Many tourists have chosen Côn Đảo Island as their destination for the upcoming public holiday and summer break. Photo nhandan.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — With the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily under control in Việt Nam, the demand for tours to Côn Đảo Island in the southern province of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu has sharply risen in recent days.

Many flights departing from Hà Nội and HCM City to Côn Đảo Island in April and May, including both economy and business class, are fully booked in advance.

On the Bamboo Airways website, flights from HCM City to the island in April have sold out, except for some in business class.

Bamboo Airways flights from Hà Nội in April and May still have some seats available; however, all tickets for economy class on April 27-28 are sold out.

Flights from Hải Phòng City to Côn Đảo Island with a frequency of one flight per day are also close to selling out.

According to a representative of Bamboo Airlines, the airline's planes have transported more than 70,000 tourists to the island since the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The airline's direct flights to Côn Đảo Island are operating at maximum capacity. Bamboo Airways is reportedly considering adding more flights to serve travel demand during the peak season.

Currently, the airline operates from 22 to 24 direct flights per day to and from Côn Đảo Island, departing from and arriving in Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Thanh Hóa, Vinh, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ and HCM City.

After more than six months of running the route, the airline has transported nearly 140,000 passengers to the island.

Similarly, Vietnam Airlines flights from HCM City to Côn Đảo on April 1-4 and public holidays from April 29 to May 4 have already sold out.

Currently, the airline operates flights between HCM City, Cần Thơ and Côn Đảo with up to 17 flights per day. However, passengers from the north have to fly via HCM City or Cần Thơ to reach the destination.

According to Hồ Xuân Phúc, General Director of Hanotour Company, most passengers book tours to Côn Đảo Island for spiritual tours and on public holidays.

A one-way flight ticket to Côn Đảo costs around VNĐ2.5 million (US$108), comparatively cheap compared to the same peak period of previous years, as more airlines have been permitted to operate the route.

However, efforts to increase the number of flights have been hamstrung by the renovation of Nội Bài Airport in Hà Nội and the shortage of night lights at Côn Đảo airport.

Côn Đảo Island, home to a brutal prison where French and American invaders jailed and tortured many Vietnamese freedom fighters during the 19th and 20th centuries, was included in the list of the New York Times’s '52 places to love in 2021' in January.

It was also praised as one of 12 paradise islands in Asia by CNN in 2017. VNS