(16/08/23) Vietnam Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) designed to encourage business and leisure travel between the two countries.
The MOC is Vietnam Airlines’ first with a national tourism organisation and coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Vietnam.
Vietnam is currently among Singapore’s top 10 markets for tourism, with more than 280,000 visitors in the first seven months of 2023, an increase of 123% compared to the same period last year.
Prior to the pandemic, visitor arrivals from Vietnam to Singapore enjoyed a steady growth of up to 13% year-on-year, demonstrating the growth potential of the market.
Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 on a foggy day in Hanoi, Vietnam. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com
“We are delighted to be the first National Tourism Organisation to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with Vietnam Airlines, a valued partner in Southeast Asia,” said Melissa Ow, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board. “Vietnam is an important tourism source market for Singapore and has strong growth potential for the future. Through this partnership, we hope to grow Singapore’s appeal as a top destination for Vietnamese travellers and enable them to discover the diversity of world-class experiences and events in Singapore.”
Singapore is also a strategic market for Vietnam Airlines in Southeast Asia. More than 7 million passengers have flown between the two countries on the national carrier since it launched services between Vietnam-Singapore more than 30 years ago.
Vietnam Airlines currently operates 35 flights per week between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and Singapore.
In 2022, the total number of passengers transported by the airline on routes to Singapore reached more than 290,000 passengers, and during the first seven months of 2023, the carrier transported 266,000 passengers, an increase of 2.4 times on the same period last year.
“As a national carrier and representative of Vietnamese culture in the sky, Vietnam Airlines plays a distinct role in the socio-economic development, especially tourism,” said Dang Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vietnam Airlines. “We believe that this cooperation with the Singapore Tourism Board will lay a strong foundation for broader and deeper partnerships in the future, vigorously advancing the goals of evolving the tourism industry in both countries, as well as fostering the amicable relationship between Vietnam and Singapore. With an extensive flight network, Vietnam Airlines can support enhancing connectivity between the ASEAN region and key markets worldwide, offering passengers more diverse choices.”
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