HCMC – Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam and Kien Giang provinces will be welcoming back international tourists this month after a 20-month suspension of inbound travel induced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Together with Danang City and Quang Ninh Province, the three provinces had earlier been allowed to pilot plans to allow foreign visitors who hold Covid-19 vaccine passports to come back.
The Khanh Hoa government has issued detailed guidelines on the plan. Accordingly, the plan will be implemented in three phases.
In the first phase, from this month to December 31, Khanh Hoa will allow in guests of all-in tours through charter and commercial flights. Guests will stay at resorts in the Northern Cam Ranh Peninsula tourist site and participate in bubble tours.
In the second phase, from January 1 to March 31 next year, tourists can visit more destinations in Khanh Hoa or other provinces after they spend seven days in the first destination. They can fly to Vietnam on charter or commercial flights.
From April 2022, the province will expand the plan to all tourist facilities if the anti-Covid fight and the two previous phases show positive results.
Director of the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Le Thanh said the province had welcomed the first flight carrying vaccine passport holders, who are Vietnamese people living in South Korea, on November 11.
At the end of this month, foreigners holding vaccine passports are expected to come to the province, Thanh added.
Besides Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam will welcome the first groups of foreign tourists on November 17 and another group the next day.
They will stay at some resorts, such as Hoiana and Vinpearl Nam Hoi An.
On November 20, Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province will receive some 250 guests from South Korea, who will stay at resorts, including Vinpearl Resort & Spa Phu Quoc, and visit VinWonders, Vinpearl Safari, Vinpearl Golf, Corona Resort & Casino, and Grand World.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has developed a plan themed “Live fully in Vietnam” to promote Vietnam’s reopening to international visitors.
The administration has also worked with Vietnamese diplomatic agencies in other countries to provide information on the resumption of inbound travel and conduct promotion programs on international TV channels, such as CNN and CNBC.
Several days ago, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam asked international airlines to coordinate with travel companies to develop plans to operate flights to carry international tourists to Vietnam and submit the plans to the authority before November 15.
