China to reopen Vietnam tours from March 15

The Chinese government has decided to put Vietnam on a pilot list for tour groups to visit from March 15 following easing of pandemic restrictions.

Banh The Doan, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, authorized by the Ambassador, on Wednesday announced that China will pilot tour groups to Vietnam.

He said China-Vietnam tourism cooperation pre-pandemic had been strong, bringing mutual benefits to both two countries, and making practical contributions to fostering their friendship.

On February 6, China released a list of 20 countries where people are allowed to travel in groups through tour operators, not including Vietnam.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam then asked Vietnamese airlines to delay their planned full resumption of flights to China to late April or early May. Previously, Vietnamese airlines had laid plans to resume services to the Chinese market following the northern neighbor’s lifting of flight restrictions on January 8.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, China was the second biggest source of foreign visitors to Vietnam with eight million passengers in 2019, including 4.6 million carried by Vietnamese airlines, after South Korea.

Fourteen carriers served the two nations in 2019, including 11 Chinese on 32 routes connecting 14 destinations in China and five in Vietnam. Three Vietnamese airlines, comprising Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, and Pacific Airlines served 72 routes linking five Vietnamese locations and 48 Chinese destinations.