A 40 per cent discount on domestic fares by Vietnam Airlines is expected to help members of the HCM City Tourism Association arrange low-cost tours and boost domestic travel.

The carrier will offer the discounts on routes like HCM City to Ha Noi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, and Hai Phong from now through the year-end, according to association deputy head Nguyen Thi Khanh.

She said the association had chosen leading HCM City-based tour operators like Saigontourist, Ben Thanh Tourist, Vietravel, Fiditour, and Van Hoa Viet Co for the programme.

A similar programme was organised by the Viet Nam National Administration for Tourism in 2009 when the tourism sector faced difficulty.-VNS