The figures projected by institute of Tourist Development only a year ago seem wildly over-optimistic. Certainly tourist facilities in Viet Nam do not at present compete in quality-for-price with those of Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, and I suspect that the novelty of going to see Viet Nam has worn off. Those who wanted to get there before their friends have done so and are moving on to yet more exotic locations. Relatively new development has been the cruise ships which call in at a few locations, Ha Long Bay, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Sai Gon, and give well off-foreign tourists a glimpse of Viet Nam without having to experience the discomfort of inland travel. But event here there are problems and one cruise company, Swan Hellenic, is cutting down on stops on account of the excessive port charges in Viet Nam.