Vietnam reopened its border on March 15 to international tourism after months of combating the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic that has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism sector. Tour operators have breathed a sigh of relief and moved to send bookings to foreign partners, kick-starting the inbound market.

Foreign visitors arrive in Phu Quoc. Photo: VNA

On the same day, the government decided to reinstate pre-pandemic visa procedures for foreign citizens and Vietnamese expatriates who wish to visit the country. It announced visa waivers for citizens of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Belarus as part of the initial relaxation of restrictions.

Foreign newcomers' medical isolation restrictions at their place of residence will be lifted, according to the government. In fact, only a negative test result is now necessary before vaccinated tourists fly to Vietnam.

With a sigh of relief, tour operators have begun sending bookings to overseas partners, kicking off the inbound sector.

TST Tourist's marketing and communication director, Nguyen Minh Man, told Thanh Nien that the company is presently collaborating with partners in Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Cambodia, as well as India, Japan, and a number of Middle Eastern nations, before expanding into new markets.

According to the CEO, Vietnam offers a variety of tourist attractions, including a wealth of experience in containing COVID-19 during the first phase of the outbreak, as well as appealing destinations, updated lodging facilities, and improved infrastructure.

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

Meanwhile, Saigontourist's general director, Nguyen Huu Y Yen, said the company worked quickly to tell its foreign partners of the government's latest rules and has already begun to receive bookings for tours in October, which is considered the start of the peak season for inbound visitors.

Cruise ship clients of Saigontourist are also commencing work on pre-signed contracts. Celebrity Cruises, a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line brand, has confirmed that three cruises to Vietnam would be offered in December, the first of which will depart on December 3. Other shipping companies have begun to schedule and rewrite their schedules, including Vietnam on the list of new arrival locations.

"We cannot expect a significant influx of people at this time because it is the off-peak season," Yen said. "However, we can anticipate a boom in the peak season from October to March of the next year," he added.

Vietnam, he believes, will continue to be a popular tourist destination for travelers from key markets including Europe, Australia, the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan.

"One of our benefits is marine tourism, which is popular among foreign guests, and we expect this service to grow in popularity later this year," the CEO stated.

Hanoi supports human resources development serving tourism. - Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is popularising the communication program ‘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 programs 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.

According to VNA, from March 1, the European Union (EU) abolished its non-essential travel ban, allowing all fully vaccinated visitors from outside the bloc, including Vietnamese citizens, to enter the bloc. India is set to resume regular flights on March 27 after a two-year hiatus, with more relaxed travel requirements.

Many lone travelers have been rushing to travel overseas after Covid in recent weeks, in addition to trip packages. More people are giving advice on how to have a smooth vacation during the new normal era on travel fan pages.

Commercial flights have returned to 20 of the 28 countries and territories to which they had direct flights prior to the pandemic.

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