Many tourist sites in Da Lat city, Lam Dong province have reopened their doors to welcome tourists over the four-day National Reunification Day and May Day holiday from April 30 to May 3, after “hibernating” during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Lam Vien square, a popular tourist attraction in Da Lat city, welcomed thousands of visitors over the past two days
From the evening of April 30, 35 tourist attractions, 33 agritourism sites, and more than 60 free-entrance popular tourist sites in Da Lat have resumed operations.
Nguyen Hoai Thuong, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City said that she picked Da Lat as a venue for her four-day vacation thanks to its ideal climate, beautiful natural landscapes and friendly people. More importantly, no COVID-19 case has been reported in the Central Highlands city.
Local tourist business and service providers, and authorities of Da Lat city and Lam Dong province in general are happy that Da Lat tourism has quickly regained visitors’ favour as a destination choice after social distancing regulations were eased, but at the same time they are justifiably anxious.
“We are concerned with the fact that some tourists may become oblivious to the preventative measures against COVID-19. Individuals must their raise awareness regarding their health and that of the community,” said the owner of a cafeteria in downtown Da Lat city.
According to the Deputy Director of the Lam Dong provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, initial statistics showed that around 25,000 travellers decided to spend their April 30 – May 1 holiday in Da Lat.
“We are glad to see that Da Lat has established itself as a safe and friendly destination for visitors. We hope that the tourists will show a high sense of responsibility and join hands with the local authorities to prevent the spread of the epidemic during their stay,” she said.
Before the social distancing rule was lifted, the city’s tourism sector had sent documents to travel businesses and tour operators, asking them to take proper measures on COVID-19 prevention and control once they resume operation, as directed by the Ministry of Health.
Visitors must have their body temperature checked and have their hands sanitised at the entrance to local tourist sites.
Over the past two days, thousands of visitors have flocked to the Hoa Binh area in the city’s downtown, Da Lat night market and Lam Vien square. Visitors mainly travelled by personal means. However, the city reported that the traffic situation was not as serious as in previous years.
Vice Chairwoman of Da Lat city People’s Committee, Tran Thi Vu Loan said that working groups have been set up to inspect tourist activities at tourist sites, and remind visitors to observe epidemic preventative regulations. Any violations will be strictly punished.
Comprehensive measures have also been taken to continue promoting Da Lat as a friendly and safe destination for holiday-makers, she added.
In addition, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working with tourism associations and functional agencies to develop strategies to stimulate the hospitality sector when the epidemic ends.
Lam Dong province set a target of greeting around 7.8 million travellers in 2020, up 9.1% on last year. The province received more than 1.37 million visitors in the first quarter of this year.