Vietjet is offering travellers a three-day promotional sale from 8 to 10 October 2026, featuring one-way Eco fares starting at USD 90, inclusive of taxes and fees, alongside a 20% discount on Deluxe base fares, excluding taxes and fees, on the Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City route. The promotion coincides with the airline’s network expansion, including the upcoming launch of its Ho Chi Minh City–Maldives service via Colombo, providing Sri Lankan travellers with a new connection to Malé.
The promotional fares are available until 21:30 Sri Lanka time on 10 October 2026 through Vietjet’s official website and the Vietjet Air mobile app. The offer also covers other international routes and domestic services within Vietnam, with travel permitted between 8 October 2026 and 30 September 2027, subject to applicable blackout dates.
As part of its efforts to strengthen its presence in South Asia, Vietjet will introduce the new Ho Chi Minh City–Maldives service via Colombo on 5 December 2026, further enhancing Colombo’s position within the airline’s international network. Operating three round-trip flights weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the service will provide Sri Lankan passengers with another option for travelling from Bandaranaike International Airport to Malé. It will also enable international visitors to combine destinations in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Vietnam within a single journey. Bookings for the new route are open, and the service is included in the current promotional campaign.
Vietjet is also expanding its international reach with the launch of new routes connecting Hanoi with Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Prague, Czech Republic, on 10 October 2026. Later in October, the airline plans to introduce two additional services linking Ho Chi Minh City with Clark in the Philippines and Chiang Mai in Thailand.
These network developments will offer travellers more options for exploring destinations across Central Asia, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, supported by flexible flight schedules and competitive fares. Through its expanding route network and promotional offers, Vietjet continues to strengthen connectivity between Sri Lanka and key international destinations.
Landmark Study Reveals 18% of Sri Lankans Use Generative AI to Discover Brands and Products
Digital platforms are playing an increasingly significant role in shaping consumer purchasing decisions in Sri Lanka, influencing 51% of purchases, compared with 32% in 2020. Findings from the BCG-Ceylon Chamber Consumer Study, covering all nine provinces, highlight the growing dominance of digital channels during the pre-purchase evaluation stage. Although word-of-mouth remains the leading source of consumer influence at 66%, YouTube and social media platforms are emerging as powerful discovery channels, outperforming traditional search by nearly twofold.
At the same time, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is gaining traction as a new avenue for product and brand discovery, particularly among technology-savvy consumers. With 55% of consumers nationwide aware of GenAI tools, 18% have already adopted platforms such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. Among those using GenAI, one-third (33%) actively rely on these tools to research brands and obtain product recommendations.
Adoption is particularly strong among younger, urban and higher-income consumers, highlighting the growing need for retailers and marketers to adapt their strategies to AI-driven discovery. Alongside video-led digital campaigns, businesses may need to optimize their online presence to ensure their brands and products are discoverable through AI-powered platforms.
The findings are drawn from The Changing Path to Purchase in Sri Lanka, an October 2026 study jointly conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The research was led by BCG’s Center for Customer Insight (CCI), drawing on the global consulting firm’s more than six decades of expertise in strategic consulting and consumer insights.
Established in 1839, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is South Asia’s oldest chamber of commerce and serves as a key representative voice for Sri Lanka’s private sector.
The study examines changing consumer behaviour in the post-crisis economic environment through a nationally representative quantitative survey of 2,272 consumers across all nine provinces, complemented by qualitative focus group discussions. It provides insights into how Sri Lankan consumers discover, evaluate and purchase products and services across the retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and financial services sectors amid an evolving economic and digital landscape.
Vietjet Announces Three-Day Promotion Ahead of Colombo–Maldives Route Launch, Boosting Sri Lanka Connectivity
