B: I feel that way,too. For the past 12 months I’ve been reminiscing about trips I took before the pandemic. Since the 4th wave of the pandemic began in Vietnam in April, tourism here has all but dried up again, just when it was showing signs of starting to recover.
A:But let’s not be too gloomy. We have plenty of time now to plan future trips. It’s summer and I’m already planning my winter holiday at the end of the year, when – hopefully –the pandemic will be contained.
 Hoi An ancient town is a crowed tourist destination before the COVID-19 pademic. |
B: People around the world, like me, are making travel plans. Despite the resurgence of the pandemic in Europe, 54% of Europeans surveyed said they plan to take a trip in the next six months. Of those, 78% plan to travel within Europe.
A: According to Forbes, the picture across the EU and the UK in July is optimistic, but less so than in June. More and more countries are opening their borders, but the threat of the Delta variant is looming.
B: In a survey conducted in Japan by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) 63 percent of respondents said they want to visit Vietnam, and more than 70 percent of those who have previously visited Vietnam said they want to return for another visit.
B: The online survey, conducted early this year by AJC in coordination with the Marketing Voice Company, asked 10,000 Japanese adults of all ages about their interest in travel to ASEAN countries.
 Rice flour cakes of Hue city |
A: According to the survey, Japanese who have visited Vietnam were most satisfied with its cuisine, scenery, atmosphere, historical sites, and places of interest.
B: When asked what impressed them most about Vietnam, the highest percentage of respondents mentioned “Delicious food”, followed by “Rich history and culture”.
A: 20 percent of respondents said the deciding factor in choosing Vietnam as a travel destination was “Recommended by family/friends/acquaintances”.The next most popular answers were “The trip was low cost”, followed by “Online blogs and review sites”.
B: If you’re planning your future travels, consider a visit to Vietnam.
 A meal of the Hue Royal Court |
A: Now let’s look at a few emails and reception reports. Here’s an email from Miss Samina Gull of Pakistan. She says an All Layyah Listeners Club Exhibition will be held on August 14th. All DX’ing clubs in the area will celebrate this event together.
B: Good luck with your exhibition, Samina! We hope you’ll share photos and stories of the event with VOV’s other listeners.
A: Jayanta Chakrabarty of India emailed us his feedback on ourJuly 14 program, which he heard via live stream on the internet.
B: One bit of news that interested him was an online discussion between Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman and his Singaporean counterpart on measures to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership. Another story he mentioned was Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s talks with the Romanian President on promoting bilateral cooperation in trade, education, and labor. Romania recently donated 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to help Vietnam fight the pandemic.
A: Mr. Chakrabarty congratulated Vietnam on administering more than 4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. 283,000 people in Vietnam have already received twodoses. The Ministry of Health has prioritized distribution of vaccines to pandemic hot spots and international border gates, as well as to frontline healthcare workers, providers of essential services, traders, businessmen, and foreign experts.
B: Thank you very much, Jayanta Chakrabarty, for listening regularly to our programs and telling us what contentinterests you. We wish you good health and hope to continue to receive your feedback.
 The farewell party for the Vietnamese delegation to compete at the Tokyo Olympic. |
A: Jayanta Chakrabarty also asked us about Vietnamese athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
B: The Vietnamese delegation has 43 members, including 18 athletes who will compete in 11 sports – taekwondo, judo, boxing, athletics, gymnastics, badminton, archery, shooting, swimming, rowing, and weightlifting. Out of these 11 sports, the brightest medal hopes for Vietnamare in weightlifting.
A: Vietnam also has medal expectations in taekwondo because of Truong Thi Kim Tuyen, the only member of Vietnam’s Olympic contingent who trained overseas before heading to Japan.
B: Marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh will compete at Tokyo 2020 as reigning champion in the men’s 10m air pistol event.
A: Five years ago, Vietnam enjoyed its most successful Olympicsever, finishing 45th in the Rio Games medal rankings, with one gold and one silver, both won by Hoang Xuan Vinh.
B: Vietnamese Olympic athletes competing in the Tokyo 2020 Games will receive a bonus of 80,600 USD for each gold medal,43,400 USD for each silver medal, and 28,000 USD for each bronze medal.
A: The Olympic medal bonuses could increase with contributions from other sources, such as the sports sector, athletic organizations, business sponsors, and individual donors.
B: For the first time in Olympic history, each nation’s flag will be carried by two athletes, one male and one female. Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang and runner Quach Thi Lan will have the honor of carrying Vietnam’s flag during the opening ceremony.
A: The new rule is part of the International Olympic Committee's effort to promote gender equality.
B: Swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang became the first Vietnamese athlete to secure a slot at this Olympics, qualifying for two events – the men’s 800m and 1,500m freestyle. He set a new record in the 1,500m freestyle at the 30th SEA Games.
A: Quach Thi Lan, who received a wild card, will be the only Vietnamese runner in Tokyo. The Asian Championship and Asian Games winner will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles.
B: For the first time in the history of the Olympics, winners will take their medal from a tray and put it around their own neck to avoid physical contact and reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. There will be no handshakes or hugs during the medal ceremony.
A: In previous years, medals were presented by an IOC member or a leading official froma sport’s governing body.
B: This year's Olympic Games will be held under unprecedented and adverse conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We wish everyone a safe Olympics and, of course, success to the Vietnamese athletes.
A: Thank you all for tuning in to VOV’s English broadcast and leaving your comments on our Facebook fanpage. We always welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVworld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Thank you. Goodbye until next time.