Overview of the Conference (Photo: TITC)

The Conference was held in the context that in the first 5 months of 2024, Vietnam tourism welcomed nearly 7.6 million international visitor arrivals and about 52.5 million domestic visitor trips, was a highlight and an important contribution to the country's recovery and overall socio-economic development. The airlines have played indispensable role to this recovery.  However, recently, the global shortage of aircraft along with sharp fluctuations in exchange rates, fuel costs in recent months have impacted airlines' performance in an unexpected way, which is the downward of supply capacity and air ticket prices have to be adjusted. This has had an adverse impact on the development of tourism industry.

Therefore, the conference was organised to analyse the current state of development of the aviation and tourism industries, and most importantly, discuss together to establish cooperative initiatives between these two industries in a practical and effective way; proposing new solutions to the Government. Thereby contributing to helping the aviation and tourism industries overcome difficulties, develop sustainably, and become an important driving force for the country's economic growth.

Tourism and aviation support and develop together

Giving his opening remarks, Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Minister of the Ministry of Transport said, even though the Covid-19 pandemic had passed, it still seriously affects the operations of airlines. Airlines have made efforts to restore operations, but internal difficulties are a major barrier to recovering as before the pandemic.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thang, Minister of the Ministry of Transport speaking at the conference (Photo: TITC)

The conference is an important forum for management agencies, airline and travel businesses, interested individuals and units to share information and exchange opinions related to building and developing bridges between aviation and tourism. At the same time, improve the effectiveness of connection and cooperation between sectors, accompany and share, towards sustainable development.

Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) stressed, the tourism industry is considered a bright spot with important positive contributions to the local socio-economic recovery. To achieve the above results, there is a significant contribution from airlines when up to 80% of passengers travel by air when travelling. However, according to MOCST’s Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong, there are yet some challenges affecting the operations of both the tourism and aviation industries in the current context. That is, increasingly fierce competition between destinations in the same region; travel demand of tourists by air shows increasingly clear seasonality… These trends create challenges for both the tourism and aviation industries…

MOCST’s Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong speaking at the conference (Photo: TITC)

In recent years, MOCST has coordinated with organisations to hold conferences and seminars aiming to seek solutions to overcome difficulties in tourism and aviation links.

In need of the participation and cooperation of all relevant parties

At the conference, delegates listened to presentations related the contents "A requirement of mechanism to link and cooperate in aviation - tourism on a national scale"; “Changing strategic thinking and innovative measures to increase the effectiveness of aviation and tourism cooperation”; "A necessity of long-term handshakes between aviation and tourism businesses"; "Linking among localities - tourism - aviation to develop tourism, contributing to promoting economic development from the perspective of tourism businesses"; “Collaboration between aviation and tourism to reduce domestic air ticket prices”.

According to the speakers, the increase in air ticket prices is not only happening in Vietnam but also around the world. This is a general trend in the context of aircraft shortages, rising raw material prices, and the cost of operating aircrafts also tends to increase… Along with increasing ticket prices, airlines have tried to innovate service quality, increasing flights at night and early morning, ensuring flight safety.

Discussion panels at the conference (Photo: TITC)

Experts at the conference also agreed that the two sectors need to actively participate and discuss to agree on the reasons and come up with specific solutions such as: building a long-term overall aviation - tourism cooperation strategy, specialised agency coordinating the link between aviation and tourism to put the trade promotion activities and links between aviation and tourism becoming more active and effective; strengthening promotion and advertising activities professionally, with close links between businesses - localities - state management agencies; developing policies to support the aviation industry, stimulate tourism demand…

Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Vice Chairman of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) speaking at the conference (Photo: TITC)

Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Vice Chairman of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) said, the most important thing to reduce airfares and stimulate tourism demand is the need for participation and connection between parties. It is necessary to promote tourism, destinations, routes, and targeting the high-end, high-spending customer segments. This is also the orientation to develop quality, sustainable and effective tourism. Promote links between travel, aviation, destinations, accommodation, entertainment, cuisine, shopping… Engage resources to improve digital transformation. In particular, there is a need for the State's role in building programmes and projects to support the development of infrastructure, products, human resources, and technology, boosting the connection. It also needs the participation of ministries, departments, sectors and localities supporting tourism and aviation.

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