The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced World Tourism Day 2021 on September 27 as a day to “focus on tourism for inclusive growth”.

This is an opportunity for all nations, including Vietnam, to look beyond tourism statistics and acknowledge that, behind every number, there is a person.

The Bat Xat terraced rice fields, Sapa Town, Lao Cai Province. Photo: James Huynh

On this occasion, the UNWTO reaffirmed a commitment to build a more prosperous and peaceful world through tourism. "As tourism grows, the benefits that come will be felt at every level of our broad and diverse sector, from the biggest airline to the smallest family," it said.

“It is a pledge that is both timely and necessary in the pandemic because it has led to the pause in international travel, making a clear relevance of tourism to our societies. The economic and social impact has been felt far beyond the sector itself,” the UNWTO stated.

Therefore, working for inclusive growth means getting everybody behind a better vision for tourism. Only this way can tourism restart reaching the people and communities that need it the most right now and build the foundations for a better future for all, according to Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO.

In Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet recently attended a ministerial session on re-opening ASEAN tourism destinations for international tourists held within the framework of Global Tourism Indonesia 2021.

At the event, Viet said that like other countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam’s tourism industry has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, affecting the pilot reopening for international tourists, disrupting domestic tourism activities.

Vietnam tourism is ready to open for the world. Photo: InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort

Vietnam has temporarily closed the entry of international tourists since the end of March 2020. Domestic tourism activities are still being maintained with many measures to ensure the safety of tourists. In the past eight months, Vietnam's tourism has served more than 30 million domestic tourists.

“In order to prepare step by step for economic recovery along with epidemic prevention and control, Vietnam has implemented a massive Covid-19 vaccine roll-out to all people, including those working in the tourism industry,” he said.

In September 2021, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed a pilot study to welcome international visitors to Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang province.

Currently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working on the plan to reopen international travel, select suitable international source markets and step up vaccinations for people in Phu Quoc before piloting the program tentatively in October 2021.

In the projected procedures, before arrival, visitors will be asked to install the “Vietnam Safe Travel” app to declare vaccination status and necessary medical information. A QR code will be generated for each holidaymaker.

According to the National Administration of Tourism, over the past time, the sector has striven to update, improve and complete functions of the app so as to serve international tourists, including display in English language and the integration of Covid-19 vaccine verification system in line with European standards.