Hanoi (VNA) – The Indian Embassy in Vietnam hosted an interactive tourism workshop in Hanoi on December 30, bringing together Vietnamese travel businesses to seek ways for strengthening connections, diversifying offerings, and tackling challenges to attract more Vietnamese tourists to India.
Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Tshering W. Sherpa said his country boasts over 40 UNESCO-recognised tourist sites, along with many renowned destinations associated with Buddhism, Yoga, and luxury resorts. To boost Vietnamese tourist arrivals, India has organised familiarisation (FAM) trips involving travel businesses and the media.
The diplomat expressed his hope to further strengthen direct engagement with Vietnamese travel companies, which he described as “ambassadors of tourism connectivity” between the two countries, to jointly explore measures for tightening tourism links.
Nong Phuong Hanh from Go See Tour noted that India offers convenient e-visa procedures, with processing times of 3–5 working days and fees ranging from 10–25 USD per person. Flights from Hanoi to major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai take around 4–5 hours. Notably, tours to the four sacred sites associated with the life of the Buddha attract significant interest from Vietnamese and international travellers.
After years of operating tours that take Vietnamese travellers to New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur – cities renowned for their architecture, heritage, and historical values, Pham Hong Thu from Duc Minh Tour noted that current itineraries lack evening and night experiences to extend stays and increase spending.
She suggested the Indian side study tourism product development practices from some countries, while strengthening the number, skills, and language proficiency of local guides to better support Vietnamese businesses and travellers.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Quan from Avi Tour perceived that to draw more Vietnamese visitors to India, it is necessary to increase meetings with Vietnamese travel companies and organise more FAM trips involving businesses, media agencies, and influencers.
India should also step up destination promotion in Vietnam and diversify its tourism products, not just focusing on spiritual tours but also catering to the preferences and spending capacity of Vietnamese travellers, to enhance competitiveness compared to other regional destinations, he added.
Tourism is emerging as a highlight in the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India. The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) reported that Vietnam has continually recorded impressive growth in arrivals from the Indian market, with 392,000 visitors in 2023, 507,000 in 2024, and nearly 656,000 in the first 11 months of 2025.
In addition to its scenic and cultural appeal, Vietnam has introduced favourable policies for Indian visitors, including e-visas allowing stays of up to 90 days, a safe and friendly tourism environment, and expanding aviation connectivity with around 100 direct flights between the two countries' major cities.
India’s middle class is rapidly expanding, driving demand for international travel. In this context, Vietnam is seen as an attractive destination thanks to its various types of tourism, including wedding, leisure, MICE, adventure, and spiritual travel.
Conversely, tours to India have yet to attract a large number of Vietnamese travellers./.
VNA
