HCMC – Airlines and travel companies hope that India and Vietnam, especially Kien Giang Province, will promote tourism cooperation, paving the way for tourists from both countries to enjoy themselves and learn about each other’s local culture.
This was recorded at a tourism promotion conference between Phu Quoc Island and India in 2022 held on April 8 by the Consulate General of India in HCMC in collaboration with the Kien Giang Province People’s Committee, offline and online.
According to Pranay Verma, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam, India and Vietnam have great potential to attract tourists to visit and learn about the exciting cultures of the two countries.
Regarding Phu Quoc Island (off the coast of Kien Giang), the ambassador said the island city is rich in nature with a series of beautiful landscapes and beaches, to inspire international tourists, including Indians.
Meanwhile, apart from beautiful landscapes, India is home to spiritual and medical tourism.
At the conference, representatives of airlines and travel companies from Vietnam and India said that the competent authorities should grasp considerable opportunities for tourism cooperation between the two countries through policies that will help travelers feel more comfortable.
Ngo Minh Duc, General Director of Huong Giang Aviation Service Co. – the official representative of Indigo Airlines in Vietnam, said that in October 2019, Indigo operated direct flights to Vietnam. However, the flights had to be temporarily canceled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“To help resume tourism between the two countries, it needs rapid policies from the governments and travel companies on easing procedures and policies, as well as promoting tourism programs,” Duc said.
Jay L. Lingeswara, a representative of VietJet Air, said that before the pandemic outbreak, Vietjet operated direct flights from New Delhi (India) to Hanoi and HCMC with positive results in the number of passengers.
Now, as the pandemic has been brought under control, Vietjet will soon resume flights and is expected to operate direct flights from Delhi to Hanoi and HCMC in April.
In addition, the airline is expected to operate a flight from Mumbai (India) to HCMC in June and a flight from Mumbai to Danang in September.
“We will open more flights to other destinations between the two countries under better support from governments and the competent authorities,” said Jay L. Lingeswara.
Reportedly, the event was part of a series of activities organized by the Consulate General of India in HCMC to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam and the 75th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of India.
In 2019, about 34,000 Vietnamese (mainly Buddhist pilgrims) visited India, while about 160,000 Indian tourists came to Vietnam.
