The number of international arrivals to Vietnam in March increased by 41.4 percent over the previous month and 2.2 times against the same period last year as Vietnam has fully reopened and many international flights have been restored, according to General Statistics Office (GSO).
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an order on easing entry regulations for foreign tourists to boost international tourism, increase foreign investments, and restore jobs in the tourism sector.
Ho Chi Minh City has made thorough preparations to welcome international tourists back after a two-year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, authorities, travel agents and accommodation facilities are all ready to make the city a vibrant and safe destination.
A flight of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines carrying first foreign visitors to Vietnam landed at Tan Son Nhat airport on March 16, a day after the country officially reopened international tourism.
After reopening for a month post COVID-19 and only minimal improvement in tourism numbers, Hanoi-based relic sites are going the extra mile to welcome back foreign guests.
The date March 15 marked not only Vietnam’s complete reopening to foreign tourists but also the country’s official resumption of international exchange like the pre-pandemic period, with some measures taken to manage risks and ensure safety for all, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has said.
Since the government decided to open up to international guests from March 15, Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector has sped up preparations and introduced many new products to cater to tourists. It also recently allowed nine tourist destinations to open to visitors under a pilot program.
Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said on March 11 that he expects around 1.8 to 3.6 million foreign tourists to visit Indonesia this year if the number of COVID-19 cases in the country declines significantly.
Some advisory bodies have pointed out the medical rules discouraging foreign tourists from coming to Vietnam, stressing that foreign and domestic travellers should receive the same treatment.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (CDC) has urged more than 2 million elderly people to get COVID-19 shots before the Songkran festival as infections may soar during the festive period.
Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Tourism on March 3 announced a draft communications plan to promote a vibrant southern destination on domestic and international media platforms this year.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism asking it to consider the supplementation and adjustment to a number of contents of its draft plan to reopen tourism activities regarding COVID-19 prevention and control measures. However, many travel firms showed concern that the tightened measures will affect the tourism sector’s competitiveness.
The government’s approval of the plan on the complete reopening of tourism from the middle of March has kindle the belief on the chance of rapid recovery and development of the sector in the new context.
The tourism sector should pay special heed to improving the quality of tourism products, infrastructure facilities and human resources, and utilities provided for foreign tourists in order to increase its competitiveness and attract more foreign visitors in the post-COVID-19 pandemic, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Trung Khanh has said.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) has proposed to let foreign visitors test for COVID-19 using rapid antigen test kits and those who have negative testing results travel freely when they are in Vietnam, as the country plans to welcome foreign tourists back from March 15.
Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Tourism (DoT) on February 18 publicised a list of hotels eligible to welcome foreign tourists arriving in the city in the coming time.
Foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese returning home can take regular commercial flights from now to March 15 when Vietnam fully reopens tourism activities, instead of charter flights as previously.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to complete plans on tourism resumption and devise a policy on visas for foreign tourists, the ministry’s spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press conference on February 17.
The Transportation Ministry of Indonesia has issued a new regulation on Indonesians and foreigners travelling by air for tourism in efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Indonesia will shorten mandatory quarantine time to five days from the previous seven for arrivals from February 4, in an effort to bolster tourism, especially in Bali resort island.
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