Bangkok Airways launched its first flight connecting Thailand’s Bangkok with Cam Ranh in Viet Nam’s central province of Khanh Hoa on Friday. The carrier will offer four flights weekly, using a 144-seat Airbus A319. The direct flight takes nearly two hours.

The new route is expected to facilitate bilateral relations between the two nations, especially in the fields of economy and tourism. Bangkok Airways is the first international airline to open a direct flight between Bangkok and Cam Ranh, which is the carrier’s fourth destination in Viet Nam, following Bangkok-Da Nang, Bangkok-Phu Quoc and Chiang Mai-Ha Noi.

Last year, Khanh Hoa Province received 6.3 million tourists, including 2.8 million foreigners, up 12 per cent year-on-year, according to the provincial Department of Tourism’s report.

As per the data, the province earned VND31.84 trillion (US$1.37 billion) in tourism revenue in 2018.

This year, it will host the National Tourism Year themed “Nha Trang – Colours of the Sea,” with more than 100 festivals and cultural activities to promote sea and island tourism.

The province targets to attract 8.5 million tourists, including 3.5 million foreigners, in 2020, and to generate tourism revenue of VND70 trillion (over $3 billion). — VNS