July 19, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka and Vietnam are set to deepen their tourism partnership through a proposed joint travel package designed to encourage visitor exchanges and strengthen cooperation between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism has announced.
The initiative, unveiled alongside the launch of a new direct air service between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City, is expected to highlight religious tourism by drawing on the long-standing cultural and spiritual connections shared by the two nations. The proposed package will also promote cultural experiences, wellness travel and adventure tourism, offering visitors a broader range of attractions in both destinations.
The announcement coincided with VietJetAir’s inaugural direct flight to Colombo, marking the airline’s official entry into the Sri Lankan market. The new service is expected to improve connectivity between the two countries while creating fresh opportunities for tourism, business and people-to-people exchanges.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath welcomed the launch of the route and conveyed his best wishes to VietJetAir for the success of its operations in Sri Lanka. He noted that the commencement of direct flights reflects the positive outcomes of bilateral discussions held between the leaders of Sri Lanka and Vietnam last year.
According to the Ministry, VietJetAir will operate three direct flights each week between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City, with services scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
As Ho Chi Minh City serves as the airline’s principal hub, the new connection is also expected to offer Sri Lankan travellers easier onward access to destinations across Vietnam, East and Southeast Asia, Australia and several other international locations, further enhancing Sri Lanka’s global air connectivity.