Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry ofCulture, Sports and Tourism to draft plans on national tourism promotion andresumption of tourism from countries that have controlled the COVID-19pandemic.
Travelagencies are eager to resume tourism activities and host internationaltourists, but they need unified procedures on how to safelyconduct tourism.
Chairmanof HG Group Ngo Minh Duc said that some of his company’semployees who took care of foreign tourists in the past havebeen transferred to the domestic tourism segment.
“Thedomestic segment takes up a small portion of the company’s activities sincehigh-end tourism services and international flight routes are popular mostlyamong international travellers,” Duc said.
Ducsaid he hoped that some international routes to countries andterritories that have efficiently handled the COVID-19 pandemic such as theRepublic of Korea and Taiwan will reopen in July. Typical businessactivities will then officially resume, he added.
Meanwhile,President of VinaCapital Don Lam has proposed a “Safe Tourism” model whichcould reboot the international tourism market.
Under thismodel, tourists would be required to test negative for the novelcoronavirus before boarding transport for Vietnam. Theycould only travel to designated, isolated tourism destinations suchas Phu Quoc or other villa resorts on islands.
Touristswould be able to participate in outdoor activities such as sunbathing orwater sports on Phu Quoc beaches, and have a COVID-19 test doneperiodically during the holiday. Resort staff would be trained inways to ensure safety in their area.
Expertsagreed that bringing tourists to resorts in Vietnam via charter flights wouldbe a smart move, and that many countries have implemented the scheme.
CEOof Luxury Company Pham Ha said that isolated tourism products would be theonly way to bring international travellers back to Vietnam soon.
Thisform of safe tourism could be embraced by provinces with beaches andislands, Ha said, adding that more initiatives are needed to promotethe reopening of the tourism market while ensuring travel safety.
Hahas received positive feedback from international tourists fortours departing in September and October.
Accordingto Director of the Vietnam Tour Guide Operations Centre Tran Thi Viet Huong,the centre has more than 300 tour guides, but only a few of them havereturned to work. More than 90 percent of staff are still unemployed andhave to make ends meet by doing other jobs.
Airlinetickets sold to tourist groups are still selling at a high price and localtravellers are hesitant to travel in groups. Organising tours now would end upleading to losses, Huong said.
Meanwhile,the director of a trade and tourism company said that her companyhad tried to sustain casual business. Even thoughshe experienced the SARS and avian influenza outbreaks andknows about the market recovery process, she admitted thatthe COVID-19 pandemic was a serious strike.
Aspeople are still concerned about the outbreak, many tourists areonly booking accommodations and not specific tours in advance.
“Mosttravel agencies do not have customers at the moment,” she said.
Hoang,a restaurant manager at a hotel in HCM City’s central District 1, said thatafter the outbreak, the restaurant welcomed only 40 percent of staff backto work.
COVID-19has been an “earthquake” for the local cuisine industry, affecting thefood and beverage industry in general as well as workers in thefield.
“Weare recovering slowly,” Hoang said.
“Themain guests of the restaurant used to be international tourists and businesstravellers coming to the city for a short amount of time. These two groups areobviously not ready yet to return. We have decided to wait until September whenlife should be back to normal and then recruit new staff again,” sheadded./.
Travelagencies are eager to resume tourism activities and host internationaltourists, but they need unified procedures on how to safelyconduct tourism.
Chairmanof HG Group Ngo Minh Duc said that some of his company’semployees who took care of foreign tourists in the past havebeen transferred to the domestic tourism segment.
“Thedomestic segment takes up a small portion of the company’s activities sincehigh-end tourism services and international flight routes are popular mostlyamong international travellers,” Duc said.
Ducsaid he hoped that some international routes to countries andterritories that have efficiently handled the COVID-19 pandemic such as theRepublic of Korea and Taiwan will reopen in July. Typical businessactivities will then officially resume, he added.
Meanwhile,President of VinaCapital Don Lam has proposed a “Safe Tourism” model whichcould reboot the international tourism market.
Under thismodel, tourists would be required to test negative for the novelcoronavirus before boarding transport for Vietnam. Theycould only travel to designated, isolated tourism destinations suchas Phu Quoc or other villa resorts on islands.
Touristswould be able to participate in outdoor activities such as sunbathing orwater sports on Phu Quoc beaches, and have a COVID-19 test doneperiodically during the holiday. Resort staff would be trained inways to ensure safety in their area.
Expertsagreed that bringing tourists to resorts in Vietnam via charter flights wouldbe a smart move, and that many countries have implemented the scheme.
CEOof Luxury Company Pham Ha said that isolated tourism products would be theonly way to bring international travellers back to Vietnam soon.
Thisform of safe tourism could be embraced by provinces with beaches andislands, Ha said, adding that more initiatives are needed to promotethe reopening of the tourism market while ensuring travel safety.
Hahas received positive feedback from international tourists fortours departing in September and October.
Accordingto Director of the Vietnam Tour Guide Operations Centre Tran Thi Viet Huong,the centre has more than 300 tour guides, but only a few of them havereturned to work. More than 90 percent of staff are still unemployed andhave to make ends meet by doing other jobs.
Airlinetickets sold to tourist groups are still selling at a high price and localtravellers are hesitant to travel in groups. Organising tours now would end upleading to losses, Huong said.
Meanwhile,the director of a trade and tourism company said that her companyhad tried to sustain casual business. Even thoughshe experienced the SARS and avian influenza outbreaks andknows about the market recovery process, she admitted thatthe COVID-19 pandemic was a serious strike.
Aspeople are still concerned about the outbreak, many tourists areonly booking accommodations and not specific tours in advance.
“Mosttravel agencies do not have customers at the moment,” she said.
Hoang,a restaurant manager at a hotel in HCM City’s central District 1, said thatafter the outbreak, the restaurant welcomed only 40 percent of staff backto work.
COVID-19has been an “earthquake” for the local cuisine industry, affecting thefood and beverage industry in general as well as workers in thefield.
“Weare recovering slowly,” Hoang said.
“Themain guests of the restaurant used to be international tourists and businesstravellers coming to the city for a short amount of time. These two groups areobviously not ready yet to return. We have decided to wait until September whenlife should be back to normal and then recruit new staff again,” sheadded./.
VNA
