Vietnamese travel firms need assistance after COVID-19: expert

Tourists are eager with interesting experiences in Vietnam (Photo: VietnamPlus) (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Hanoi (VNA) – Domestic firms should strengthen their “resistance” and learn from experience of foreign countries to prepare for the return of international visitors, experts have said.

Learning from international experience

Head of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) Secretariat Hoang Nhan Chinh told VietnamPlus that several countries have planned to open doors for visitors with “vaccine passports.”

For Vietnam, Chinh said, the country should establish a group or an organisation gathering experts from health, foreign affairs, public security, national defence, culture-sport-tourism sectors who will discuss and put forth criteria for the opening.

He cited Singapore as an example, saying the country has three levels in welcoming foreign holiday-makers – unilateral border opening, travel bubble and reciprocal green lane.

Hoang Nhan Chinh, head of the Tourism Advisory Board Secretariat(Photo: VietnamPlus)

Vietnam has been listed in the group of countries to get the highest priority – unilateral border opening, he said, further explaining that tourists from the country will only have to be under quarantine for the first two days, instead of 14 days, and take a quick coronavirus test.      
    
If the test result turns out negative, they would continue their trip in Singapore, and if the result is positive, they will have to return to Vietnam. Tourists have to pay the COVID-19 test cost.

Vietnam should learn from Singapore’s experience, Chinh suggested, adding that the TAB is working with experts from Switzerland and the EU to collect information and data in this regard.

Tours of craft villages are favoured by young people (Photo: VietnamPlus)

“In my opinion, it is impossible to completely confirm that the 'vaccine passport' will be the best and most effective solution to open the border to international tourists,” he said. “The anomaly of COVID-19 can change things quickly.”

He suggested all decisions, policies, strategies and products be based on results of surveys, studies and assessments to gain the highest efficiency and minimise risks.

Helping firms overcome pandemic

After being ravaged by the three consecutive waves of COVID-19, many travel firms have been exhausted and need to be given energy.

Chinh said the TAB wants to assist travel companies, helping to ease their pressure and losses caused by the pandemic. The TAB, therefore, has collected proposals from a number of businesses, both big and small, inside and outside the board.

Accordingly, many enterprises proposed the Government assign ministries and agencies to consider adjusting criteria, making it easier for them to access the aid package worth 62 trillion VND (2.7 billion USD), and sponsor eligible businesses to get bank loans with low interest rates. The interest rates would be lowered to 4 percent to assist small and medium-sized enterprises, they said.

The TAB has also proposed cutting VAT from 10 percent to 5 percent till the end of 2021, and land tariff for businesses that provide lodging services.

According to Chinh, other enterprises called for support to employees working in the tourism sector by reducing or extending deadlines for paying social, health, retirement and unemployment insurance premiums.

They also mentioned the Government’s measures and policies to recover the domestic tourism, saying State management agencies should issue guidelines on safe tourism.

Regarding international tourists, they suggested Vietnam select markets, engage in bilateral negotiations and learn from foreign experience.

“Currently, one of the important issues is to continue with marketing so that international tourists keep their desire for traveling Vietnam,” Chinh said, noting that Vietnam has been commanded by the international community for its high confidence and pandemic containment.

In 2020, the number of international tourists to Vietnam fell nearly 80 percent compared to 2019, while domestic travellers were down by 50 percent and the number of outbound tourists plunged 90 percent.

The sector’s total revenue was 312.2 trillion VND (13.5 billion USD), down nearly 60 percent.

During the year, 338 foreign travel agents asked that their business licenses be withdrawn, a three-fold rise against 2019, while 201 businesses applied for new licenses, down by one-third./.