Direct air routes deemed key to Viet Nam-India tourism cooperation

Direct air routes deemed key to Viet Nam-India tourism cooperation

Direct air routes are key to boosting tourism between Viet Nam and India, according to Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Tourism, Suman Billa.

General Director of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan speaks at the promotion event

A recently signed agreement between India and the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport will serve as an important legal framework to facilitate the development of their transport infrastructure, Billa noted at a tourism promotion event held by the Vietnamese Embassy in New Delhi on March 24.

He said that India is one of the two countries that have had the most tourists going overseas in the world, and encouraged Vietnamese people to visit. He also suggested that if promotional activities are conducted effectively, Viet Nam will be a magnet for Indian visitors because it possesses a multitude of attractive destinations, a rich culinary culture and many shared spiritual and cultural similarities with his country.

General Director of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, Nguyen Van Tuan, said numerous measures have been taken to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in tourism, since Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to India last October.

Following the decision of India’s second biggest carrier, Jet Airways, to open a direct air route to Viet Nam, the Southeast Asian country’s national flag carrier Viet Nam Airlines is also planning to launch a direct route to India. This will fuel tourism between the nations, Tuan claimed.

Minister Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy, Tran Quang Tuyen, said India has seen the world’s fastest growth in the number of citizens travelling overseas, from 4.4 million in 2000 to 17 million in 2013, up by 13 percent per year on average. The figure is expected to hit 50 million by 2020.

Although Viet Nam welcomed 55,000 Indian tourist arrivals in 2014, a surge from 12,000 in 2007, the number accounted for only 0.07 percent of the total foreign visitors to Viet Nam and 0.03 percent of Indian tourists who spent their holidays overseas.

Meanwhile, only 12,000 Vietnamese people visit India every year, with the majority heading to Buddhist relic sites such as Gaya, Varanasi, and Kushinagar, he noted. He said that this proves tourism cooperation is far behind where it should be.

Tuyen urged for both countries step up tourism promotion and open more direct air routes as soon as possible.

Source: VNA

Bài viết liên quan

	Training course on VTOS Hotel Management in Kien Giang (TITC) – From June 13 – 18, 2015, Kien Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism and EU Project to hold a training course on Viet Nam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards (VTOS) Hotel Management in Kien Giang. Detail >>

	Vietnam Airlines offers promotion programme National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced that it will officially launch a ‘Golden Moment’ promotional programme for passengers who purchase tickets from July 15-31 on domestic routes. Detail >>

	Vietnam waives visas for five European countries to spur tourism Vietnam on Friday said it will waive visas for travellers from five more European countries including Britain and France as authorities move to boost the country's declining tourism industry. Detail >>

	Lai Chau preserves culture through community tourism Ban Hon commune in Tam Duong district in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau is applying community-based tourism models which have proved effective in increasing local residents’ incomes as well as raising their awareness of environmental protection and cultural heritage preservation. Detail >>

	Ba Na Hills Resort voted Viet Nam's Leading Tourist Attraction Da Nang’s Ba Na Hills Resort has been honoured with the ‘Viet Nam’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ award by the Viet Nam Tourism Association and the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). The awards ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the 55th founding anniversary of the VNAT. Detail >>

	Viet Nam to market tourism in Indonesia this August A Vietnamese tourism promotion campaign will be held from August 3-7 in Surabaya and Jakarta cities of Indonesia, which is emerging as a critical and potential market of Vietnam. Detail >>

	Quang Nam boosts sea, island tourism development The central province of Quang Nam has devised a number of measures to boost tourism development, especially on Cu Lao Cham Island, said Tran Hung, Head of the island’s Association of Tourism. Detail >>

	Tra Co Communal House Festival opens The traditional festival of Tra Co Communal House opened on July 15 in Tra Co Ward, Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh Province and is scheduled to last until July 18. Detail >>

	Straying off the beaten beach path makes a difference in Khanh Hoa An endless blue embraces a white sand bank. Big rocks shaped like rough caricatures of different animals stand sentinel on the beach. You are admiring the scenery on Binh Lap Beach. Detail >>

	Vietnam extends visa exemptions for tourists from United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy Vietnam extends visa exemptions for tourists from Western Europe On June 30, the Vietnamese government issued a decree extending visa exemptions for tourists from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, reported the Vietnam News Agency. Detail >>