Visitors at a tower complex in the world heritage Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary in Quảng Nam Province. The central province plans to open to tourists in November. VNS Photo Công Thành

CENTRAL REGION —  Two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Việt Nam are getting ready to begin receiving tourists, again as part of wider a pilot scheme to reintroduce tourism in the wake of the COVID-19 pademic. 

The ancient town of Hội An and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary will be the first areas in the central province of Quảng Nam to welcome tourists from November. 

Vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Trần Văn Tân, announced the following businesses in the Old Quarter of Hội An town and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary will be part of the pilot; Tui Blue Hotel, Vinpearl Resort and Golf Nam Hội An; VinWonders Nam Hội An and Vinpearl Golf Nam Hội An. They will offer closed and combined tours in the first stage of the pilot plan, before hosting international visitors in the second stage by January of 2022.

He said the province will open its doors to all international tourists in the third stage of the plan, after successful implementation of the first two stages.

About 2,000 labourers working at the eight pilot destinations have received one shot of vaccine as of October. Only 146 others have yet to receive vaccines, he added.

The province has ordered 1,600 vaccine doses to ensure that all staff are vaccinated before serving tourists as part of the pilot.

Dancers join an art performance at the Japanese Bridge in Hội An. Two UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites, Hội An and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, will be part of a pilot to host tourists in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan. — Photo courtesy of Ký Ức Hội An

Only tourists with vaccine passports and negative RT-PCR tests will be eligible to take part in the pilot scheme. 

Earlier this year, the province asked the Government to allow the hosting of international visitors in a ‘safe tourism’ programme via chartered flights.

Quảng Nam Province’s tourism industry has been severely damaged by COVID-19. The province hosted 26,000 tourists in the first nine months of 2021 – just 4.5 per cent of the same period the year before. 

Only 90 businesses, or 10 per cent of total tourism and service enterprises, have survived the pandemic so far, leaving 14,000 workers unemployed at a loss of VNĐ15 trillion (US$652 million) in revenue.

The nearby central city of Đà Nẵng has been gearing up for the post-COVID-19 economic recovery era.

A joint commitment on how to safely restart tourism in the city was signed on Thursday, October 28 by representatives of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), Vin Group, Sun Group, the Đà Nẵng International terminal investment and operation joint-stock company (AHT), Đà Nẵng Investment Group (DHC) and Đà Nẵng Mikazuki Resorts and Spa of Mikazuki Hotel Group.

Golden bridge in Bà Nà Hills is one of the most popular tourism sites in Đà Nẵng. The central city will offer tours for local and domestic visitors from November. — Photo courtesy of Sun Group

The deal will ensure safe implementation of strict preventive measures when hosting visitors at destinations in Đà Nẵng and combined tour links with Hội An.

Đà Nẵng said 95 per cent of the population in the city has been vaccinated at least one shot, and 15 per cent are now fully vaccinated.

The three localities in the central region that make up a triangle of tourism – Quảng Nam, Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên-Huế – have signed an agreement to boost post-COVID-19 tourism in the region. — VNS