Sri Lanka Poised for Vietnam Travel Boom on Vietjet’s US$90 Fares

Sri Lanka’s tourism and outbound travel sectors are gearing up for a fresh wave of Vietnam demand as Vietjet launches direct Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City flights supported by promotional one-way fares from about US$90, effectively turning Bandaranaike International Airport into a new low-cost gateway to Asia.

New Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City Link Redraws Regional Map

Vietjet’s inaugural direct service between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City took off on 18 August 2026, marking the first nonstop commercial connection between Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Operated from Bandaranaike International Airport to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the service removes the need for time-consuming connections through other Asian hubs.

According to publicly available schedules, the route currently operates three round-trip flights per week, offering evening departures from Ho Chi Minh City and late-night arrivals into Colombo. The pattern is designed to feed Vietjet’s wider network in Vietnam while still giving Sri Lankan travellers workable connections onward into the region.

Information from Sri Lanka’s airport operator and Vietjet’s published releases highlights the new link as a strategic bridge between two emerging tourism destinations. Both Sri Lanka and Vietnam have been working to broaden their visitor bases beyond traditional markets, and the new flights provide a practical air corridor to support that ambition.

The Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City route also reflects Vietjet’s broader push into South Asia, where Sri Lanka joins India as part of an expanding network focused on cost-conscious leisure and visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic. For Sri Lanka, securing a Vietnam low-cost carrier presence adds much-needed capacity and choice on medium-haul routes.

US$90 Promotional Fares Ignite Price-Sensitive Demand

To stimulate early take-up, Vietjet launched the route with headline Eco-class promotional fares from around US$90 one way, inclusive of taxes and fees, from Colombo to Ho Chi Minh City. Local business coverage in Sri Lanka describes the offer as part of a three-day “9.9 sale,” coinciding with the airline’s broader regional promotions and timed to capture interest ahead of the peak year-end travel period.

Separate Vietjet marketing campaigns under the “Vietnam is Calling, Let’s Vietjet” banner list all-in one-way fares from US$90 on routes between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, together with an additional 20 kilograms of checked baggage for eligible tickets. Travel periods for these offers extend from the route’s launch date on 18 August 2026 through to late March 2027, excluding peak holiday blackouts, giving Sri Lankan travellers a lengthy booking window.

For a market that often relies on indirect itineraries priced significantly higher due to added sectors and taxes, the sub-US$100 one-way benchmark is notable. Travel industry observers in Colombo expect such pricing to resonate strongly with budget-conscious leisure travellers, student segments and first-time outbound tourists who might otherwise consider closer regional destinations.

Analysts tracking Vietnam’s aviation sector note that Vietjet has used aggressive promotional fares to open new routes in India, Australia and North Asia in recent years, a strategy that has coincided with record revenue growth and rising international market share. Applying a similar approach on the Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City sector positions Sri Lanka to benefit from the same demand-driven growth model.

Vietnam’s Tourism Momentum Creates Pull Factor

Vietnam’s tourism industry enters this new phase of connectivity from a position of strength. Official statistics compiled by Vietnam’s tourism authorities show the country welcomed more than 17.5 million international arrivals in 2024, a near 40 percent increase on the previous year and within reach of its pre-pandemic peak. The majority of visitors arrive by air, underscoring the importance of expanded flight links.

Forecasts published by regional tourism organizations indicate that Sri Lanka is among the Asian markets expected to deliver some of the strongest percentage growth in arrivals to Vietnam over the 2025 to 2027 period. Projections cited for Sri Lanka show potential growth well above 100 percent versus current baselines, highlighting the size of the untapped market once direct air connectivity is in place.

Vietnam’s sustained marketing as an affordable, experience-rich destination is another factor likely to appeal to Sri Lankan travellers now facing easier access. The country has been repeatedly recognized in regional travel awards for heritage, nature and overall destination appeal, placing it in direct competition with other Asian hotspots such as Thailand and Indonesia for short- and medium-haul holidays.

At the same time, Vietnam’s economy has remained one of the region’s more dynamic, with tourism contributing a rising share of gross domestic product. That combination of growing air capacity, policy support and private investment gives airlines like Vietjet a relatively supportive backdrop as they add new source markets such as Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Positions as Affordable Asia Gateway

Sri Lankan authorities and industry stakeholders have spent much of 2026 promoting the island as both a destination and a hub, with a particular focus on capturing new flows to and from Vietnam. In June, a tourism promotion event branded “Unlocking Sri Lanka’s Tourism Potential” in Ho Chi Minh City highlighted the upcoming Vietjet launch and the role of direct flights in deepening two-way travel.

Publicly available information from Vietnam-focused tourism seminars notes that Sri Lankan arrivals to Vietnam and Vietnamese arrivals to Sri Lanka have both been growing from relatively low bases. With only a few thousand travellers moving in each direction in the first half of the year, even modest increases in volumes via the new route will register as significant percentage gains.

The structure of Vietjet’s network means Colombo is now tied into an extensive web of destinations across the Asia-Pacific region. Passengers from Sri Lanka can connect in Ho Chi Minh City to Japan, South Korea, Australia, Southeast Asia and parts of China on through-tickets, effectively turning Colombo into a feeder market for a much larger system without the need for a full-service alliance hub.

For Sri Lanka’s tourism planners, this emerging role as a cost-effective entry and exit point for multi-country Asian itineraries could support broader ambitions to raise overall visitor numbers and length of stay. Travellers may be more inclined to combine Sri Lanka with Vietnam or other Vietjet-served destinations, especially when promotional fares compress the cost of adding an extra stop.

Outlook: Competitive Pressures and Growth Prospects

The launch of Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City services forms part of a wider pattern in which low-cost carriers seek growth in secondary and emerging markets around Asia. Vietjet’s financial disclosures and investor presentations emphasize a strategy of expanding the international network, supported by a growing narrow-body and wide-body fleet and targeted promotional sales.

In practical terms, the new link introduces fresh competitive pressure into Sri Lanka’s medium-haul market, where legacy carriers and Gulf-based airlines have historically dominated long-range connectivity to East and Southeast Asia via their hubs. Direct low-cost options to Vietnam and beyond could capture travellers who prioritize price and total journey time over traditional full-service amenities.

Industry commentary suggests that if initial load factors and connecting traffic through Ho Chi Minh City meet expectations, additional frequencies or seasonal adjustments on the Colombo route are plausible over the next year. Vietjet has already signalled an intention to roll out further Asia-Pacific routes from its Vietnamese bases, and Sri Lanka’s inclusion in that network provides flexibility to redeploy capacity in response to demand.

For now, the combination of inaugural connectivity, US$90 promotional fares and growing interest in Vietnam as a short- to medium-haul holiday choice has created a window of opportunity for Sri Lanka’s travellers and tourism operators alike. How quickly that opportunity converts into sustained traffic flows will depend on continued marketing, stable operating conditions and the ability of both countries to deliver on the promise of a new, affordable bridge across the Bay of Bengal.

Lanka Business News: Vietjet 9.9 sale with US$90 fares

Vietjet: Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City route announcement

VietnamPlus: Tourism promotion ahead of direct flights

Sri Lanka MFA: Unlocking Sri Lanka's Tourism Potential event

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism: 2024 arrivals data