Phu Cat charter flights now come with a subsidy. Gia Lai province will pay VND 200 million for each international charter flight that brings tourists into Phu Cat airport, the gateway to Quy Nhon, from 10 October 2026 until the end of 2027. The money goes to tour operators, not airlines or hotels. But an operator only qualifies if it has accommodation contracts in the province, which makes every charter programme a hotel negotiation. For Quy Nhon owners, that is the opportunity and the risk: new international volume in the low season, at group rates the operators will now push hard.
Key facts
- The policy: Resolution 95/2026/NQ-HĐND, passed by the Gia Lai People’s Council on 30 September 2026, Bao Gia Lai reported. It runs from 10 October 2026 to 31 December 2027.
- The grant: VND 200 million per international charter flight into Phu Cat.
- Who can claim: international tour operators headquartered in Gia Lai, bringing guests directly or with a domestic partner.
- Conditions: a set itinerary for international guests, contracts for accommodation and other tourism services in the province, and minimum loads of 50% of commercial seats in the first six months and 70% from month seven. Operators must also promote Gia Lai on the flights and their own channels.
- Extras: a 50% discount on entry to five sights, including the Twin Towers (Tháp Đôi) in Quy Nhon, and at least ten promotional posts a month from the province.
- Budget: close to VND 95 billion: about VND 4.3 billion in 2026 and just over VND 90.6 billion in 2027, according to Báo Xây dựng.
- Starting point: Gia Lai received about 125,000 international visitors in 2025, just over 1% of its 12.4 million visitors, said Đỗ Thị Diệu Hạnh, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
- Airport: Phu Cat’s second runway is complete and can take code C and code E aircraft, Báo Xây dựng reported.
What the money can buy
| Measure | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Flights the 2027 budget could fund | up to about 450 | VND 90.6 billion ÷ VND 200 million, if all spent on flight grants |
| Flights the 2026 budget could fund | up to about 21 | VND 4.3 billion ÷ VND 200 million |
| Passengers per flight at the minimum loads | about 90 to 126 | 180-seat aircraft at 50% and 70% |
| Grant per passenger | about VND 1.6–2.2 million | VND 200 million ÷ 90–126 passengers |
| Visitors if 450 flights fly at 70% | about 57,000 | 450 × 126; equal to about 45% of 2025’s international visitors |
All figures in this table are our calculations from the published budget. The resolution does not set an aircraft size, and part of the budget pays for ticket discounts and promotion, so read these as upper bounds.
The hotel stock it would land on
| Rated hotels in Gia Lai | Hotels | Rooms |
|---|---|---|
| Five-star | 2 | 771 |
| Four-star | 15 | 1,987 |
| Total | 17 | 2,758 |
Source: national register, via our hotel database. The two five-stars are FLC Quy Nhon Beach & Golf Resort (515 rooms) and Anya Premier Quy Nhon (256). One daily 180-seat charter at 70% would need about 63 rooms a night at two guests a room, about 2% of that upper-tier stock, our calculation. For national context, see how many hotels Vietnam has.
What it means for owners and operators
1. Hotels are now part of the qualifying paperwork
No accommodation contract, no grant. Operators will come to Quy Nhon hotels for contracted rates and allotments before they commit to an airline. Hotels can use that: ask for guaranteed room blocks, firm release dates and deposits, not just “best rate” allotments that can be dropped a week out.
2. It fills the low season, at a price
The department says the east of the province, the former Binh Dinh coast around Quy Nhon, is in its rainy low season from September to December. Charter groups at that time are incremental business, but at group rates. Our view: price charter allotments against low-season occupancy, not against peak rack rates, and keep them out of the summer peak unless the operator pays for it.
3. 2026 is a pilot; 2027 is the real budget
With only about VND 4.3 billion for the rest of 2026, at most about 21 flights can be funded this year. The money arrives in 2027. That gives owners a year to agree programmes with operators, set group-rate floors and staff for language and service needs before volume builds.
4. Watch which markets the operators bring
The resolution does not name source markets. Korean travellers are shifting to new, cheaper and closer options, as our report on Korean tourists in Vietnam shows, and secondary Korean cities are where Vietnam still has room to grow. Our view: a subsidised charter into a less familiar beach city fits that pattern. New branded supply is coming too: Ascott signed a 357-unit Citadines Quy Nhon Resort, as covered in our Ascott signings report.
What to watch
- The first claim: the first operator to qualify, its source market and its hotel partners.
- Load factors: the 70% minimum from month seven is demanding for a new route.
- 2027 budget execution: whether the VND 90.6 billion is actually released and spent.
- Gia Lai’s National Tourism Year 2026: the province hosts it, and the charter grant targets its weakest number, international visitors.
FAQ
What is the Phu Cat charter flight subsidy?
Gia Lai province pays VND 200 million for each international charter flight that brings tourists into Phu Cat airport, under Resolution 95/2026/NQ-HĐND. It applies from 10 October 2026 to 31 December 2027.
Who can receive the charter subsidy?
International tour operators headquartered in Gia Lai, working directly or with a domestic partner. They need a set itinerary, accommodation and service contracts in the province, and minimum seat loads of 50% in the first six months and 70% after that.
How big is the budget?
Close to VND 95 billion: about VND 4.3 billion in 2026 and just over VND 90.6 billion in 2027, according to Báo Xây dựng.
Do hotels get money from the scheme?
Not directly. The grant goes to tour operators, but they must have accommodation contracts in Gia Lai to qualify, so hotels supply part of every claim.
How many international tourists visit Gia Lai?
About 125,000 in 2025, just over 1% of the province’s 12.4 million visitors, according to the provincial tourism department.
