Foreign tourists on a tour to Hội An City, Quảng Nam Province. — Photo courtesy of the Quảng Nam Province's Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism

HÀ NỘI — The Government Office has issued a dispatch on the Prime Minister’s directions on building a roadmap to open the door to safely welcome foreign visitors.

In the document to heads of ministry-level and Government agencies, chairpersons of the centrally-run municipal and provincial People’s Committees, PM Phạm Minh Chính said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign arrivals in Việt Nam dropped by 76.7 per cent in 2020 and 95.9 per cent in 2021, hurting sectors such as transport, dining, hospitality, and retail and trade, especially in key tourist areas.

As the country is safely and flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling the pandemic while gradually re-opening its economy, PM Chính asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) to partner with the ministries of health, national defence, public security, foreign affairs, transport, information and communications, ministries, agencies and localities to build a roadmap.

They were assigned to hold seminars gathering experts, scientists and managers to reach a consensus.

People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces must work with the MoCST, Health Ministry and agencies to issue detailed plans for the effort, prepare human resources and equipment, and come up with plans to cope with the pandemic and any arising medical incidents.

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam was tasked with directing the roadmap. — VNS