Tourists at Linh Quy Pháp Ấn Pagoda in the Central Highlands in Lâm Đồng Province. — VNS Photo Thu Hằng

HCM CITY — Around 60 per cent of travel companies in HCM City have resumed operating while the rest are expected to regain business in the fourth quarter of the year, according to the city’s Department of Tourism.

Travel companies specialising in inbound and bound markets, however, must wait to reopen when foreign tourists are allowed to enter the country again, according to Nguyễn Thị Ánh Hoa, deputy director of the department.

Travel agencies are now focusing on domestic air travel as part of an effort to recover from the fall-out caused by COVID-19, Hoa said.

Most travel companies are seeking help from the Government’s relief package so they can remain in business.

The department has submitted to the State Bank of Việt Nam’s HCM City branch a list of 50 travel firms in need of aid packages from the Government and banks.

Travel firms are coordinating with airlines, hotels and resorts, restaurants and tourist spots to develop tour stimulus packages discounted by 50-60 per cent.

Tours from HCM City to the Central Highlands for two days, for example, have discounts of VNĐ500,000-1 million (US$21-42) and are sold for VNĐ1-1.5 million ($42-64) per person.

Tours to destinations in the north are priced at VNĐ4.5 million ($193) per person, down from VNĐ7 million ($300).

Many travel companies have reported a rise in the number of domestic travel bookings in the past few days.

A Vietravel representative said there has been a surge in bookings for car and hotel services, but the number of tour package bookings remains modest. — VNS