(TITC) - On 24th February 2022, at the FLC Quy Nhon Resort (Binh Dinh Province), the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) in coordination with Vietnam Aviation Business Association (VABA), Bamboo Airways and Dan Tri Newspaper held a talk show on “Vietnamese aviation opens for international travel: New momentum, new opportunity”. Mr. Ha Van Sieu, VNAT’s Vice Chairman and leaders of the Tourism Marketing Department attended the talk show.
Overview of the talk show
Reopening international flight offers an important contribution in resuming tourism activities
According to Mr. Bui Doan Ne - Vice Chairman of Vietnam Aviation Business Association (VABA), aviation and tourism are the two industries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Operations of airline businesses have been affected on both domestic and international flight networks.
Mr. Bui Doan Ne - Vice Chairman of Vietnam Aviation Business Association (VABA)
With the decision to restore international flight routes from 15th February 2022, fully reopen tourism from 15th March 2022, Mr. Ne affirmed that this has created favourable conditions for Vietnam aviation industry to gradually normalise its operation, avoiding delay in competition with airlines in the region and the world that have connecting routes to Vietnam.
Mr. Ha Van Sieu, VNAT’s Vice Chairman
Mr. Ha Van Sieu, VNAT’s Vice Chairman emphasised, in recent years, aviation and tourism industries have always attached, accompanied and actively supported each other’s development. After the pandemic outbreak, tourism and aviation industries were severely affected. Both the industries have made safe and flexible adaptations in an effort to resume operations. Thanks to the drastic direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, the proactive participation of ministries, sectors, localities and businesses, the tourism industry has gradually recovered. It has been proved during the last Lunar New Year holiday, tourism activities flourished, destinations across the country welcomed and served 6.1 million visitor arrivals.
In 2022, the tourism industry is expected to welcome 5-6 million international arrivals and over 60 million domestic visitor arrivals. According to Mr. Sieu, we can be confident of an operational recovery once vaccine coverage is broadened, enrich experience in handling incident scenarios, and a harmonious cooperation of aviation and tourism. “It is the time for tourism and aviation to quickly seize the opportunity to recover in the new context, making Vietnam a prestigious, safe and competitive destination in the international arena”, he emphasised.
Reopening, expanding connections with international markets
Regarding the work in connecting routes with international markets, Mr. Bui Minh Dang - Deputy Head of the Air Transport Division under the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam indicated, from 2021, Vietnam has raised the opinion of operating air routes with countries according to the schedule. Up to now, Vietnam Airlines has restored international flights to 20 countries and territories.
Mr. Bui Minh Dang - Deputy Head of the Air Transport Division under the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam
Mr. Tran Dinh Thien - a staff member of the Economic Advisory Group to the Prime Minister said, at the moment, through two fields of tourism and aviation, the Government would like to declare to the world that Vietnam has gradually recovered and been safe and sound; Also, proving that Vietnamese enterprises have good resilience. Therefore, the two industries of aviation and tourism must always be ready to ensure the connection and at the same time, prove the safety of Vietnam.
Currently, the contribution from aviation and tourism is enormous, so it is vital to soon reopen up and create a momentum for development. After two years of disruption, the restoration of aviation and tourism activities will create new inspiration for the recovery of the economy.
Regarding the restoring of international flight routes, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Trong - Bamboo Airways Deputy General Director stated, from 15th February 2022, Bamboo Airways has restored the flight routes to Taiwan (China), Korea, Japan, and soon the UK, Australia and the USA. During the impact period of the pandemic, Bamboo Airways has optimised its fleet of 3 flights (long, medium, short), suitable for different markets.
Overview of the talk show
The delegates were also pleased to see a rapid increase over the same period of previous year in the number of international search volume for Vietnam’s air and tourism from the beginning of 2022, according to analytical data from Google Destination insights tool. This is an encouraging signal for the recovery of tourism and aviation in the near future.
Tourism trend post the COVID-19 pandemic
Sharing a thought about the trends of markets, Mr. Vu Nam - Deputy Director of VNAT’s Tourism Marketing Department said, after the pandemic, green tourism products, rural tourism, community tourism, and wellness tourism are trending in many countries. Tourists tend to choose short-time trips rather than long-time ones, intensifying in technology advantages, online booking services…
Mr. Vu Nam - Deputy Director of VNAT’s Tourism Marketing Department
VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu emphasised the importance of technology, the power of technology has never been used as much as it is today. Therefore, enterprises need to promote technology applications in operations and products to catch up with development trends.
Besides, according to him, enterprises need to design “A neat but profound schedule to leave a good impression on visitors who keep returning to Vietnam next time”.
Concluding the talk show, VNAT’s Vice Chairman, Ha Van Sieu highly appreciated the opinions of experts, management agencies and enterprises. The information is aimed at policy recommendations, solutions and actions to unbind difficulties, strengthen coordination between aviation and tourism for recovery and development.
Mr. Ha Van Sieu, VNAT’s Vice Chairman
He also appraised the activeness of enterprises in restoring and connecting international flight routes, tourism markets, and the companionship of media agencies that have conveyed the message of efforts to recover the tourism and aviation industries.
In the framework of the talk show, a signing ceremony of a comprehensive cooperation agreement between Bamboo Airways and TD&T to welcome South Korean visitors to Quy Nhon to experience the FLC Group ecosystem of hospitality and Golf also took place on the same day.
A signing ceremony of a comprehensive cooperation agreement between Bamboo Airways and TD&T
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