他國家的運輸、轉運和接收企業配合向客戶提供從越南至目的地物流服務的首列集裝箱列車。

越南鐵路總公司稱，目前越南鐵路公司正提供越南和中國之間以及中轉俄羅斯、歐洲、東盟國家和中亞國家的鐵路集裝箱運輸服務。鐵路公司為客戶提供全方位的物流服務。

鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司副總經理阮黃青接受越通社記者採訪時透露，目前，鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司正與歐洲合作夥伴配合製定並開展每個月開行8列從越南出發的集裝箱列車的計劃，列車全程運行時間為25至27天。

預計，第二趟列車將於7月27日從安員站出發，運載電子產品，第三列將於8月3日出發。

據越南鐵路總公司的數據顯示，2021年上半年，老街站口岸入境貨車同比增長14%，貨物進口量同比增長7.9%。同登站口岸入境貨車同比增長91%，出境貨車增長117%。

As the world struggles to pick itself up from the onslaught of the pandemic, one ASEAN country displays divergent trends. Globally, the IMF estimates an average economic decline of 1.6% from 6% to 4.4%.

This total decline affects most nations worldwide, including advanced economies. For example, the United States will experience a drop in economic activities, down to 3.5% in 2022 from 6.4% in 2021. China’s economy will depreciate to 5.6% from 8.4% in the same period, whereas India will experience a more considerable decline to 6.9% from 12.5%.

Let’s shift our attention to the ASEAN region. 

In all the 10 Southeast Asian Countries, the Vietnamese economy is the only one projected to undergo an upward curve in economic growth. The projected Vietnamese economy growth from 6.5% to 7.2% is impressive, to say the least.

An Explanation to Vietnamese Economic Growth
How can this one country stand out so firmly amid the global outcry? What do experts have to say concerning the Vietnamese economy COVID response?

How does the Vietnamese economy prosper in such conditions? Different factors can explain this. While some of these are prime considerations for economic growth, there are still some missing pieces that the country can improve. We’ll highlight these factors towards the end.

First, let’s take a look at what factors have led to the Vietnamese economy growth.

Improved Governance
Authoritarian or not, the Vietnamese governing structure has dramatically improved over the years. Most Vietnamese are proud to stand with their government. First, Vietnam was not as economically prepared for the virus as South Korea, China, and other developed nations were. The healthcare system could not support a high number of patients, but they had to strategize.

Vietnam followed China’s footsteps of technocracy and used its up-to-date security systems to increase surveillance. Since fighting an outbreak would be next to impossible, containing the virus and monitoring the masses to ensure observance of regulations became necessary. The good thing is, the public’s general response to strict restrictions was positive. Civilians were proud to stand by their government in fighting the unseen. A people who are ready to work alongside their government is a good indication of proper governance. No wonder the Vietnamese economy expanded by 3.9% during the pandemic.

Increased Exports
Like most countries, the Vietnamese economy suffered from a rapid decline in tourism. The country recorded only 3.83 million foreign tourists in 2020, down from an all-time high of 18 million in 2019. That’s an overwhelming 79% decline.

However, the country was working harder than ever before to improve the production of goods. The manufacturing and other domestic sectors improved partly because of China’s deteriorating relationship with the West. Attention shifted from China to nearby countries, and Vietnam is one such country that has benefited.

Exports in 2020 hit an all-time high of $285.1, representing a surplus of $19.1 billion. The top exports for the year included electrical machinery including phones, computers, and other parts; clothing and footwear; wood, furniture, and other accessories; fish; and rubber. Now it’s a little clear how the Vietnamese economy could weather the impacts of the storm.

Standard Chartered Bank’s outlook on the Vietnamese economic growth rate is somewhat more generous. The bank expects a growth rate of more than 7.8% in the Vietnamese economy.

Foreign Investments
On other Vietnamese economy news, investor confidence in the region is still strong in the wake of recovering from the pandemic. As tensions increase between America and China, Vietnam will continue to benefit, especially in the technological sector. Silicon companies are outsourcing more products from Vietnam, thereby increasing the nation’s productivity and economy. With such a stable environment for investments, many Vietnamese joined the online casino PayPal in the heat of the pandemic. It seems as though Vietnamese enjoy work with a bit of play that pays off.

