First fixed direct flight between Bhutan and Vietnam

Bhutan Airlines representative said the decision to open a direct flight to Vietnam was made after seeing the potential of this market - Photo: HK

According to the announcement of Bhutan Airlines, the fixed direct flight route between Vietnam and Bhutan will start from 2025 with 10 fixed round-trip flights, departing from Ho Chi Minh City.

Flights are scheduled during peak travel periods, including January, February, April, August, September and December.

This is an important step to promote tourism and connect the two countries, especially with the increasing demand for tourism to Bhutan, a destination famous for its pristine natural beauty and unique culture.

Preliminary statistics from the Bhutan Immigration Department show that Vietnam is rising to the top 5 countries sending the most visitors to Bhutan. In 2024, it is expected that about 5,000 Vietnamese visitors will come to Bhutan for tourism, repatriation, and business investment.

Currently, tourists coming to Bhutan must take a package tour, this country only issues visas to foreign visitors who buy tours, independent travel is not allowed. Tour prices listed by travel agencies range from 53 million VND to more than 60 million VND depending on the length, this is one of the high-priced tour lines so it is very difficult to sell.

In addition, visitors to the country famous for its beautiful scenery in the Himalayas must pay an additional sustainable development fee (SDF) of 100 USD/person/night.

Mr. Ugyen Tenzin - General Director of Bhutan Airlines - said that these fixed flights are designed with a strategy to bring Vietnamese tourists to the "happiest country in the world ", with its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, in a more convenient way.

Fixed flight schedule in 2025 between Vietnam - Bhutan announced

Flights will take 4 hours from Ho Chi Minh City to Paro and longer on the return trip, about 5 hours. Round-trip tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Bhutan are expected to cost around VND26 million per ticket for business class and VND22 million per ticket for economy class.

For travel and tourism businesses, having direct flights helps shorten travel time and increase convenience, attracting more Vietnamese tourists to Bhutan. Up to now, some businesses have also conducted charter tours to organize tours to Bhutan, however, gathering enough customers for the flight is not easy.

Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa, said the new flight route not only brings convenience but also strongly promotes tourism development between the two countries.

Established in 2011, Bhutan Airlines is Bhutan's first and only private airline, headquartered in Paro, Bhutan. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A319 aircraft, offering scheduled and charter flights to various international destinations.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lan-dau-tien-mo-duong-bay-thang-co-dinh-giua-bhutan-va-viet-nam-20240830170420778.htm