HCM CITY: Helicopter sightseeing tours offering panoramic views of HCM City from above are set to relaunch on March 11 after nearly four years of suspension.
Departing from Vung Tau Airport in HCM City, the helicopter flights are operated by the Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company, ranging from 15 to 60 minutes depending on passengers’ preferences.
There are four tours, including a 15-minute Vung Tau Skyview tour, a 30-minute Green Horizon tour from Vung Tau to Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, a 40-minute Green Coastline tour flying along the Long Hai-Ho Tram coastal route, and a 60-minute Skyline Discovery tour from Vung Tau beach to the centre of HCM City.
The tour price starts from VNĐ2.9 million (US$110) per person for a 15-minute trip.
Tourists participating in the tour must declare their health information before the flight and are provided with safety regulations in both Vietnamese and English.
Helicopter tours are positioned as one of the city’s signature tourism products, said Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, deputy director of the city’s Department of Tourism.
The city piloted helicopter tours in 2022, Hieu said.
Although HCM City and its surrounding areas have great potential for developing this type of tourism, the implementation faced difficulties due to coordination mechanisms between localities.
Following the administrative merger, the strengthened linkage between HCM City and the Ba Ria – Vung Tau area has created favourable conditions for helicopter tours to be resumed.
In the future, the city will expand flight routes and call for investment in additional helipads, she said.
The department expects that helicopter tours will become a new highlight of the city’s tourism, especially when combined with other high-end tourism products such as cruises on the Sài Gòn River and coastal resort experiences. — Vietnam News/ANN
