Vietnam Airlines, Thien Minh Group, and Vinpearl JSC jointly organized a trade and tourism promotion conference in Sydney, Australia, on April 19. The event attracted a large number of Australian businesses and travel firms from various regions of Australia. Vietnamese Consul General in New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland, Nguyen Dang Thang, revealed that after Vietnam and Australia reopened tourism last year, the number of tourists travelling between the countries increased. Vietnam welcomed 3.66 million foreign visitors last year, and 3 million in the first quarter of this year, 85% of whom arrived by air. Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates direct air routes to the majority of the top 10 destinations favored by Australian tourists, such as the UK, India, the US, and Indonesia. Vietnam Airlines is operating 16 flights per week between Vietnam and Australia, and the airline will launch its Hanoi-Melbourne route on June 15 with two flights per week. Many Australian travel firms have reported that Australian tourists are increasingly interested in Vietnam and are inclining to choosing the Southeast Asian country for their future vacations. Despite Thailand and Bali receiving the largest bookings, Vietnam is still among the top five most popular Asian destinations.