Risk control measures have been implemented to treat foreign and domestic tourists alike, aiming at ensuring safety and convenience of visitors, stressed Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at a conference on the reopening of international tourism activities that was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on March 15.
Thua Thien Hue Province receives a delegation of nearly 600 tourists visiting Hue Imperial Citadel on March 15.
The US is one of Vietnam's important tourist markets. American visitors are interested in Vietnamese culture, history and landscapes, and many overseas Vietnamese in the United States want to return to homeland to visit their relatives when the international routes between the two sides are resumed, said Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung.
However, until the tourism reopening date of March 15, there are not still detailed health regulations. Therefore, the embassy can not grant visas to visitors to travel to and enter Vietnam, he said.
In addition, the tourism industry needs to build competitive and appropriate tourist products to attract visitors from the US, the ambassador added.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam said that Japan always highly appreciates and supports the Vietnamese government’s policies, including the vaccine passport and proposal to resume air routes between the two countries that have been accepted immediately.
Japan is not fully open to international visitors. Travelers from countries have to spend three days of the isolation period at government-designated quarantine facilities. Besides, the country is offering promotional programs to stimulate the domestic tourism market. Hence, people have chosen tours to local destinations at home instead of abroad.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung also expressed his concern over the tardiness in providing information and instruction, especially health regulations. Quarantine-free travel for international arrivals will help attract visitors and encourage travel businesses to promptly resume operation, he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that in fact, the tourism reopening is also reopening international trade and international exchange similar to before pandemic in the context of safe, flexible adaptation to and effective control of the Covid-19 outbreak. Several issues need to be discussed, such as recovery of visa exemption policy, e-visa on arrival, health monitoring regardless of nationality.
The Deputy Prime Minister hoped that there will be more and more connections between Vietnamese ambassadors, Diplomatic representative agencies abroad and the country’s tourism industry to seek solutions for solving obstacles and promote Vietnam’s tourism effectively.
By Mai An – Translated by Kim Khanh