The number of Indians applying for visas to Vietnam jumped by a whopping 2,400 percent following the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating Indian people’s growing interest in visiting the Southeast Asian country.

The Department of Tourism in Da Nang City, central Vietnam and Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet Air organized a program in New Delhi, India on Thursday to promote Da Nang tourism.

The event was an opportunity to introduce the coastal city's tourism to Indian businesses and tourists, as well as highlight its popular attractions and exciting festivals.

The program also provided information on products and services, especially service packages at beach resorts, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism, and wedding tourism.

The demand for overseas travel of Indian citizens is extremely high following a two-year halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau.

The number of Indian citizens applying for Vietnamese visas on a daily basis has increased by about 24 times in the wake of the pandemic, Chau continued, adding that the Embassy of Vietnam in India currently receives about 6,000 visa applications each day.

There have also been requests for assistance in organizing wedding ceremonies and conferences in Vietnam.

At the event, Vietjet Air introduced to its Indian partners a direct flight network from major Indian cities to Vietnam, including Da Nang.

Two direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to Da Nang will launch on October 17 and 18.

The airline is also scheduled to launch three new routes to Da Nang from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad on November 28, November 29, and December 1, respectively.

Nguyen Duc Quynh, vice-president of the Da Nang Tourism Association, believed that India will be an important market for the Vietnamese city’s tourism industry during the period of post-pandemic recovery.

The country’s relaxed policies and increasing travel demand will give rise to a source of visitors that will help offset the drop in tourists from traditional markets in Northeast Asia, where many nations have yet to fully reopen to international tourism, Quynh elaborated.

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