Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau: 'Happiest day in mysterious Indian land'

At 22h50 on December 7^th, the A320 aircraft landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, marking the low-cost airline Vietjet Air’s first official operation of the Hanoi - New Delhi direct route, a day after launching the Ho Chi Minh Ccty-New Delhi direct flight.

Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau went to the door of the plane to welcome passengers, who arrived in New Delhi after the first direct flight of Vietjet Air connecting the capitals of the two countries. He expressed that the direct flight would create favorable conditions for promoting cultural and people exchanges, trade, investment and tourism, practically contributing to further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India in the near future.

This has been a great development since 1983 when Vietnam and India signed an aviation agreement. In 1991, Air India tried to fly but failed. Two years later, Vietnam Airlines also wanted to open a direct flight between Vietnam and India, but it couldn’t implement.

For those who love to explore new cultures, this route will bring many interesting experiences in ancient, epic and mythical India, hiding a huge treasure of cultural heritage with many festivals full of colours.

Direct flights between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh city and New Delhi by Vietjet Air have a duration of just over 4 hours, which will help significantly reduce the total travel time, contributing to opening up many opportunities for trade, tourism, and promoting the economic development between the two countries. It is also a bridge for passengers to easily connect flights to Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand./.

Additional tours and flights launched to serve Vietnamese football fans

Many travel agents of Vietnam have received a large number of bookings for traveling to the Philippines to support the Vietnamese national men football team in the final match of the SEA Games 30 between Vietnam and Indonesia, which will take place at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila at 19h00 of December 10th.

Saigontourist, the country's leading travel company is selling one-day tour departed from Ho Chi Minh city to the Philippines using charter flight operated by Vietnam Airlines on December 10th at prices of VND14,990,000 million per person. The price of the tour from Hanoi is VND14,900,000 a person.

Meanwhile, one-day trip of TST Tourist costs VND14,900,000 per traveler. In addition, groups of 5 or more get a discount of VND500,000 for an individual. The company also offers two day one night trip that will fly on December 10th.

Vietnam Airlines announced that it will add six flights, equivalent to nearly 1,300 seats to serve football fans who want to watch the finals of SEA Games 30's men football between Vietnam and Indonesia.

Flights will depart from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city and Da Nang on December 10th and return in early the next morning from the Philippines, using Airbus A321 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircrafts.

The carrier has also cooperated with tourist companies to launch package tours including return airfare, ticket for the final match, tour guide, transport, all meals and drinks during the trip./.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau province to develop facility to serve cruise ships

According to Vietnam News Agency, the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau plans to build a new facility to serve cruise ships that bring cash-rich tourists to its shores because cruise ships now visiting the province having to dock at cargo ports.

Since 2008, an increasing number of international cruise ships have visited the province, which is located near seaport centres such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shanghai, and is a convenient spot that connects the itineraries of cruise ship operators.

A representative of OSC Vietnam Travel Company, which welcomes cruise ships to the province, told the Investment Review newspaper that cruise ships in the area were mainly from Europe, the US, Australia and Asia.

These include luxury ships such as the 5-star Spectrum of the Seas, which carries nearly 6,500 passengers and crew members, and the 5-star Voyager of The Seas, which accommodates 5,800 guests and crew members.

A cruise ship docks at Cai Mep port (Photo: tuoitre.vn)

Though it receives a large number of cruise ship tourists, the province does not have a dedicated port for cruise ships and the giant vessels have to dock at the cargo ports of the Cai Mep - Phu My cargo port. As a result, travel companies and tourists face many inconveniences.

In addition, giant vessels are not always able to dock at the cargo ports because they are filled with cargo ships and there is no room for cruise ships to berth.

The provincial People’s Committee has assigned the Department of Transport and other agencies to conduct research to identify a suitable site for a new port for international cruise ships to dock in Vung Tau city.

The department is responsible for creating a zoning plan for an international passenger port in the Sao Mai - Ben Dinh area (on an area of 21 ha) and Vung Tau Marina City. The deadline for completion of the 1/500 and 1/2,000 zoning plans is in August next year.

While waiting for the zoning plan, many investors from the US and Europe have conducted surveys and worked with authorities, expressing their desire to invest or cooperate with the province in building the international passenger port.

One investor has committed to invest during the 2020-2021 period to build an international passenger wharf which would be put it into operation in 2022.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Linh, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, said that investors were told that the wharf was suitable for development of the province’s tourism industry.

The international passenger wharf, together with a complex of restaurants and shopping centres, would contribute to the development of the tourism industry and be an impressive “check-in” destination for international visitors in Vietnam.

At the same time, the international passenger wharf would help the province fully exploit its tourism and commercial advantages, bringing significant revenue to the province’s budget, and creating favourable conditions for local workers to access new and high-grade tourism services./.