HCMC – The central province of Quang Nam has written to the prime minister seeking approval to welcome back international tourists as it has brought the Covid-19 pandemic under control, said director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Thanh Hong.
In the document, Quang Nam Chairman Le Tri Thanh said the province had experience in welcoming Vietnamese citizens returning from other countries during the pandemic. Its lodging, travel and transport firms have ensured pandemic prevention and control while serving these guests, proving the province’s capacity to welcome back foreign tourists in the coming periods.
To resume tourism activities step-by-step, the province wants to become the second locality to welcome back foreign tourists after Phu Quoc, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported.
If approved, the province will work with the relevant ministries and agencies to formulate a plan to lure international visitors with anti-pandemic measures taken into account.
At a meeting of the province on October 6, Thanh approved the Hoi An City government’s proposal to allocate more Covid-19 vaccines to the city to help tourism recover.
He also asked the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with Danang City and Thua Thien-Hue Province to help the domestic tourism segment recover.
In 2019, Quang Nam welcomed nearly 7.8 million tourists. Last year, the figure fell to 1.5 million due to the pandemic.
This year, the province’s tourism sector has been hit heavily by the pandemic. In the January-September period, its revenues from lodging and travel services tumbled 67.5% and 82.4%, respectively, year-on-year.
