Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services (MobiFone) has recently launched new packages that provide calling, SMS and data services for tourists.
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Vietnam currently receives around 7 to 10 million tourists each year, and a number of firms have recognised a change in the demand for mobile phone services. More people require data services with internet access included. While in the past, tourists were limited to sending and receiving messages MobiFone's new packages offer more services to customers. Now users are able to share their photos and videos on social networks.
In order to meet demand, MobiFone has started Happy Tourist services. Aimed at speakers of six languages: Chinese, English, Russian, Japanese, South Korean and Vietnamese, it provides both calling and data service for tourists, it has made mobile service accessible and easy to manage for people from those countries at a reasonable cost.
There are two separate packages: the Happy Tourist Data package, including SMS and data services, and the Happy Tourist Voice and Data, which includes calling, SMS and data services. Both services are prepaid and include instructions in English via SMS and USSD. Each Happy Tourist package costs VND250,000 (USD12) and comes with a SIM Card and VND200,000 in credit. Users of the Happy Tourist Data package have to pay VND290 per intra-network SMS, VND350 per inter-network SMS and VND9.77 for each 50kB of internet data.
The costs of intra-network and inter-network SMS on the Voice and Data package is VND200 and VND250 respectively, while the cost for each 50kB on internet is VND25. Both packages charge VND2,500 for each international SMS.
Fees for intra-network calls are VND1,580 per minute, VND1,780 for inter-network calls and VND3,960 for international calls. The prices can be further cut if customers use international roaming.
Happy Tourist packages are currently being sold at various tourist sites and airports. The packages also make it more convenient for tourism firms to deliver services more smoothly and conveniently.
Nguyen Dinh Chien, Deputy Director of MobiFone, said, "Thanks to the beautiful landscapes and political stability of the country, tourism in Vietnam has been on the increase, also requiring an improvement of telecom services. This is the reason we have decided to offer new and improved packages to our customers. We believe that our new Happy Tourist packages will both fulfill customer needs and help the tourism industry of Vietnam."