International Vacationers Will Be Quickly Allowed in Vietnam
The total annual turnover of more than USD 30 billion that the “smoke-free industry” contributes to Vietnam’s national GDP is by no means small. A large part of this amount comes from the international market. For this reason, almost all travel agencies and service providers are currently waiting for the country to reopen to foreign tourists.
However, careful and extensive preparation is required to ensure a safe reopening. Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) secretariat head Hoang Nan Chinh said his board had made a strong statement in a letter to the prime minister about reopening international tourism Support government policies not to sacrifice and endanger public health in exchange for economic gain.
“The Tourism Advisory Board also emphasizes that there must be a clear policy. A reopening is only possible if there is a bilateral approach, one is the place of origin of the tourists and the other the place of reception. We can learn from the international experiences, both successes and also failures, “said Hoang Nhan Chinh.
In terms of solutions, the Tourism Council suggests creating a group bringing together organizations or experts from different sectors: health; public safety; National defense; Diplomacy; Culture, Sports and Tourism for cooperation and mutual assistance in reopening to ensure the safety of Vietnam and foreign tourists.
According to this proposal, all foreign tourists arriving in Vietnam should carry a vaccination pass or certificate and be tested for coronavirus with PCR tests before departure and on arrival at the airport in Vietnam. In addition, the experts believe that appropriate measures should be taken to reduce the quarantine period while ensuring the safety of the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Warming of the domestic market
In the current context, with the epidemic not yet fully under control, the tourism sector needs a safe process to welcome and support guests. It is also important that workers in the tourism services sector are on the priority list for vaccination.
As one of the main tourist hubs in the country, Hanoi has conducted many activities to “warm up” the domestic market and prepare to welcome foreign tourists back as soon as possible.
Hanoi Tourism Department Director Dang Huong Giang said, “Although our main goal in 2021 is still to focus on the domestic market, we are preparing the necessary conditions for reopening to foreign tourists.”
In terms of communication and advertising, Hanoi Tourism Department worked with CNN Channel to promote the capital in 2020, according to Dang Huong Giang. This program, which had to be discontinued because of the pandemic, will continue in 2021, she said.
Statistics show that the income of Vietnamese tourists is less than that of international visitors each year. Hence, the head of Hanoi’s tourism department said the festivals to be held in the capital in 2021 would be of an international scope, with an embassy encouraging foreign tourists to visit Vietnam.
