VIETNAM – IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is increasing its presence in Vietnam with the signing of two Holiday Inn Resorts. An agreement with Lucky Star Joint Stock Company to manage Holiday Inn Resort Phu Quoc Duong Dong Beach, and another with Thinh Vuong Joint Stock Company to manage Holiday Inn Resort Cam Ranh Bay increases the momentum of IHG’s growth of Vietnam’s new tourism hotspots. Said Jan Smits, MD, IHG Asia Australasia, “Emerging markets like Vietnam represent solid, long-term growth opportunities, especially with the rise in low-cost carriers and routes, which have helped to fuel regional travel in Asia Pacific. Vietnam is forecasting a 35 percent increase in visitor arrivals compared to last year. And the government’s commitment to improving infrastructure and developing new tourist destinations, such as Phu Quoc, will also increase the appeal of Vietnam as a destination.” Holiday Inn Resort Phu Quoc Duong Dong Beach sits on a 3-hectare beachfront site and will have 250 rooms. Construction will begin in August 2011 and the resort is expected to open in mid 2014. This will dovetail with the government’s expansion plans for Phu Quoc, which includes a new international airport, a seaport and various entertainment facilities. The airport is scheduled to be operational by 2012. And on the south-eastern coast of Vietnam, about 350 km from Ho Chi Minh City, is Cam Ranh Bay, which is known for its white sandy beaches. The site for Holiday Inn Resort Cam Ranh Bay has 170m of this beach frontage. The resort will have about 250 rooms and occupy 70,000sqm of the 174,227sqm plot of land, which will also feature high-end residential and commercial properties. Construction is slated to begin in June 2011 and the resort is expected to open in the third quarter of 2013. Holiday Inn Resort Cam Ranh Bay will be a convenient location for travellers as it is only 15 minutes from Cam Ranh International Airport and a 40-minute drive from the Nha Trang city centre. Cam Ranh Bay is foreseen to be a new holiday destination in compliment with Nha Trang. Previously utilised as a military base, Cam Ranh is now being planned to be exclusively a vacation spot.