Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism at Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, speaks at a Vietnamese tourism promotion event in Colombo on the evening of July 30. —  Photo courtesy of Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with Vietravel and the Hayleys Group, held a tourism promotion event in Colombo on the evening of July 30, attracting more than 100 companies from the tourism, aviation and hospitality sectors.

Opening the event, Ambassador Trịnh Thị Tâm highlighted the significance of the event, taking place just ahead of the launch of direct services between HCM City and Colombo by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, scheduled to commence in August.

She said the new direct routes would not only shorten travel times between the two countries but also provide fresh impetus for cooperation in tourism, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, helping to deepen the longstanding friendship between Việt Nam and Sri Lanka in a more substantive and comprehensive manner.

Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism at Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, welcomed the steady growth in two-way tourism, noting that nearly 9,000 Sri Lankan visitors travelled to Việt Nam in the first six months of the year, while more than 4,500 Vietnamese tourists visited Sri Lanka over the same period.

He praised the efforts of government agencies and the business communities of both countries in streamlining procedures and turning the long-planned direct air link into reality, expressing confidence that bilateral tourism cooperation would continue to gather momentum in the time to come.

At the event, a representative of Vietravel introduced Việt Nam's leading tourist destinations and travel products, along with bespoke tour packages tailored to the Sri Lankan market and potential areas of cooperation between travel companies from the two countries.

A performance staged at a Vietnamese tourism promotion event in Colombo. —  Photo courtesy of Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka

Representatives of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air also presented their international route networks and onboard services, while providing details of the forthcoming direct connections between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, which are expected to make travel more convenient for tourists, business travellers and people in both countries.

A highlight of the programme was a showcase of Vietnamese cuisine, accompanied by a prize draw offering travel experiences in the country.

Representatives of numerous Sri Lankan tourism companies welcomed the initiative, saying the launch of direct flights would mark an important milestone in tourism cooperation between the two countries.

They expressed admiration for Việt Nam's diverse tourism offerings, rich cultural heritage, distinctive cuisine and renowned hospitality, while voicing hopes of establishing new partnerships to bring more Sri Lankan visitors to Việt Nam and further expand two-way tourism exchanges. — VNA/VNS