National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) is considering the launch of new air routes connecting Ha Long and Danang with popular destinations in the neighboring country of Cambodia, including Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

The signing ceremony on developing tourism between Vietnam Airlines and the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism is witnessed by Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on February 26, on the occasion of the visit of President Trong to Cambodia – PHOTO: COURTESY OF VIETNAM AIRLINES

The plan is part of a cooperation agreement signed on February 26 in the capital city of Phnom Penh by the carrier and the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism to develop tourism in the 2019-2021 period, witnessed by Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, on the occasion of the visit of President Trong to Cambodia.

Under the agreement, VNA pledged to promote Cambodian tourism through tourism promotion fairs and to collaborate with Cambodia’s tourism ministry to organize conferences and develop tourism products, as well as display tourism products in source markets to improve the tourism and residence service quality of the neighboring country.

Besides this, it will offer flight tickets with no baggage fees to Cambodian State employees and experts who attend conferences and manpower training programs in Vietnam. Also, Cambodian students majoring in tourism, with excellent academic performance, will be offered jobs at the airline.

As one of the carriers that transports the largest number of passengers to Cambodia, VNA is expected to greatly contribute to the tourism development of Cambodia following the signing of the agreement. As of this year, it has been operating flights to Cambodia for over 40 years.

The airline is set to operate more flights on the Danang-Siem Reap route from April, with four weekly flights. It currently operates two trans-Indochina routes and three direct routes to Cambodia---Hanoi-Siem Reap, HCMC-Siem Reap and HCMC-Phnom Penh---with a total of 56 weekly flights.

Meanwhile, Cambodia Angkor Air, a subsidiary of VNA, also operates 56 weekly flights on four routes---Danang-Siem Reap, HCMC-Siem Reap/Phnom Penh/Sihanoukville.

SGT