Tour operators offer deals as Vietnam eases COVID-19 control measures

Vietnam reopened its border on March 15 to international tourism after months of combating the prolonged COVID-a9 pandemic that has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism sector.

The Government on the same day agreed to restore pre-pandemic visa procedures for both foreign citizens and Vietnamese expatriates wishing to visit the country. As part of the initial easing of restrictions it announced visa exemptions for citizens from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Belarus.

The Government also announced the lifting of medical isolation requirements at the place of residence for foreign arrivals. Indeed, only a negative test result is now required before vaccinated visitors board their flight to Vietnam,

Tour operators have breathed a sigh of relief and moved to send bookings to foreign partners, kick-starting the inbound market.

Nguyen Minh Man, marketing and communication director of TST Tourist, told thanhnien.vn that TST is currently working alongside partners in Southeast Asia such as Thailand and Cambodia, as well as India, Japan, and several Middle East countries, before it plans to expand into other markets.

According to the executive, Vietnam presents numerous opportunities to attract tourists, including a wealth of experience in containing COVID-19 during the first phase, along with attractive destinations, refurbished accommodation facilities, and upgraded infrastructure.

“If we better address pending issues such as extending the list of visa exemption countries, gradually reducing supervision, and offering promotion programmes, tourists will certainly love and return to explore Vietnam,” said Man.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Huu Y Yen, general director of Saigontourist, said the firm moved to immediately inform its foreign partners of the Government’s latest policies and has already started to receive bookings for tours in October, a period which is considered the beginning of the peak season for inbound visitors.

Saigontourist's cruise ship clients are also busy starting work on pre-signed contracts. Celebrity Cruises, a brand of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, has confirmed that it will run three trips to Vietnam in December, with the first slated for December 3. Other shipping lines have also begun to schedule and redraft programmes, putting Vietnam on the list of destinations for new arrivals.

“We cannot expect a high influx of visitors at present as it is the off-peak season,” said Yen, “We can anticipate a boom in the peak season from October to March of the following year when foreign visitors enter in large numbers.”

In his opinion, Vietnam remains a prominent destination for visitors from major markets such as Europe, Australia, the Us, the Republic of Korea, and Japan.

“One of our advantages is sea tourism which is the favourite with foreign visitors, and we expect this service will prosper late this year,” stressed the executive.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is popularising the communication programme ‘Live fully in Vietnam’ which aims to encourage foreign visitors to return to Vietnam. At the same time, it is promoting communication co-operation on major international media channels such as CNN and CNBC.

“Vietnam will take part in major tourism fairs in the world, organize programmes to introduce its tourism and culture abroad, and launch a number of farm trips to discover experience travel in the country,” said Ha Van Sieu, deputy director general of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.