The growing attraction of Vietnam as Asia’s most fun new golf tourism destination have been enhanced by the launch of daily Emirates flights from Dubai to Ho Chi Minh City.
The new service, which began in early June, means golf travellers from the center East and Europe can now easily access Vietnam’s world-class golf courses, especially the country’s top two layouts – Montgomerie Links and Danang Golf Club – at the Central Coast near Vietnam’s third major city of Danang.
Jon Tomlinson, the co-ordinator of Golf Coast Vietnam – a co-operative marketing group comprising the 2 courses, a Nick Faldo-designed course attributable to open later this year and the brand new Hyatt Regency Danang – said he was delighted Emirates had begun flying into Ho Chi Minh City.
“While Vietnam hasn’t been historically synonymous with great golf, the launch of Golf Coast Vietnam (www.golfcoastvietnam.com) and straightforward access from HCM through Danang’s new international airport has made the region a ‘must play’ golf experience in Asia.
“Additional historic cultural experiences at Hue and Hoi An [both UNESCO World Heritage cities} and the lovely coastline of Vietnam ensures visitors will put off a really memorable experience and an awesome story of newly-discovered adventures,” he said.
There are not up to 30 golf courses in Vietnam, but what the rustic lacks in numbers it greater than compensates in quality.
Montgomerie Links, designed by eight times European Order of Merit winner, Colin Montgomerie and opened in 2009, was last year named on the Asia Pacific Golf Summit in Thailand as Vietnam’s best course. Its neighbour, Danang Golf Club, designed by former World No 1 and dual British OPen winner, Greg Norman, which opened in 2010, was named best new course.
In May, US Golf Digest named Danang GC because the country’s best layout with Montgomerie Links third.
Both courses can be found adjacent to famous My Khe Beach (dubbed China Beach after the Vietnam War), about 10 kilometres south of Danang, where numerous five-star properties including the celebrated and highly-acclaimed Hyatt Regency Danang, has been in-built the past few years.
Laguna Lang Co, 50 kilometres north of Danang, which have been designed by six times Majors winner Sir Nick Faldo and is being built by the Banyan Tree group, is because of open on the end of this year. It’s already being touted as at the least equal to its fellow Golf Coast Vietnam member courses.
This will give the region three world-class courses, enough in response to the International Association of Golf Tourism Operators to interest 75 percent of the 12 to fifteen million golfers who’re expected to make a global golf trip in 2012.
Emirates’ daily flights to Ho Chi Minh come at a time when several international airlines are planning to begin flights to Vietnam.
So far, only Vietnam Airlines, Air France/KLM and Aeroflot have direct services to Ho Chi Minh from Europe. Qatar Airways flies there through Bangkok, while Saudi Arabian Airlines, Etihad and Finnair are planning to start out direct services by the tip of 2013.
According to Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration, the rustic is anticipated to receive between 34 million and 36 million passengers a year by 2015 and between 52 million and 59 million by 2019.
“It is a superb time to glue Vietnam with the area via Dubai,” Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ executive vice-president, Passenger Sales Worldwide, said after the hot service began.
“Dubai’s location between Vietnam and the West makes Emirates’ move a winning combination”, he added.
Emirates’ flight EK0390 leaves Dubai at 9.15 each morning, arriving in Ho Chi Minh City at 7.35pm a similar day after a 7 hours 20 minutes journey. The return flight EK0391 leaves at 9.10pm and arrives in Dubai at 1.05am next morning (a flight time of 6 hours 55 minutes), with excellent connections to cities throughout Europe, the center East and North Africa.
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