Overlooked Factors in Vietnamese Economy
Despite this exciting news, all is not rosy. As the economy and production pick up, increased demand will likely catapult inflation. Bloomberg estimates the country could undergo steep inflation of 7.8%, marking the epic level since 2012. Such a significant increase in prices would send shock waves among the populace.

If the income levels don’t rise to match the oncoming wave of inflation, there will be a general decline in people’s living standards. The economy may grow, but the gap between the wealthy and the poor will increase. Inflation rates may align with global inflation levels, and the country may experience a contraction if strict measures are not taken.

That said, IMF predicts an unemployment rate decline of 3.3% in 2020 to 2.7% in 2021, reaching a low of 2.4% in 2022. Some good news at least for the Vietnamese economy in 2022.

In Summary
So far, the indicators for the growth of the Vietnamese economy are primarily favorable. The country has something to boast of if compared with alongside other global nations. Even though Vietnam experienced a slow growth rate of 2.91% by the end of 2020, at least there was expansion, unlike some other mature economies. However, we need to watch out for the aforementioned considerations to determine whether this ASEAN country will keep its steady growth rate.

How is the Vietnamese economy compared with other ASEAN nations in terms of standards of living? Do let us know in the comment section below.

越南鐵路總公司稱，7月20日，首列開往比利時的集裝箱列車正式開行。該集裝箱列車從越南安圓站出發，目的地是比利時列日市。然後，通過公路將集裝箱運往荷蘭鹿特丹市。

該列車由23個40 英尺的集裝箱組成，運載著紡織品服裝、皮革製品和鞋類產品。按照既定行程，該列車抵達中國鄭州之後將對接亞歐班列共同開往目的地。

越南鐵路總公司稱，這是鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司與其他國家的運輸、轉運和接收企業配合向客戶提供從越南至目的地物流服務的首列集裝箱列車。

越南鐵路總公司稱，目前越南鐵路公司正提供越南和中國之間以及中轉俄羅斯、歐洲、東盟國家和中亞國家的鐵路集裝箱運輸服務。鐵路公司為客戶提供全方位的物流服務。

鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司副總經理阮黃青接受越通社記者採訪時透露，目前，鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司正與歐洲合作夥伴配合製定並開展每個月開行8列從越南出發的集裝箱列車的計劃，列車全程運行時間為25至27天。

預計，第二趟列車將於7月27日從安員站出發，運載電子產品，第三列將於8月3日出發。

據越南鐵路總公司的數據顯示，2021年上半年，老街站口岸入境貨車同比增長14%，貨物進口量同比增長7.9%。同登站口岸入境貨車同比增長91%，出境貨車增長117%。

2021年，越南荔枝對日本出口量與2020年同期相比增長750%。日本企業希望，越南龍眼對日本的出口量也能創造這一奇蹟。

永旺Topvalu（越南）公司總經理Shiotani先生表示，永旺希望能向越南全國人民以及正在越南生活的外國人推廣興安省乃至越南龍眼。其後，永旺計劃通過貿易網絡將越南龍眼產品打進其在其他亞洲國家的連鎖店。

越南荔枝於2019年12月獲日本政府允許進入該市場。在2020年和2021年，通過努力開展多項推廣活動，越南荔枝產品已在日本市場上站穩腳鎮，頗受了在日越南人社群以及眾多日本消費者的青睞。

目前，日本尚未允許正式進口越南龍眼。開拓這一苛刻市場的談判進程需要兩國主管部門付出更多努力、時間和費用。

特別是，越南駐日本商務處將繼續觀察並支持該進程，為促使越南的更多產品成功進入日本市場作出貢獻。

越南網購市場的增速沒有保持前幾年的水平，但仍處於高速狀態。網購新手比例急劇上升對市場來說是一個好兆頭。

越南工貿部電子商務和數字經濟局近日發行了《2021年越南電商白皮書》，提供了有關世界、東南亞地區及越南電商市場的統計數據。

據此，2020年越南電子商務市場規模將達118億美元。與2019 年相比（100.8 億美元）增長率達18%，為2016 年以來的最低水平。疫情被視為市場規模增速不如2019年（25%）、2018年（30%）、2017年（24%）、2016年（23%）高的原因。

然而，網購者人數繼續強勁增長，2020 年達到4930 萬人，而前一年為4480 萬人，是2016 年（3270 萬人）的1.5 倍以上。

越南人均網購支出也從2016年的170美元大幅增長到2020年的240美元。2017年、2018年和2019年，越南人均網購支出分別達到186美元、202美元、225美元。

