The Ministry of Transport plans to open new routes for commercial flights from nations that send tourists to Việt Nam to develop tourism into one of the country’s main economic sectors.— Photo baogiaothong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Transport plans to open new routes for commercial flights from nations that send tourists to Việt Nam to develop tourism into one of the country’s main economic sectors.

The plan will also increase the frequency of flights on existing flight plans.

These are the key components of a recently revealed scheme drafted with the goal of strengthening Việt Nam’s allure as a tourist destination for international travelers.

The draft proposes focusing on markets that send the most tourists to Việt Nam including the United States, France, England, Japan and many others. New domestic routes are also proposed to make travel easier between popular tourist destinations.

If the plan is successful, Vietnamese airports will receive flights from many more Chinese cities by 2020, including Chongqing, Dalian, Haikou, Wuhan and many others.

Also by 2020, national company Vietnam Airlines will open new direct flights from Hà Nội and HCM City to cities in the US and Australia. The plan cites San Francisco and Los Angeles as possible destinations, and says that there will be flights to Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. By 2025, all other domestic airlines will also be allowed to run flights from Việt Nam to the two countries.

The ministry proposal will also explore other airline benefits to encourage routes from countries that are sources of tourism, and will encourage Vietnamese airlines to increase the number of flights they run to international destinations.

The ministry emphasized the need for domestic air transportation businesses to maintain and increase service along existing routes within the country to keep up with socioeconomic development.

The draft also proposes an “open skies” policy for international flights. In practice, this would eliminate restrictions on which airlines have the right to fly in and out of the country.

Between 2010 and 2017, the air transport market grew at an average rate of 17.1 per cent in passengers and 11.2 per cent in cargo each year. In 2017, the country’s airports serviced 94 million passengers and processed 1.36 million tons of cargo, marking an accelerated rate of increase for both measures.

Việt Nam is served by 71 foreign airlines from 25 other countries. It is also served by domestic companies Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific and VietJet. Major airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways are complemented by budget offerings including Air Asia, Jetstar Asia and Scoot. — VNS