Vietnam envoy dubs SL a ‘hidden gem in the Indian Ocean’

Describing Sri Lanka as a “hidden gem in the Indian Ocean,” Vietnam’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trinh Thi Tam highlighted the massive untapped potential awaiting discovery as the two nations prepare to enter a new era of direct air connectivity.

Speaking at a high-level seminar titled ‘Amazing Vietnam is Calling, Let’s Vietjet’ in Colombo last week, the Ambassador emphasised that the true beauty and economic synergy of both nations remained obscured by logistical barriers—a reality set to change dramatically on August 18.

“Air connectivity has always been one of the most important drivers for tourism growth,” the Ambassador stated. “Today, traveling between Vietnam and Sri Lanka often requires long transit times through third countries including Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Even the embassy staff, whenever we want to travel back to Vietnam, it takes us a lot of time.”

The upcoming launch of direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Colombo by Vietjet Air is expected to serve as a critical milestone. The new scheduled service will operate three round-trip flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. “With the new Vietjet service, I think that it will help us to significantly shorten travel time, make the journeys more convenient and affordable, and encourage more people to discover each other’s beautiful countries,” she added. 

The Ambassador noted that this development will also help to bring both nations closer together, facilitate business exchanges, strengthen tourism cooperation, and deepen the friendship that Vietnam and Sri Lanka have built over more than 55 years of diplomatic relations.

This aviation breakthrough comes at a highly opportunistic moment for Sri Lanka’s macroeconomic recovery. Recent industry data shows that cumulative tourist arrivals for 2026 surpassed 1.14 million by mid-year. While traditional primary source markets such as India and the UK continue to dominate and contribute significantly to overall arrivals, strategic diversification into high-growth Southeast Asian markets like Vietnam is increasingly seen as vital for maintaining the tourism sector’s resilience and pushing toward the country’s ambitious year-end targets.

The momentum from the Vietnamese market is already evident. While the island nation welcomed just over 3,000 Vietnamese visitors in 2025, the first six months of 2026 alone have already recorded more than 4,000 arrivals from Vietnam.

“Sri Lanka is a new destination for Vietnamese visitors,” the Ambassador noted, reflecting on her own recent experiences traveling the island. “This is the first time for me to be in Sri Lanka... But this is like a hidden beauty, I think that, a hidden gem, hidden beauty in the Indian Ocean.” She expressed deep confidence that Vietnamese travelers will quickly fall in love with Sri Lanka’s unique blend of pristine golden beaches, magnificent wildlife, tea plantations, and the profound warmth of its people.

Conversely, Vietnam has also become an increasingly attractive destination for Sri Lankan outbound travelers. In 2025, Vietnam welcomed a historic 22 million international global visitors, which included over 14,000 Sri Lankan travelers. The Ambassador pointed out Vietnam’s reciprocal appeal, highlighting the country’s natural landscapes, vibrant cities, rich cultural heritage, renowned cuisine, and most importantly, its hospitality and friendliness.

Beyond conventional sightseeing, the direct route opens significant avenues for highly specialized cultural tourism. With both nations possessing deep-rooted Buddhist traditions, the promotion of Buddhist pilgrimage trails across Sri Lanka presents an exceptional commercial opportunity. The Ambassador revealed that many Vietnamese travelers hold a unique interest in learning about Sri Lankan Buddhism, viewing it as remarkably pure and original, which creates immediate demand for targeted heritage and spiritual tour packages.

The economic ripple effects of uncovering this hidden gem will extend far beyond the hospitality sector. Stronger air connectivity will generate stronger economic connectivity, the Ambassador stressed, emphasizing that an influx of visitors will create greater demand for hotels, transportation, retail, trade, and investment opportunities.

Ensuring the long-term commercial success of the Ho Chi Minh City-Colombo route will require a coordinated effort from government agencies, tourism authorities, and local travel enterprises. “Tourism cooperation should always be a two-way street bringing mutual benefit to both countries,” the Ambassador concluded, encouraging Vietnamese and Sri Lankan tourism enterprises to work closely to design attractive tour packages and maximize this unprecedented connectivity. (NF)