越南是東南亞地區最活躍的電子商務市場。報告顯示，越南新網購用戶比例高達41%，位居本地區第一，高於印度尼西亞、菲律賓（37%）和東南亞國家平均水平（36%） 。

過去一年，消費者購物行為的一大變化是網上購物渠道的轉變。據此，電子商務和數字經濟局的統計數據顯示，越南客戶正在轉向主要在網站和電子商務交易平台購物。具體來說，2020 年，高達74% 的人在網站和電子商務交易平台上購物，而在論壇和社交網絡上購物的人數達33%。

越南無現金支付以ATM卡、信用卡或電子錢包、刮刮卡等多種方式發展。然而，越南網上購物用戶仍然保持現金支付的方式，佔較高比例78%，2019 年為86%。

越通社河內——越南財政部早16日上午舉行的2021年上半年工作總結會議表示，上半年國家財政預算收入達781萬億越盾，相當於既定計劃的58.2%，與2020年同期相比增長16.3%，與2019年同期相比增長4.5%。

其中，內地收入相當於既定計劃的56.3%，同比增長13.9%；原油收入相當於既定計劃的80.7%，同比下降近12.2%；進出口環節收入相當於既定計劃的69.5%，同比增長37.5%。

全國63個省市中的60個省市的財政預算收入完成既定目標（50%以上），其中48個省市的財政預算收入達到既定計劃的55%以上。54個省市的財政預算收入較去年同期增長15%以上。

財政部評價說，上半年國家財政預算收入取得積極成果，生產經營活動收入均相當於既定計劃的52%以上，同比增長17%。然而，在新冠肺炎疫情複雜難料的情況下，部分經濟重點和聚集各大工業區的地方若不控制住疫情其將對下半年經濟和國家預算收入產生巨大影響。

關於財政預算開支，上半年財政預算支出達694.4萬億越盾，達既定計劃的41.2%。關於投資發展支出，截至6月為止，中央機關和各地方財政預算分配達政府交辦計劃的88.3%。

特別，上半年，預算資金到位率達政府既定計劃的20.02%。財政部表示，公共投資資金到位率低於去年同期，特別上半年外資到位率達既定計劃的7.4%，尚未成為促進經濟增長的動力。

在“抗疫猶如抗敵”的情況下，中央和地方預算都優先撥出資金，支持疫情防控工作和因疫情而面臨困難的居民。上半年已從國家預算撥出46.5萬億越盾用於該工作。

為了集中資源加快新冠疫苗採購和接種進度，財政部已建議政府從在2021年中央預算補充撥款1.237萬億越盾；提請國會常務委員會從節省開支獲得的資金和2020年生下來的中央預算撥出13.3萬億越盾；成立新冠疫苗基金，動員國內外個人和組織捐助資金。

據越通社報導，據東盟-日本中心（AJC）最新的調查結果顯示，超過63.4%打算出國旅遊的日本人欲赴越南旅遊，日本回頭客的比例超過70%。

該調查由AJC 與Marketing Voice 有限公司於2021 年1 月在互聯網上聯合進行，並吸引日本全國1萬人參加，其中去過越南人數佔8.9%。

營銷顧問春菜（Chinzei Haruna）7月13日在東京舉行的公佈調查結果線上新聞發布會上表示，日本遊客來到越南時，他們最滿意的三個因素是美食、美麗風景和許多歷史遺跡。

春菜表示，在去過越南的遊客中，對越南的“美食”和“美麗風景”感到滿意的人數比例為46.4%，而對“歷史遺跡”感到滿意的人數比例為38.2%。

關於選擇越南作為目的地的理由，春菜表示，20.3% 的受訪者表示他們“在朋友和親戚的推薦下”來到越南，另有20.3% 的受訪者選擇越南是因為“旅行費用低廉” ，18.1% 的受訪者在瀏覽博客和評論網站後決定前往越南旅遊，15.7% 的受訪者是因為工作，15.1% 的受訪者是因為閱讀書籍、報紙和13.5% 的受訪者是在看電視或電影后決定去越南旅遊，10.7%的受訪者是在查看社交網絡信息後決定和8%的受訪者是由旅行社推薦。

關於對越南的印象，春菜表示，給受訪者印象最深的兩個因素是“美食”（佔28.4%）和“歷史古蹟”（佔26.2%）。