The Da Nang Department of Tourism on Friday morning worked with Budget carrier Vietjet Air to hold a ceremony to welcome the first flight from South Korea back to Da Nang after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

First air passengers to Da Nang from South Korea's Incheon. Photo: THU HA

Vietjet Air-operated flight VJ879, carrying a total of more than 220 passengers, landed at Da Nang International Airport from South Korea’s Incheon International Airport.

During the welcome ceremony, representatives from the municipal Department of Tourism and Vietjet Air presented flowers and souvenirs like key chains, travel publications, 'banh kho me' (dried sesame seed cakes) and a set of masks and hand sanitizer to first South Korean air passengers to Da Nang.

Present on the first flight to Da Nang after a long period of disruption due to COVID-19, Mrs. Kim Eun Ji, a YouTuber, expressed her joy at being in Da Nang.

She said Da Nang was the first city she chosen to visit after the South Korea - Da Nang air service has been resumed after a period of interruption due to COVID-19.

She planned to visit the Sun World Ba Na Hills, enjoy tasty seafood, go swimming, and wear ‘Ao Dai’ (Vietnamese traditional clothes) during her stay in the city.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh said that South Korea was Da Nang’s leading tourist market before the COVID-19 outbreak.

The welcome of the first flight from South Korea was result of a whole process of tourism promotion and recovery in general by the resumption of domestic and international routes in particular.

“We expect that the coming time will see the resumption of many international flights to Da Nang”, emphasised Mr. Binh.

Starting from April 28, Vietjet Air will fly six times a week between Da Nang and Incheon.

In particular, flight VJ878 departs from Da Nang at 11:45pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and arrives in Incheon at 6:00 am on the following day. Meanwhile, flight VJ879 takes off at 7:00 am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Incheon International Airport and lands at Da Nang International Airport at 9:40am on the same day.

Within the framework of welcoming flights from South Korea, the tourism sectors of Da Nang and Quang Nam Province cooperated with Vietjet Air to organise a destination survey programme for more than 15 prestigious Korean travel agencies. This move aimed to attract more tourists from ‘the country of kimchi’ to Da Nang, and other localities in Central Viet Nam, in the near future.

Reporting by THU HA - Translating by M.DUNG