Hanoi will take a host of safety measures to assure and attract tourists in the time ahead as the Covid -19 evolution is still complicated, Hanoimoi reported.

In order to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak on the hospitality sector, the Hanoi Department of Tourism has asked travel agents, hotel managers and tourist transportation firms to attach special attention to ensuring safety of tourists and keeping track of visitors’ health and itineraries.

Face masks are distributed to visitors at the entrance of Hanoi’s Temple of Literature. Photo: HNM

Besides, the city’s tourist sites have been enhancing sanitation and providing free masks and hand sanitizer at entrances for both visitors and passers-by. Staff at tourist attractions are provided with knowledge and skills to protect themselves and support tourists against the Covid-19.

Moreover, the department will apply information technology in tourism management, build a set of criteria to evaluate quality of tourist attractions and destinations in the city, update information on the department’s website and add some more foreign language versions ​​to lure more tourists to Hanoi.

Furthermore, the department will propose the municipal government to approve a 30-second promotional video under the theme "Starting position" for the publicity campaign of Vietnam Grand Prix F1 Racing on CNN International in 2020.

The measures are taken as the epidemic is dealing a blow to the local tourism industry.

According to the municipal Department of Tourism, the capital city welcomed more than 1.3 million tourists in February, including roughly 362,000 foreigners, a remarkable year-on-year decrease of 45.5%, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19.

In particular, the city’s tourism revenue in January was down 32% against the same period last year to VND5.58 trillion (US$241 million).

In the first two months of 2020, international and domestic arrivals to Hanoi fell 25% year-on-year to 3.56 million.