“Vietnam – A paradise of Southeast Asia” was the theme of a tourism
promotion gala in New Delhi, India, on November 26 that attracted the
presence of many tour operators from both countries.
Vietnamese Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh, in his welcome speech, made it
clear that Vietnam is a not-to-miss destination since it is home to an
array of UNESCO-recognised world heritages, relic sties, stunning
beaches and busy shopping malls.
Vietnam welcomed nearly 7.5
million foreign visitors last year and 6.6 million in the first ten
months of 2014. However, only 30,000 Indians come to Vietnam annually,
far fewer than the numbers of Indians who visit Thailand (1 million),
Singapore (900,000) and Indonesia (200,000).
The ambassador
said few Indian visitors come to Vietnam due to a lack of information on
Vietnamese tourism market and direct air route from India to Vietnam.
He expressed hope that things will change after the recent
launch of a direct flight route linking New Delhi and Ho Chi Minh City
by India’s Jet Airways, and with the plans of more direct flights
between the two countries next year by the national flag carrier Vietnam
Airlines and budget airline VietJet Air.
Girish Shankar, Additional Secretary of Indian Tourism, said Vietnam is a pillar of India’s Look East policy.
India greeted over 12,300 Vietnamese visitors last year, and since
2011, it has applied visa-on-arrival procedures for Vietnamese citizens
with the aim of encouraging more Vietnamese to visit the country, he
said.
At the event, Vietnamese and Indian tour operators introduced their tour services to participants.-VNA