Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Thanh Hoa (VNS/VNA) -Opening more direct flights to Con Dao Island, a tourism hotspot off southernBa Ria – Vung Tau province, is an opportunity for the tourism destination,experts have said.
Vo Huy Cuong, Deputy Director ofthe Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) told a seminar held in thecentral province of Thanh Hoa on September 12 that demand to visit Con Dao hasbeen high for many years and is still rising. However, it has been difficult tofly to the island.
Cuong said in addition toflights from HCM City or the southern city of Can Tho to Con Dao, visitorscould travel by boat, but it takes at least nine hours from HCM City and fourhours from Ba Ria-Vung Tau province in calm sea conditions to reach the tourismsite.
Con Dao Airport is located onthe island and investing in lights for night operation is difficult due toweather and environmental conditions. It is not allowed to operate 24 hours aday, making flights only available during the day.
Vietnam Air Services Company(VASCO), a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, is the only airline currentlyoperating regular flights to the island, flying from HCM City and Can Tho. Itcan carry up to 68 passengers per flight.
Bamboo Airways will launch newdirect flights from Hanoi, Hai Phong and Vinh to Con Dao fromSeptember 29.
“It is a great effort to reacha maximum of 24 visits to Con Dao per day. Bamboo Airways' three non-stopflights to Con Dao will meet the need of spiritual tourism, assist in solvingproblems about take-off time at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. It willalso help serve the increasing travel demand and reduce travel time and gasconsumption for connecting flights,” he added.
Dang Tat Thang, Vice Chairmancum General Director of Bamboo Airways, said the company's goal since itsestablishment has been to connect localities with few flights.
Thang said his first trip tothe island took 12 hours as he had to fly from HCM City.
Bamboo Airways struggled toopen the routes in the past as the airline had previously considered using anAirbus A319 aircraft for the flight. However, the airport's runway neededto be extended.
During a business trip, heexperienced the new generation of the Embraer 195 jet and was veryimpressed. With the approval of the CAAV, Bamboo Airways took six months todeploy this route. The airline will use the Embraer E195 jet on the route,transporting 124 passengers each flight.
“According to statistics fromthe CAAV, up to 90 percent of tourists visiting Con Dao are people from thenorthern region as the island is famous for spiritual tourism. That was whyBamboo Airways chose Hanoi, Hai Phong and Vinh - the three cities with thelargest population in the north to open the direct flights,” he said.
Trinh Hang, Director of theDepartment of Tourism of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, said that in the past,tourists had to fly to Con Dao by helicopter, which was very expensive. Sincethe airport was built in 2004, at the peak, despite there were 26 weekendflights and 5-8 flights on weekdays, yet many tourists still complained ofnot being able to buy tickets.
“With the new route of BambooAirways, tourists from the north can travel more conveniently, without havingto connect from HCM City or Can Tho. The locality has been trying to developinfrastructure. Currently, a lot of investors are working to providebetter services to tourists. The province has also calculated a plan forsustainable tourism development and considering development but still retainsthe ecosystem,” Hang said.
According to Dinh Ngoc Duc,Director of the Tourism Market Department under Vietnam National Administrationof Tourism (VNTA), Con Dao’s tourism potential is enormous as the number oftourists coming to the island has increased by 400 percent in the last fewyears despite the lack of flights and poor traffic infrastructure.With the three new routes, he assessed that more tourists would come thanks tothe convenience.
He also expressed his wish todevelop Con Dao sustainably, attracting visitors, but not at all costs toprotect the island.
“The three new routes of BambooAirways together with other provinces are the starting point of the secondstimulus tourism programme in the last months of the year. VNTA will accompanyairlines, destinations and enterprise in the programme,” he said.
Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman ofFLC Group and Bamboo Airways, said being people doing business in the aviationand tourism sectors want to help tourism flourish again.
FLC proposed Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinceand the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) approve funding to installlights at Con Dao Airport to allow the airport to increase flight capacityat night.
At the forum, many travel firmssaid they expected the tourist market to Con Dao to thrive thanks to the newdirect flights and that they would work with Bamboo Airways to offerpackage tours.
