Flight Options Are Getting Wider, Southeast Asia Tourism Is Easier

JAKARTA - Southeast Asia is increasingly popular as a tourist area with various destinations that are easily accessible in a short time. Starting from culinary tourism in Vietnam, the tropical coast of the Philippines, to cultural heritage in Indonesia, connectivity to air transportation certainly plays a major role in supporting the mobility of cross-border tourists in the ASEAN region.

For tourists who want to explore Southeast Asia now have a new choice. Airlines such as Vietjet, for example, have just announced the opening of a direct route from Ho Chi Minh City to Manila, which will start operating on November 22, 2025. This flight will be available five times back and forth every week.

The new route connects two important cities in the region: Ho Chi Minh City which is known as Vietnam's culinary and cultural center, and Manila, the capital of the Philippines with the charm of colonial history, music, to its vibrant nightlife.

The presence of this new route will provide wider access to one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic corridors. Apart from Manila, this airline has also expanded its network to several other tourist destinations in the Asian region, including China, India, and Japan.

Meanwhile, for Indonesian tourists, this airline has served four direct routes, such as Bali'Ho Chi Minh City, Bali' Hanoi, Jakarta'Ho Chi Minh City, and Jakarta'Hanoi, which are now increasingly connected to the Philippines.

According to its official statement, Vietjet recorded a positive performance in the first half of 2025. During that period, more than 14 million passengers traveled on 79 thousand flights, a figure that reflects the increasing mobility of tourism and cross-border travel in Southeast Asia. From a financial perspective, the airline also posted air transportation revenues of VND35.6 trillion (around Rp20.6 trillion) with profit before tax approaching VND1.6 trillion (around Rp929 billion).

Throughout this year, the Vietnamese airline has also won a number of awards, including the title of World's Best Ultra Low-Cost Carrier from Airline Ratings. This achievement is in line with the growing wider aviation network, which in turn also supports tourism connectivity in the Asian region and the global market.