Vietnamese tourists dressed in traditional Thai costumes take a selfie at Wat Arun temple before the Lunar New Year in Bangkok, Thailand, January 18, 2023. Photo by Reuters/Chalinee Thirasupa
Thailand’s “better connected” tourism sector attracted 900,000 Vietnamese visitors in the first 10 months, almost twice the number of Thai visitors to Vietnam, according to industry experts.
Thailand’s visa waivers and more convenient air travel have been cited by experts as the two main reasons for the shortage of figures.
A series of Vietnamese and Thai carriers have recently increased the number of direct air routes connecting the two countries’ main tourist hubs, making travel easier than ever, said Nguyen Trung Khanh, chairman of the Vietnam National Tourism Authority (VNAT). ), during a recent conference. conference.
Thai Airways began resuming services to Vietnam on October 29, while national carrier Vietnam Airlines announced plans to launch a direct route between the central coastal city of Da Nang and the Thai capital of Bangkok in November.
Vietravel Airlines launched its Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok route earlier this year as part of a broader effort to expand its Vietnam-Thailand network.
Ngô Minh Duc, chairman of the board of directors of HG Aviation, predicted that in the next two years, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Thailand could reach 1.2 to 1.3 million.
“Thailand is still a favorite destination for Vietnamese tourists thanks to its low-cost short-haul flights. From Hanoi, it takes only two hours, and from Ho Chi Minh City, it takes 70 to 80 minutes,” said Duke.
Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, deputy general manager of Vietravel, said there are many reasons why Vietnamese tourists flock to Thailand, one of them being low-cost tour packages.
A four-night tour package from HCMC to Bangkok and Pattaya currently costs between VND6 and 8 million (US$243 to US$325), which is even cheaper than a trip to Phu Quoc Island, off the coast of the southern coast of Vietnam.
Hoang said Thailand’s tourism industry has grown strongly thanks to close links between service providers – including transport, accommodation, attractions and shopping complexes – which create competitive travel prices.
In Vietnam, there is virtually no such link to falling travel prices and attracting tourists, he said.
Last year, Thailand welcomed 470,000 Vietnamese tourists, almost half the pre-pandemic figure.
