"Rediscover Vietnam” is co-held by Thien Minh Group and national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines for travel promotion in Australia. (Photo: VNA)Sydney (VNA) – The Government of Vietnam has reopened its borders to welcome travellers from Australia, New Zealand and other countries to Vietnam, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Tat Thanh told a trade and travel promotion conference in Australia on June 28.
Called “Rediscover Vietnam”, the event was co-held by Thien Minh Group and national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, with more than 80 travel firms and tour operators across Australia in attendance.
It was the last of a series of travel promotion events held in multiple countries, including the UK, Germany, France, the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Thanh said the number of Australian arrivals in Vietnam and vice versa hit a record high of 600,000 in 2019 before the COVID-19 broke out globally. Given that the two countries established a Strategic Partnership in 2018 and bilateral ties continued to grow despite the pandemic, travel between Vietnam and Australia will be on a rise and surpass pre-pandemic records in the coming years, he said.
The Vietnamese diplomat pledged to provide all possible conditions for Australian travellers and travel agencies to gain access to the Vietnamese market and explore the Southeast Asian country.
According to Truong Tran Ngoc Hung from Vietnam Airlines, shortly after Vietnam reopened the borders, the carrier has resumed regular flights to 15 international destinations, including Australia.
The airline is operating seven direct flights connecting Vietnam and Australia weekly. The number of flights will be increased to 11 in July and 16 in October, he added.
He noted that the travel demand between the two countries has risen quickly with seat occupancy at around 87% on average, 8% higher than pre-COVID-19.
Rebecca George, Market Manager Australia at SLC Representation, said Australia has seen surging searches for tours to Vietnam. Australian travellers have been increasingly interested in Vietnam and want to make it their next destination.
Vietnam’s easing of COVID-19 control measures will help its tourism industry gain advantages over other countries, she said./.
