Come & Go Vietnam

I’ve just got back from this year’s Mekong Tourism Forum which took place in an absolutely sweltering Siem Reap. It’s the first time I’ve attended this event and I have to say it was absolutely superb - a great place for networking (I made more useful contacts in 2 days here than I did in 5 days at the massively bigger ITB Berlin) and perfectly organised by Mr Sinan from B2B Travel.

A few thoughts…

• On the plus side, Vietnam is seen as potentially benefitting from the instability in Thailand and increasingly viewed as the main gateway to Cambodia & Laos. But on the negative side, Vietnam’s refusal to open up a genuine visa on arrival process and the difficulty of getting foreign vehicles into Vietnam are a genuine bone of contention
• There are some amazing new eco-tourism developments taking place in Cambodia & Laos. By focussing solely on the luxury hotel/resort market, Vietnam is losing out on those travellers, mostly westerners, who care about sustainable tourism, and seemingly focussing more on Asian travellers
• Siem Reap’s tourism infrastructure is little short of world class. This is a place that doesn’t care solely about the tourist dollar - it wants those tourists to have a great time while they’re there
• Not one single taxi or tuk-tuk driver tried to overcharge me during 6 days in Cambodia
• Bad hotel breakfasts and sleeping security guards/nightporters are a region-wide problem!

VietJet Air Asia will start flying in August, reports today’s Vietnam News. Great news for Vietnam-based travellers, but as yet no routes have been revealed. Here’s my wish list…

HCMC-Vientiane

Currently, anyone wanting to fly from HCMC to Vientiane has to travel via Phnom Penh, and pay an outrageous $400+ for a return ticket. This explains why so few HCMC-based expats ever visit Laos, despite  its proximity! A cheaper, direct route would be a real boost to Lao tourism and give us expats an alternative weekend break to Bangkok or Phnom Penh.

HCMC-Phnom Penh/Siem Reap

Return fares on these routes with Vietnam Airlines currently cost over $300 - a shocking price for such short flights (Phnom Penh is a 35-minute flight). Halving that cost would boost regional tourism and make two-country tours a lot more affordable, thus benefitting both countries.

HCMC-Koh Samui/Chiang Mai

Missing out transfers in Bangkok would make weekend breaks in Samui and Chiang Mai a reality.

Danang-Hong Kong/Singapore

A few flights already operate on these routes but more regular, cheaper flights would boost tourism to central Vietnam, and also open up beach/golf break markets for expats in HK & Singapore - a potentially huge but currently untapped market, partly because of flight prices, partly due to Vietnam’s visa on arrival policy, or lack thereof.

Where would you like to see VietJet Air Asia fly to?

I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the Angkor temples, by way of launching our ‘expansion’ into Cambodia! We’ve teamed up with one of the country’s leading ground handlers to offer our overseas visitors and Vietnam-based clients the same innovative products and high service levels they’ve come to expect from our Vietnam office, so if you’re planning a trip to Cambodia, please get in touch.

As well as business meetings and explorations of the nightlife of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, I also had time to take a few pictures, so please browse the galleries below…