HÀ NỘI   The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced plans to resume both domestic and international tourism, welcoming international visitors to Việt Nam for the first time since March 2020. 

From November, localities that have controlled the COVID-19 pandemic will start welcoming domestic tourists. They are required to strictly comply with pandemic prevention regulations, which include vaccination, rapid RT-PCR tests, strict implementation of medical declarations, QR code scanning and the application of PC-COVID and other virus control rules.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Đoàn Văn Việt said that, in the immediate future, the tourism industry in Việt Nam should focus on the domestic market.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Đoàn Văn Việt at the conference. — Photo courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Localities need to apply appropriate policies to address peoples concerns, after many months of strict restrictions.

On welcoming international tourists, the Deputy Minister said that a pilot scheme will see Phú Quốc in Kiên Giang Province welcome select international tourists with vaccine passports to the island.

The pilot phase in Phú Quốc will take place from November 2021 to March 2022.

Phú Quốc Island, Kiên Giang Province, was voted by Tripadvisor as one of the top destinations in Việt Nam. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism

100 per cent of people over 18 years old in Phú Quốc have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 10 per cent have received the second jabs. By the end of October, 100 per cent of people over 18 years old will have received two doses.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will work with Kiên Giang on implementing the pilot plan and in deploying it to other localities in the future. 

The plans were discussed in a conference held by the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism on October 5. Representatives from tourism management agencies focused on measures to gradually revive tourism, in line with current pandemic guidelines.

From October, provinces and cities will organise training on welcoming tourists, safety measures to control COVID-19, and preparations for incidents and risks.

By the end of 2021, Việt Nam will welcome foreign tourists back to other destinations, including Hạ Long Bay in Quảng Ninh Province, Hội An in Quảng Nam Province, Nha Trang in Khánh Hòa Province, and Đà Lạt in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng. — VNS