COVID-19 vaccination tours to US postponed
Travel firms will suspend advertisements for their tour packages for Vietnamese citizens to the United States inclusive of COVID-19 vaccinations and will not organize the tours this year.
At a meeting between the HCMC Department of Tourism and companies introducing the tours on May 24, due to the potential impacts of these tours, the companies agreed to wait until early next year to keep a close watch on the developments of the pandemic and prevent any potential impact on customers, the local media reported.
They will make more careful preparations to ensure return air tickets and health insurance for customers.
All companies introducing the tours are in HCMC. Therefore, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism had asked the HCMC Department of Tourism to work with these tour organizers.
According to travel firms, they launched the tours to survey the market and demands from customers.
Earlier, a representative of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said tours inclusive of medical checkups, treatment and vaccinations were not new.
However, during the current COVID-19 resurgence, the tours to the United States for COVID-19 vaccinations will pose a high risk. If they are not well organized, conflicts between tour operators and customers may occur.
In addition, the developments of the pandemic are unpredictable, which has led to a series of changes with regard to travel and entry and exit conditions. Therefore, the department did not support the tours in the current context because they are not suitable and may cause unwanted risks to customers and the companies.
A representative of Hoan My Travel Company, which was set to organize tours to the United States, said the company also realized the shortcomings and possible incidents that could occur during the tours, so it was going to put them on hold.
Meanwhile, one of Vietravel’s current top priorities is to comply with the Government’s requirements on pandemic prevention and control and regulations of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
A Vietravel representative said specific plans for the tours must be worked out and management agencies, such as the national steering committee for COVID-19 infection prevention and control must be consulted.