The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City will pilot welcoming visitors from September 15 to a number of tourism areas, including Con Dao Island and Can Gio District where is famous for its mangrove forest.

The pilot is expected to contribute to the revival of Vietnam’s tourism industry.

Welcoming guests under a closed process

A guest enjoys relaxing in Melia Ho Tram Beach Resort. Photo: Melia Ho Tram

Con Dao is one of the four infection-free districts that the authorities of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province have allowed the resumption of services such as takeaway catering and outbound tourism. The other three include Chau Duc, Xuyen Moc, Dat Do.

The province will pilot four accommodation facilities with self-contained services and Covid-19 pandemic prevention plans to welcome domestic visitors from September 15 to October 30.

The accommodation facilities included the Grand Ho Tram Strip, Melia Ho Tram Beach Resort, Minera Hot Spring Binh Chau Resort, and Six Senses Con Dao.

The lodging places participating in the pilot must have a self-contained service, a separate area for delivery, and isolation. The service staff must be vaccinated with two doses or one dose at least 14 days before returning to work. Employees must have negative RT-PCR test results for coronavirus within 72 hours, comply with “three on-site” working protocols and commitment to work and stay around the clock in the hotel as well as be trained in regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control.

Con Dao is expected to welcome domestic tourists who come in charter flights and book a bubble trip at Six Senses Con Dao. In Xuyen Moc District, visitors will be confined to a private itinerary.

According to Minera Hot Spring Binh Chau Resort, prior to arriving at the hotel, visitors must be tested for Covid-19, fully vaccinated with two doses of which the last one must be administered at least 14 days before and within 12 months. 

"We are one of the four selected accommodations facilities for the pilot and preparing plans to welcome domestic tourists, starting from tomorrow," a representative from Minera Hot Spring Binh Chau Resort told The Hanoi Times.

Every guest must be tested for Covid-19 periodically while staying at the hotel. For guests staying one week, a PCR test will be conducted on the first day and day 6. Guests staying two weeks will undergo PCR tests on the first day, day 6, and day 13.

Based on the implementation results of the pilot, the local authorities will build a roll-out plan for the period from November 1 onwards in accordance with the disease situation.

Ho Chi Minh City restores tourism in three phases

Minera Hot Spring Binh Chau Resort - one of four selected accommodation facilities to welcome domestic tourists. Photo: Minera Hot Spring Binh Chau Resort

The tourism reopening of the city will start from the coastal district Can Gio, which is one of three localities in HCMC succeeding in containing the pandemic. The district plans to offer a tour combining outdoor activities with learning traditional culture to visitors. 

It is the first phase of the city’s roadmap and solutions to recover the tourism industry along with the economic revival plan. 

The pilot reopening will be carried out according to a safe process, in which a tourist site would be located in the low Covid-19 risk areas or “green zone”, according to the HCMC Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control. The city will gradually reopen accommodation facilities under the conditions that employees and guests are fully vaccinated.

The HCMC Department of Tourism has also completed the draft plan on three-phase tourism recovery in which phase one will be implemented from September 16 to October 30, phase two from October 31, 2021 to January 15, 2022, and the last one after January 15, 2022.

Tourism boom after Covid?

Nguyen Anh Phuong, residing in Hanoi’s Bac Tu Liem District, who has 12 years of experience as a tour guide in Spanish, is looking forward to the success of the pilot model in Ba Ria-Vung Tau and HCMC.

Phuong said he believed that the pilot models will be successful and more tourist sites across the country, including Hanoi, will be able to welcome international tourists back soon.

“Many tour guides like me have received two doses of vaccine or at least one dose at this time and I am very much looking forward to the reopening of the inbound market,” he told The Hanoi Times.

Phu Quoc Island planned to welcome international visitors from this October, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The trial period will last for six months or will be adjusted depending on the pandemic evolution. The island has vaccinated more than 30% of its 144,000 residents.

On September 12, authorities of the northern province Vinh Phuc also announced to allow some tourist areas and golf courses to resume operations at half capacity.

Vietnam’s tourism industry has been preparing to resume tourism services in places of beauty across the country, including Ha Long, Hoi An, Nha Trang, and Da Lat.

Under the latest plan on stimulus policies to restore tourism activities in the late 2021 and early 2022 period, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed the Government speed up Covid-19 vaccination at travel destinations while ramping up tourism promotion to stimulate tourism demand.

The ministry will also promote communication campaigns such as “Vietnamese People Travel in Vietnam” and “Vietnam tourism - a safe and attractive destination”.

It will also focus on diversifying products to meet new market trends, accelerating the digital transformation process through digitizing a network of tourist attractions, as well as supporting the development of human resources to meet the requirements of tourism recovery.