A tourism promotion exchange themed "Wonderful Vietnam" opened in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (RoK), on May 17 to discuss prospects for cooperation in aviation and tourism between Vietnam and the RoK.
The number of RoK tourists to Vietnam has been increasing significantly in the post-pandemic period
Addressing the programme, Nguyen Huy Duc, head of Vietnam Airlines branch in the Republic of Korea (RoK), revealed that this was the second year that the national flag carrier of Vietnam has cooperated with Sun Group and a new partner Caravelle hotel to organise the event in the RoK.
The programme introduced the potential for tourism, trade, and aviation cooperation between the two countries, along with attractive destinations and incentive policies put forward by Vietnam Airlines and its partners in order to provide customers with the most optimal travel experience options possible, he said.
In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tung emphasised that the number of RoK tourists to Vietnam has been increasing significantly in the post-pandemic period.
Last year witnessed the country receive over 3.66 million international tourists, with Korean tourists numbering more than 965,000, or 26.4% of the total. Meanwhile, about 185,000 Vietnamese people visited the RoK last year.
The burgeoning demand for travel has opened up plenty of opportunities for bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, education, and culture, he said, noting that Vietnam Airlines, Sun Group, and Caravelle hotel have played a key role in accelerating tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.
For his part, Ly Xuong Can, Vietnamese tourism ambassador to the RoK, said that Vietnam is rapidly restoring travel and air routes to the pre-pandemic level, while travel firms have also invested in upgrading tourism services to attract more Korean tourists.
Along with the reopening of flights between Incheon and Nha Trang at the end of last year, the promotion programme is expected to elevate Vietnam as an attractive and safe destination, he stressed.
Currently, Vietnam Airlines is operating 112 flights per week between the RoK and Vietnam, with its market share in the RoK reaching 18% in the first quarter of this year, up 5% compared to 2019.