Danang wants air route to Bangkok resumed

According to the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the local government now is working with Thai Airways, the foreign carrier of the route earlier, as one of the partners. Besides, the city also pins high hopes on the participation of AirAsia as another air service supplier for the same route.

The central coast city’s authorities expect to bring the route back to life late this year or early next year.

“The department and travel agencies and hotels will join hands with the Thai carrier to re-open the route. International hotels also expect the number of customers to their hotels to rise thanks to the service resumption,” said Tran Chi Cuong, director of the Travel Management Division under the department.

Cuong told the Daily that local tour operators and hotels will cover part of the total number of tickets to help the carrier offset losses while the carrier will attract foreign visitors for them in return.

“We expect to resume the connection late this year or early next year. In preparation, we will launch a road show in Bangkok to introduce the local tourism in October,” Cuong revealed.

Two foreign carriers which are operating regular flights from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and from Singapore to Danang are AirAsia and SilkAir.

The central coastal city is also cooperating with Hong Thai Travel Services Ltd., one of the biggest travel agencies in Hong Kong, in a bid to promote the local tourism there. At the end of this month, a group of tour operators from Hong Kong will come to Danang to study tourism products and services of the central region.

Under the agreement between the two sides, Hong Kong tourists in October will be taken to Danang via chartered flights and then the flights will be developed into regular ones.

The city in the year’s first half welcomed nearly 1.33 million travelers, up 9 per cent year-on-year, fetching an estimated turnover of more than VND2.9 trillion, a pickup of 39 per cent.

In related development, SilkAir late last week arranged a familiarization trip lasting four days for a group of 18 Vietnamese media and travel agencies on the air route linking Danang, Singapore and Malaysia.

The group explored destinations in Singapore and Malaysia, especially Penang Island that is home to a well-known Malaysian ancient town and several resorts.

SilkAir is expected to arrange more trips to neighboring countries for travel agencies in the central region.