Earlier on Tuesday, Vietnam’s Prime Minister attended the Vietnam-US trade promotion conference to assure the country’s recovery and to announce the theme “Rediscovering Vietnam”. The Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh attended the Vietnam-US trade investment and tourism promotion conference held in San Francisco, United States, on the 17th.
The conference is organised by the flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, Saigon Tourists, and Thien Minh Group, the country’s leading travel services providers. Pham presented the country’s recovery and stated the importance of the U.S. as a strategic partner in multiple areas. As part of the ongoing development between the countries, regular direct flights have been established between major cities of Vietnam and the west coast back in October 2021 after more than 2 decades of application.
Focuses on Tourism and Trades
Despite being hit hard by the pandemic, Prime Minister Pham stated strong numbers were recorded amid the pandemic in 2021. Two-way trade had reached USD 112 billion, accounting for one-third of the amount between the U.S. and ASEAN countries. Based on the average growth of 17-20% per year before the pandemic, Prime Minister Pham is hopeful for further developments in the fields of the capital market, digital transformation, energy transformation, trade, and tourism.
With Vietnam opening up to tourists in March 2022, Vietnam is optimistic about reintroducing trades and tourism to the pre-pandemic level. In terms of Vietnam’s tourism market, the United States constitutes the highest average number of tourists with 746,000 arrivals in 2019 and annual growth of 11%.
The U.S. ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper, appointed in February 2022, stressed his appreciation for the event and that the two countries will further strengthen their relationships in the field of aviation, tourism, and education.
Vietnam Airlines to increase Frequency of US-Vietnam flights by 2023
Earlier in 2021, the country’s flag carrier had established the long-awaited direct route between Vietnam and Los Angeles. The preparation process was proven to be highly strenuous due to the required high level of technicality to ensure the aviation safety standards suffice the U.S. standard. With great efforts, the new Vietnamese hybrid airline Bamboo Airways was able to secure a slot for charter flights to the U.S., and the flag carrier Vietnam Airlines had eventually established regular flights to the West Coast with their Boeing-787. Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates 4 flights per week between San Francisco and Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam Airlines stated its plan to increase the frequency as well as the establishment of a cargo route by 2023.
LCC Vietjet and UPS had also established an agreement to transport international goods through their extensive domestic and international network respectively.
What are your thoughts on the establishment of direct flights from Vietnam to the U.S.? Which is your favorite holiday destination in Asia? Let us know below. Check out more on the latest report in Vietnam: here
