Chongqing seeks to stimulate demand and attract Vietnamese tourists

Chongqing is one of the important economic , commercial, cultural and tourist centers in China and is known as the "magical mountain city".

On May 16, the new flight route between Chongqing and Hanoi was officially connected. This is considered an important step in promoting trade and tourism between the two cities of the two countries.

With a frequency of 3 flights/week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday every week), West Air's flight route is expected to create favorable conditions for businessmen and tourists to travel, trade and explore business opportunities as well as new experiences in China.

Chongqing (China) is a favorite destination of many Vietnamese tourists (Photo: iChongqing).

Mr. Pham Tien Dung - Vice President of the UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club - said that China has always been the largest tourist market of Vietnam. On the contrary, since the beginning of 2024, Vietnamese tourists traveling to China have also been assessed to have "exploded" with an unprecedented number of visitors. The direct flight from Chongqing to Hanoi will be an opportunity for Vietnam to exploit the large source of tourists in the West of China.

"Previously, to go to Chongqing, Vietnamese tourists often had to fly to Guangdong and then take a train to visit. Opening a direct flight of only 2 hours will help shorten travel time, giving tourists more experiences to explore the beautiful scenery here.

Travel agencies themselves can also open new products to attract customers, such as the 6-day, 5-night program to explore Chongqing - Chengdu - Leshan," said Mr. Dung.

Mr. Yang Haijun - representative of West Air (China) - also said that the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam as well as the number of tourists from Vietnam to China is expected to continue to increase in the coming time. Shortening travel time by direct flights will help stimulate tourism, enhance economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"Vietnam, especially Hanoi, is always a favorite destination for Chinese tourists. On the contrary, Chongqing has beautiful natural landscapes, many scenic spots, and historical relics that are also chosen by many Vietnamese tourists on their journey to explore China. I believe that the Chongqing - Hanoi flight route will help tourists more conveniently travel to Vietnam, learn about Vietnamese customs, culture and people, and help attract a large number of Vietnamese tourists to China," said Mr. Yang Haijun.

China is one of Vietnam's largest tourist markets. In the first six months of 2024, Chinese visitors to Vietnam ranked second, reaching 1.8 million (accounting for 21.4%), an increase of 229.4% over the same period in 2023.

Although it has not regained its top position in international visitors to Vietnam, this is also a positive result showing the recovery of the Chinese tourist market.

According to many experts, not only Vietnam, the number of Chinese tourists traveling around the world is also recovering slowly after the epidemic.

There are many reasons why Chinese tourists have not traveled en masse as before the pandemic, such as: the Chinese and world economies are gloomy after the pandemic, the Chinese government is focusing on stimulating domestic tourism. In particular, many direct flights have not been restored, leading to high ticket prices, and travel is not as convenient as before the pandemic, so tourists have not traveled as much.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/trung-khanh-tim-cach-kich-cau-hut-khach-viet-den-du-lich-20240706165150829.htm