Illustrative image (Photo: Bamboo Airways) Khanh Hoa (VNA) – The central coastalprovince of Khanh Hoa, home to famous beach towns Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, onNovember 25 welcomed the first international tourists with vaccine passports aftera long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The visitors who are Americans and Canadians ofVietnamese origin took a flight of Bamboo Airways from Seoul, the Republic ofKorea (RoK).
After their arrival, the tourists were transported toa lodging facility in Nha Trang and tested for the coronavirus.
Khanh Hoa is one of the five localities, together with Kien Giang, Quang Ninh, Quang Nam, andDa Nang, selected to roll out the pilot “vaccine passport” programme.
The visitors who are Americans and Canadians ofVietnamese origin took a flight of Bamboo Airways from Seoul, the Republic ofKorea (RoK).
After their arrival, the tourists were transported toa lodging facility in Nha Trang and tested for the coronavirus.
Khanh Hoa is one of the five localities, together with Kien Giang, Quang Ninh, Quang Nam, andDa Nang, selected to roll out the pilot “vaccine passport” programme.
The programme is divided into three phases, startingfrom this November.
In the first phase that starts this month, designatedplaces and tourism facilities in Phu Quoc, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Da Nang, QuangNinh can receive foreign tourists within package tourism programmes arrivingvia either charter flights or international commercial flights.
In the second phase that takes effect from January2022, the scale of the pilot plan will be expanded by connecting destinationsthrough regular charter and international commercial flights.
The tourists could participate in travel programmesthat combine multiple destinations after completing their tours at the firstdestination within seven days. Five destinations – Kien Giang, Nha Trang, DaNang, Quang Nam and Quang Ninh – will be piloted first and some otherlocalities will be added to the programmes later as long as the pandemic conditionspermit and the local authorities submit proposals to welcome internationaltourists.
Vietnam’s tourism market will fully open tointernational tourists in the last phase, the starting time of which will bebased on the contemporary pandemic situation on the evaluation of the twoprevious phases.
The plan will apply to foreign tourists and overseasVietnamese arriving from Vietnam’s key and potential tourism markets. They mustprove certificates of taking full doses of the COVID-19 vaccination or COVID-19recovery that are recognised by the authorities in Vietnam, except childrenunder 12 years old accompanied by parents or guardians. For COVID-19 recoverypatients, the time from being discharged from the hospital to the time ofdeparture must not exceed six months.
Other conditions include having negative results forSARS-CoV-2 test by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method within 72 hours before departure andcertified by the authority of the country conducting the test (from time ofsampling) and having medical or travel insurance that covers COVID-19 treatmentwith a minimum liability of 50,000 USD.
Tourists within the pilot tours must have theirtemperature regularly checked and use the IGOVN application during their stay.Masking is required, and there will be no quarantine mandate.
On the first day of entry, tourists will be taken tothe accommodation facility and have COVID tests. They could continue their stayif the tests prove negative; otherwise, they will be taken to a medicalfacility and the cost will be covered by insurance or travel agency.
Within the first seven days, tourists must adhere tothe schedule, ensuring pandemic prevention regulations and taking self-testsevery two to three days. In case of having any symptoms of fever, cough,shortness of breath or sore throat, they must notify medical staff forscreening tests.
After seven days, those who continue to stay inVietnam must test themselves for COVID-19 and could travel to other localitieswithin the programme if the results are negative. Those who want to see theirrelatives in Vietnam need to register with their tour operators.
Vietnam stopped receiving international visitors sincethe outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020 and only allowed foreign experts’entry./.
In the first phase that starts this month, designatedplaces and tourism facilities in Phu Quoc, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Da Nang, QuangNinh can receive foreign tourists within package tourism programmes arrivingvia either charter flights or international commercial flights.
In the second phase that takes effect from January2022, the scale of the pilot plan will be expanded by connecting destinationsthrough regular charter and international commercial flights.
The tourists could participate in travel programmesthat combine multiple destinations after completing their tours at the firstdestination within seven days. Five destinations – Kien Giang, Nha Trang, DaNang, Quang Nam and Quang Ninh – will be piloted first and some otherlocalities will be added to the programmes later as long as the pandemic conditionspermit and the local authorities submit proposals to welcome internationaltourists.
Vietnam’s tourism market will fully open tointernational tourists in the last phase, the starting time of which will bebased on the contemporary pandemic situation on the evaluation of the twoprevious phases.
The plan will apply to foreign tourists and overseasVietnamese arriving from Vietnam’s key and potential tourism markets. They mustprove certificates of taking full doses of the COVID-19 vaccination or COVID-19recovery that are recognised by the authorities in Vietnam, except childrenunder 12 years old accompanied by parents or guardians. For COVID-19 recoverypatients, the time from being discharged from the hospital to the time ofdeparture must not exceed six months.
Other conditions include having negative results forSARS-CoV-2 test by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method within 72 hours before departure andcertified by the authority of the country conducting the test (from time ofsampling) and having medical or travel insurance that covers COVID-19 treatmentwith a minimum liability of 50,000 USD.
Tourists within the pilot tours must have theirtemperature regularly checked and use the IGOVN application during their stay.Masking is required, and there will be no quarantine mandate.
On the first day of entry, tourists will be taken tothe accommodation facility and have COVID tests. They could continue their stayif the tests prove negative; otherwise, they will be taken to a medicalfacility and the cost will be covered by insurance or travel agency.
Within the first seven days, tourists must adhere tothe schedule, ensuring pandemic prevention regulations and taking self-testsevery two to three days. In case of having any symptoms of fever, cough,shortness of breath or sore throat, they must notify medical staff forscreening tests.
After seven days, those who continue to stay inVietnam must test themselves for COVID-19 and could travel to other localitieswithin the programme if the results are negative. Those who want to see theirrelatives in Vietnam need to register with their tour operators.
Vietnam stopped receiving international visitors sincethe outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020 and only allowed foreign experts’entry./.
VNA
