Tourists at Linh Quy Phap An Pagoda in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. (Photo: VNA) HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - Around 60 percent of travel companies in HCM Cityhave resumed operating while the rest are expected toregain business in the fourth quarter of the year, according to the city’sDepartment of Tourism.
Travel companies specialising in inbound and bound markets,however, must wait to reopen when foreign tourists are allowedto enter the country again, according to Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputydirector of the department.
Travel agencies are now focusing on domestic air travel as part of aneffort to recover from the fall-out caused by COVID-19, Hoa said.
Most travel companies are seeking help from the Government’s relief package sothey can remain in business.
The department has submitted to the State Bank of Vietnam’s HCM City branch alist of 50 travel firms in need of aid packages from the Government and banks.
Travel firms are coordinating with airlines, hotels and resorts, restaurantsand tourist spots to develop tour stimulus packages discountedby 50-60 percent.
Tours from HCM City to the Central Highlands for two days, for example, havediscounts of 500,000-1 million VND (21-42 USD) and are soldfor 1-1.5 million VND (42-64 USD) per person.
Tours to destinations in the north are priced at 4.5 million VND (193 USD) perperson, down from 7 million VND (300 USD).
Many travel companies have reported a rise in the number of domestic travelbookings in the past few days.
A Vietravel representative said there has been a surge inbookings for car and hotel services, but the number of tourpackage bookings remains modest./.
VNA
