Indonesia Becomes Vietnam’s 11th Strategic Partner, New Direct Flight Route Announced

On March 10, at the Presidential Palace Merdeka in Jakarta, Indonesia, the highest leaders of Vietnam and Indonesia agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Vietnam is now Indonesia’s first Comprehensive Strategic Partner within ASEAN. Meanwhile, Indonesia has become the 11th country to achieve Comprehensive Strategic Partnership status with Vietnam.

In particular, in the tourism sector, Indonesia is a major market for Vietnamese tourism. Visit Indochina is currently focusing on developing its customer base from this "archipelagic nation."

New direct flight route between Vietnam and Indonesia announced

During the meeting between the two leaders, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Tô Lâm, and Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto, agreed to enhance economic connectivity based on mutually beneficial cooperation and shared development. They also set a goal to soon achieve a balanced bilateral trade turnover of 18 billion USD.

Both leaders agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges, especially among the younger generation, through cultural, sports, education, and tourism activities, as well as improved aviation connectivity.

As part of his state visit to Indonesia, General Secretary Tô Lâm attended the announcement ceremony of a direct flight route between Ho Chi Minh City and Denpasar, the capital of Bali, scheduled to launch in June 2025. This new route will be operated by Vietnam Airlines, the national carrier.

This will be the second Vietnam Airlines route connecting Vietnam and Indonesia, increasing the total number of flights between the two countries to 14 per week.

Starting June 1, 2025, Vietnam Airlines will operate direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Denpasar with a frequency of four round-trip flights per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. By July 2025, the airline will increase this to seven round-trip flights per week.

Indonesia is a major tourism market for Vietnam

Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Hà Văn Siêu, stated that with unique traditional cultures and stunning natural landscapes, Vietnam and Indonesia not only share many cultural and culinary similarities but also a common goal of sustainable tourism development.

In 2024, Vietnam welcomed nearly 17.6 million international visitors, including over 184,000 from Indonesia, making it one of Vietnam’s key tourism markets in Southeast Asia. Conversely, an increasing number of Vietnamese tourists are choosing Indonesia, particularly Bali, as a highly attractive travel destination.

"The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is committed to working closely with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, relevant agencies, and businesses from both countries to promote tourism, facilitate visitor exchanges, and expand bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector," Hà Văn Siêu emphasized.

During the visit to Indonesia, the Vietnamese tourism sector also introduced the 2025 Vietnam Tourism Promotion Program with the theme "Vietnam - Go to Love" and the 2025 National Tourism Year: "Huế – Ancient Capital, New Opportunities."

Visit Indochina expands presence in IndonesiaFor many years, Indonesia has been recognized as the largest tourism market in Southeast Asia due to its status as the world’s fourth most populous country.In 2024, the total air traffic volume between Vietnam and Indonesia reached over 800,000 passengers, marking a 61% increase compared to 2019. Nearly 200,000 Indonesian tourists visited various destinations in Vietnam that year.Currently, Indonesia is among the top 10 key markets for Visit Indochina. The company has also allocated dedicated personnel to develop and expand its customer base in Indonesia.

Visit Indochina.