Vietnam prepares to welcome foreign tourists once borders reopened

Besides focusing on domestic tourism, Vietnam's travel industry prepares for re-opening to international tourists by easing immigration procedures and normalizing air travel services as the country has gradually tame the outbreak of the coronavirus, according to The Saigon Times.

Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang province. Photo: DeltaOff/Shutterstock.

Though the pandemic situation in the country remains under control, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked agencies to continue with measures to prevent infection import. Currently, Vietnam is closed to foreign arrivals, with few exceptions.

Measures for the recovery of the tourism industry were also among the topics at the government’s recent regular meeting on Covid-19 prevention and control. Accordingly, relevant agencies were asked to take necessary steps for welcoming foreign tourists again once the pandemic subsides. 

First of all, the tourism industry will welcome visitors from countries and territories which have responded well to the disease. Relevant agencies will submit to the government a schedule for gradually easing entry and exit procedures and resuming some flight routes to restore trade and tourism.

Covid-19 began affecting international arrivals of the local tourism industry from the end of January. The country welcomed 26,000 international visitors in only April while the figure in January was two million international visitors.

Many travel businesses, especially those operating the well-controlled Covid-19 markets will wait for upcoming measures to ease immigration procedure, remove medical isolation and resume international flights to carry out promotions and re-launch markets.

A latest report by Outbox Consulting, a tourism destination research and development company, the tourism industry should continue attracting tourists from near markets and traditional markets such as China and South Korea.

If the disease situation improves, from the last quarter of this year until the end of the first quarter in 2021, tourism destinations in Vietnam would offer policies and solutions to attract visitors.

C9 Hotelworks and Delivering Asia Communications Consulting Group surveying 1,000 people in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China, showed that 45% of respondents said they want to travel to Vietnam when Covid-19 ends.

Promotions targeting Europe and the US, where the disease outbreak is still complicated, should be implemented by 2021.

Chay River - Dark Cave in the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh province. Photo:  Vietnam Stock Image/Shutterstock

Expected positive signals 

Many travel businesses were very impatient after days of suspension to fight against Covid-19.

Nguyen Van Khoa, general director of Mui Ne Bay Resort in Binh Thuan province said that normally, the resort expects large number of visitors coming in the high season but now, everything is at a standstill.

The outbound tourism market has shown not any positive signals and it may fall into hibernation until next year, according to Bui Viet Thuy Tien, CEO of Asian Trails Co., Ltd.

Tran Xuan Hung, chairman of Viking Travel Company, specializing in outbound tourism, said that only the removal of the 14-day mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving from overseas and the resumption of international flight routes would restore the inbound and outbound markets. 

Hung said Vietnam could attract international visitors back to the country through showing an image of Vietnam actively controlling the Covid-19 pandemic and giving solutions to support travelers, who were in stuck in Vietnam in recent time.