In 2019, Con Dao welcomednearly 400,000 tourists, up 37 percent compared to 2018./.
Vo Huy Cuong, Deputy Director ofthe Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) told a seminar held in thecentral province of Thanh Hoa on September 12 that demand to visit Con Dao hasbeen high for many years and is still rising. However, it has been difficult tofly to the island.
Cuong said in addition toflights from HCM City or the southern city of Can Tho to Con Dao, visitorscould travel by boat, but it takes at least nine hours from HCM City and fourhours from Ba Ria-Vung Tau province in calm sea conditions to reach the tourismsite.
Con Dao Airport is located onthe island and investing in lights for night operation is difficult due toweather and environmental conditions. It is not allowed to operate 24 hours aday, making flights only available during the day.
Vietnam Air Services Company(VASCO), a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, is the only airline currentlyoperating regular flights to the island, flying from HCM City and Can Tho. Itcan carry up to 68 passengers per flight.
Bamboo Airways will launch newdirect flights from Hanoi, Hai Phong and Vinh to Con Dao fromSeptember 29.
“It is a great effort to reacha maximum of 24 visits to Con Dao per day. Bamboo Airways' three non-stopflights to Con Dao will meet the need of spiritual tourism, assist in solvingproblems about take-off time at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. It willalso help serve the increasing travel demand and reduce travel time and gasconsumption for connecting flights,” he added.
Dang Tat Thang, Vice Chairmancum General Director of Bamboo Airways, said the company's goal since itsestablishment has been to connect localities with few flights.
Thang said his first trip tothe island took 12 hours as he had to fly from HCM City.
Bamboo Airways struggled toopen the routes in the past as the airline had previously considered using anAirbus A319 aircraft for the flight. However, the airport's runway neededto be extended.
During a business trip, heexperienced the new generation of the Embraer 195 jet and was veryimpressed. With the approval of the CAAV, Bamboo Airways took six months todeploy this route. The airline will use the Embraer E195 jet on the route,transporting 124 passengers each flight.
“According to statistics fromthe CAAV, up to 90 percent of tourists visiting Con Dao are people from thenorthern region as the island is famous for spiritual tourism. That was whyBamboo Airways chose Hanoi, Hai Phong and Vinh - the three cities with thelargest population in the north to open the direct flights,” he said.
Trinh Hang, Director of theDepartment of Tourism of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, said that in the past,tourists had to fly to Con Dao by helicopter, which was very expensive. Sincethe airport was built in 2004, at the peak, despite there were 26 weekendflights and 5-8 flights on weekdays, yet many tourists still complained ofnot being able to buy tickets.
“With the new route of BambooAirways, tourists from the north can travel more conveniently, without havingto connect from HCM City or Can Tho. The locality has been trying to developinfrastructure. Currently, a lot of investors are working to providebetter services to tourists. The province has also calculated a plan forsustainable tourism development and considering development but still retainsthe ecosystem,” Hang said.
According to Dinh Ngoc Duc,Director of the Tourism Market Department under Vietnam National Administrationof Tourism (VNTA), Con Dao’s tourism potential is enormous as the number oftourists coming to the island has increased by 400 percent in the last fewyears despite the lack of flights and poor traffic infrastructure.With the three new routes, he assessed that more tourists would come thanks tothe convenience.
He also expressed his wish todevelop Con Dao sustainably, attracting visitors, but not at all costs toprotect the island.
“The three new routes of BambooAirways together with other provinces are the starting point of the secondstimulus tourism programme in the last months of the year. VNTA will accompanyairlines, destinations and enterprise in the programme,” he said.
Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman ofFLC Group and Bamboo Airways, said being people doing business in the aviationand tourism sectors want to help tourism flourish again.
FLC proposed Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinceand the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) approve funding to installlights at Con Dao Airport to allow the airport to increase flight capacityat night.
At the forum, many travel firmssaid they expected the tourist market to Con Dao to thrive thanks to the newdirect flights and that they would work with Bamboo Airways to offerpackage tours.
In 2019, Con Dao welcomednearly 400,000 tourists, up 37 percent compared to 2018./.
VNA
