B: It’s great to have correspondent with us again after such a long time. Mr. Williams told us: “The first time I ever received your station was when I was about 14 years old in 1972. You sent me a very nice QSL card then. I remember your address being 58 Quan Su street. I guess you moved.”  

A: You remember it right. VOV’s office is at 58 Quan Su street in Hanoi, in an old French building. VOV’s headquarters is still there, but in a more modern building. It was from that address 75 years ago that VOV broadcast its first radio program to Vietnamese people nationwide and friends around the world. We, the English Service of VOVWorld, work in another building at 45 Ba Trieu street a few blocks away from the headquarters.

VOV Headquarters at 58 Quan Su street, Hanoi

B: Mr. Williams said: “Hearing your station brought back many memories for me. I visited Vietnam in 2010 and I have never seen such as beautiful country! We stayed in Ho Chi Minh City. My wife is from Vientiane, Laos and her father was a Vietnamese from Hanoi. I would like to live in Vietnam some day.”

A: You and your family are welcome to visit Hanoi and VOV’s office once the Covid-19 epidemic is contained worldwide and free international travel is allowed again.

VOV Theater at 58 Quan Su street, Hanoi

B: Vietnam has reported no new Covid-19 infections in 28 straight days. Entry restrictions are in effect. Only Vietnamese nationals, foreigners on diplomatic or official business, and highly skilled workers are allowed to enter Vietnam at this time. All persons entering Vietnam must undergo a medical check and a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.  These measures have been effective in preventing community transmission of the virus.

A: Vietnam lifted its 22-day social distancing restrictions on April 23. Festivals, religious ceremonies, and sporting events are still suspended across the country. Places such as bars, beauty salons, and massage shops remain closed until further notice. Most trades and services including hotels have been allowed to resume. Flights, urban transportation, inter-provincial transportation, monuments, tourist attractions, and government offices have reopened with safety measures in place.

An art performance and exchange with historical witnesses was held at VOV Theater to mark President Ho Chi Minh's 130th birthday.

B: We all hope the pandemic will be contained soon so international travel and daily activities can get back to normal.

A: The coronavirus pandemic has affected every aspect of life. Many of our listeners have told us that they haven’t received replies or QSL cards from VOV.

B: We’re sorry to say that since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, policies to tighten travel and people’s activities in some countries have affected the delivery of mail and parcels. Vietnam Post says it will not promise to maintain the normal schedule of postal and parcel services to every country and territory.

A: We kindly ask for your understanding and that you wait patiently for your QSL cards from us. Jayanta Chakrabarty of India emailed us to say: “I am happy to send my appreciation to Team VOV for the wonderful entertainment you are providing for my family and me during this lockdown period.”

B: Chakrabarty noted that Vietnam has been largely successful in containing Covid-19, and the world is praising the efforts of the Vietnamese government. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is now opening up the economy stalled during the countrywide lockdown. There will be a gradual resumption of daily activities, including the reduction of social distancing in schools and the opening of essential trade services.

A: Jayanta said: “It is heartening to note that the proactive government of Vietnam is taking initiatives for quick economic recovery and national construction in all sectors. However, the National Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control will continue to maintain strict vigilance to prevent the virus from re-entering Vietnam.”

B: Thank you very much for appreciating Vietnam’s Covid-19 response. We feel quite safe inside our country. All new infections in the last month were people arriving from elsewhere, who were taken to hospitals immediately after arriving at the airport, to eliminate any risk of community infection.   

A: We hope the situation in India will improve soon as Sanil Deep of India told us that Kerala state has reported no cases in the past few days. It is a low-risk area compared to other states in India and tight security measures are in place. Calicut city, where he lives, is free of Covid-19.

B: Chakrabarty asked us “How popular is Vietnam as a tourist destination?”

A: The UN World Tourism Organisation ranked Vietnam seventh among the world’s 20 fastest-growing travel destinations in 2019. The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam increased 16% to 18 million people last year. 2019 was a successful year for Vietnamese tourism. Vietnam won several honors, including top World Heritage destination and Best Golf destination.

B: Vietnam was named Best Asian destination for two consecutive years, and won awards from international organisations for its airlines, travel agencies, hotels, and many of its tourist attractions. In ASEAN, Vietnam has surpassed Indonesia to rank fourth among the countries with the most international arrivals.

A: Vietnam ranked 63rd of 140 countries and territories in the 2019 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum, advancing four spots from 2017. Vietnam improved its rank in all categories, including prioritisation of travel and tourism, international openness, price competitiveness, and environmental sustainability.

B: Vietnam’s visa requirements saw the greatest improvement, jumping 63 spots in the ranking. Vietnam leads Asia-pacific in improving air transport infrastructure and now ranks 50th globally.

A: Published biennially, the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report and Index benchmarks the competitiveness of 140 economies and measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country.

B: Vietnam was listed one of the 10 best places to visit by the world’s most popular travel guide, TripAdvisor, in 2018. The country is loved by both local and foreign visitors for its natural beauty, cheap prices, vibrant nightlife and memorable travel experiences.

A: The annual Travelers’ Choice Awards from TripAdvisor last year selected Vietnam’s capital Hanoi among the top 25 destinations in the world. The list was based on an algorithm that analyses the millions of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants, and attractions collected from TripAdvisor travelers over a 12-month period.

B: Thank you all for your reports and feedback. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm. We 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.

A: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening.