Opening direct flight route Ho Chi Minh City - Mongolia

Direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City to the capital of Mongolia will be operated from November, with an expected frequency of 2-3 flights/week, to promote tourism.

After the visa exemption policy for Vietnamese visitors in March, Mongolia continues to promote welcoming Vietnamese visitors by opening direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City and increasing promotional programs.

Speaking at Go Mongola - Roadshow, a series of activities introducing Mongolian tourism held in Ho Chi Minh City from April 4 to 7, Vice President of the Mongolian Tourism Association Munkhnasan Oldokh said the direct flight will connect Ho Chi Minh City and Ulaanbaatar - the capital of Mongolia.

Mr. Munkhnasan Oldokh spoke at the event to promote Mongolian tourism held in Ho Chi Minh City. April 5. Photo: Bich Phuong

Ho Chi Minh City is a major tourist center and also a locality with a high number of international tourists every year, so the Ulaanbaatar - Ho Chi Minh City flight route will help increase the number of tourists between Mongolia and Vietnam and vice versa.

According to Mr. Munkhnasan, the flight route will significantly reduce travel time for tourists from both countries, from the usual 10-19 hours to 6 hours. Currently, Vietnamese tourists traveling to Mongolia must transit in South Korea and Hong Kong.

Mr. Erdene Ochir Bat Unen, marketing representative of Mongolia's national airline Miat Mongolian Airlines said it will announce its operational plan in September. It is expected to have a frequency of 2-3 flights per week, with a maximum capacity of 640 passengers. Suggested fares range from 300-400 USD each way.

Before the news of opening a direct flight, Vietnamese travel companies said that the road to bring tourists to Mongolia will be easier, opening up many opportunities to exploit tour routes to this country.

Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Marketing Director of Viet Travel Media Joint Stock Company, said that Mongolia is one of the interesting tour routes because this country has a colorful culture, but the level of interest is not much. In a year, the company only organizes about 5-7 tours in the summer months, mainly for groups and combines tickets with some charter flights of Mongolian partners, the frequency is irregular and not frequent. Because there are not many flights and it is not convenient, the price is high. The average price of a Mongolia tour ranges from 40-60 million VND depending on the length of the tour.

Mr. Vu said that the direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Ulanbaatar will shorten the flight time for passengers. On that basis, travel companies will adjust the tour itinerary accordingly, and the tour price will be more reasonable than at present.

Tourist Pham Hoai Thuong visits the tribe Reindeer in the middle of the Taiga forest during a winter trip to Mongolia in 2023. Photo: Pham Hoai Thuong

From March 7, Vietnamese visitors to Mongolia are exempted from visa requirements. Vietnamese citizens can apply for e-visas for three purposes: tourism, transit, and participation in events.

According to statistics from the Mongolian Tourism Association, there will be about 2,300 Vietnamese tourists visiting this country in 2023. Vietnamese tourists love Mongolia because of the difference in weather and exploring nomadic culture. In 2024, the Mongolian government sets a goal of welcoming one million international visitors and increasing the number of visitors from the Vietnamese market.

Bich Phuong

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/mo-duong-bay-thang-tp-hcm-mong-co-4731222.html