Vietnam is looking forward to the return of foreign visitors (Photo: VietnamPlus) Hanoi (VNA) – The Government and localities are making every effort to prepare for reopening the door of Vietnam to foreign tourists after a period of suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tourism sector contributes 30 billion USD to the national gross domestic product (GDP) each year, mostly coming from international markets.
However, the reopening requires thorough and comprehensive preparations, from policies and implementation plans of Government, ministries and agencies, to operation plans of travel companies.
Reopening solutions
According to Hoang Nhan Chinh, Secretary General of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), in a letter to the Prime Minister, the board showed its strong support for the Government’s policy of not trading public health for economic benefit.
TAB has also proposed solutions to ensure the safe resumption of tourism, in particular the return of foreign visitors, he said, adding Vietnam would learn from international experience in this regard.
Vietnamese tourism is facing the hardest time (Photo: VietnamPlus)
One of the solutions is to establish working groups that bring together experts from different fields like health care, public security, national defence, diplomacy, culture, sports, and tourism.
These experts are tasked to put forth pandemic safety criteria and make a list of the countries that can satisfy safety standards, according to Chinh.
All foreign visitors to Vietnam must observe procedures regarding “vaccine passports”, vaccination certificates, and PCR testing before departure and after arrival, he stressed.
The COVID-19 health pass cannot totally ensure the safety, and it must be combined with other measures, the official elaborated.
A long quarantine may make visitors feel bored, according to experts, so suitable measures are required to shorten the quarantine period while absolutely ensuring COVID-19 prevention and control.
The Government should adopt policies on compulsory travel health insurance that covers COVID-19 for visitors to Vietnam and Vietnamese who wish to travel abroad, Chinh said.
Young people prefer travelling to mountainous areas. (Photo: VietnamPlus) Moreover, tourism workers need to be included in the priority list for COVID-19 vaccination.
The TAB representative also proposed the Government consider a commercial vaccination programme for organisations and businesses that are able to provide shots for their staff, along with drawing up tourism promotion plans at key destinations.
Vietnam - a safe destination
As one of the leading tourism hubs of the nation, the capital city of Hanoi is rolling out a host of activities in an effort to warm up the domestic tourism market, and standing ready for the return of foreign tourists.
Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang said although the city focuses on domestic tourism in 2021, it is always ready to welcome foreign visitors back.
The city has prioritised COVID-19 prevention and control in anticipation of the return of foreign holidaymakers, the official added.
Tours exploring indigenous culture are also favoured by domestic holidaymakers. (Photo: VietnamPlus) Regarding the communication work, Giang said Hanoi had to suspend its cooperation in promoting the city’s image with CNN last year due to the pandemic, but the programme will be resumed this year.
“We would like to spread the message that Vietnam, particularly Hanoi, is a safe destination with a raft of complete, quality services,” she said.
The department has asked local hotels to upgrade their infrastructure and strengthen their human resources in preparation for the arrival of foreign vacationers.
Domestic vacationers have chances to experience luxurious resorts with reasonable prices this year. (Photo: VietnamPlus) It has also planned to provide training for tourism workers of companies as many of them have quit the job and embarked on other jobs to earn their living amid the COVID-19, she added.
Giang affirmed that all international festivals to be organised in Hanoi this year will be at the international level to attract foreign visitors.
Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with foreign arrivals dropping by 74 percent, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer foreign arrivals in 2020 than in the previous year, due to an unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions. This compares with the 4 percent decline recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis.
According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the fall in international travel represents an estimated loss of 1.3 trillion USD in export revenues - more than 11 times that recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis. The pandemic has put between 100 and 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk, many of them in small- and medium-sized enterprises. /.
