Vietnam News Today (October 9): Vietnam Set to Fully Reopen to Foreign Visitors by June 2022

Poster of the campaign. Photo: baochinhphu.vn

Health Ministry, Facebook launch campaign on Covid-19 inoculation drive

The Ministry of Health and multinational technology company Facebook will launch a communication campaign to enhance public support and engagement in the country’s Covid-19 inoculation drive.

A ceremony to kick-start the campaign live streamed at 8 p.m on October 8.

The campaign is to run until the year’s end in an attempt to raise public awareness of vaccination against Covid-19.

Livestreams will be held monthly on Facebook to update information and connect people with medical workers regarding vaccine rollout, cited VNA.

Twelve video clips will be created based on the topic, along with a music video of the campaign.

Rafael Frankel, Director of Public Policy for APAC Emerging Countries at Facebook, said that Facebook is delighted at joining hands with Vietnam in the campaign, part of the technology company’s efforts to keep people across the world safe and updated with information about Covid-19.

The campaign is hoped to help Vietnam soon repel the pandemic and seize opportunities for sustainable development, he added.

North-central Vietnam braces for Lionrock storm

A tropical low depression strengthened into a storm called Lionrock early on October 8 in the Bien Dong Sea and is forecast to strike north-central Vietnam on October 11.

At 4 a.m. Lionrock was swirling around the north-western part of the Hoang Sa archipelago, with winds gusting between 60-75kph near its centre.

The storm is set to move north at a speed of approximately 10kph and is likely to gain further strength.

Storm Lionrock is expected to change its course before making landfall on October 11. Photo: VOV

It will then change its course into west north-west and west south-west and approach the Gulf of Tonkin before making landfall on October 11.

Lionrock will likely bring heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas to parts of central Vietnam starting on October 10, reported VOV.

Weather forecasters warned of heavy rainfall of up to 600mm in the central region that could trigger severe flooding in low-lying areas.

Central localities have made plans to evacuate approximately 300,000 residents from flood-prone areas before Lionrock makes landfall.

Vietnam set to fully reopen to foreign visitors by June 2022

Vietnam is scheduled to receive foreign visitors with a vaccine passport on a trial basis in November, before fully reopening to the international tourism market by June 2022.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is set to implement a pilot scheme aimed at welcoming back foreign visitors to Phu Quoc island, a popular paradise resort in southern Vietnam, starting from November and running to March, 2022.

The scheme will also be replicated in other major tourist destinations such as Quang Ninh, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, and Thanh Hoa provinces, from December 2021 to June 2022.

Moving forward, the country is poised to fully reopen to the international tourism market by June, 2022.

For the time being priority will be given to receiving visitors from regions and countries that have high vaccination coverage, including Northeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, as well as the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea among others.

Photo: CNN

The roadmap was unveiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism during a recent meeting held virtually alongside tourism authorities of various localities nationwide.

Visitors wishing to enter the nation are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before their departure. They are also required to make health declarations or have body temperature checked upon arrival in line with Covid-19 guidelines, along with undergoing a quarantine time of just seven days as opposed to 14 days as previously regulated.

During the meeting many localities announced that they have made plans to receive domestic visitors after a hiatus caused by the prolonged Covid-19 outbreak.

They proposed that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism work alongside relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to lay down criteria for safe tourism nationwide, VOV reported.

To get the tourism sector back on track moving into the post-pandemic period, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed that localities provide travel agencies with incentives aimed at helping them to restore services, design new products, and train human resources.

The most important thing will be to develop a safe tourism model that offers self-contained services without any epidemic risks to the wider community, said Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet, adding that vaccination should be accelerated in relevant localities.

Vietnam has had its borders closed to international travelers since the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread rapidly in the country in late April, 2020. It has so far experienced four waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, causing a heavy blow to the tourism sector.

The current fourth Covid-19 wave that started in late April is fortunately showing signs of abating nationwide, thereby paving the way for the country to reopen its economy to the wider world.

Tourism, as one of the hardest hit sectors, is keen to seize upon opportunities when the Government reopens the economy in order not to lose out to rivals in the region.

Six Vietnam resorts among Asia's 25 best: Condé Nast Traveler

Vietnam has six representatives among the top 25 resorts in Asia in this year's annual Readers' Choice Awards voted by readers of British magazine Condé Nast Traveler.

With an overall score of 99.08 out of 100, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa ranked fifth on the list.

Located on Ninh Van Bay in Ninh Hoa District, around 60 kilometers from Nha Trang, the resort consists of 54 villas covering an area of lush greenery. Behind the resort lies a range of hills, home to rare monkeys on the brink of extinction.

The only way to access the resort is by boat, which takes around 20 minutes.

A swimming pool inside The Anam resort in Nha Trang beach town. Photo courtesy of the resort. Photo: VnExpress

Azerai Can Tho resort in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho stood at 13th position with an overall score of 97.9.

JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa on Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang ranked 16th with a score of 97.2.

Situated along Khem Beach, the resort consists of over 200 suites and villas.

With an overall score of 96.35, InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Da Nang City occupies 20th position.

The resort has 201 luxurious rooms, suites, penthouses, and villas that offer views of sandy beaches and tropical forests covering Son Tra Peninsula, which acts as a natural shield for Da Nang, according to VnExpress.

The five-star Topas Ecolodge resort in popular tourist town Sa Pa ranked 24th on the list with a score of 94.29 while The Anam resort in Nha Trang beach town finished the list with a score of 93.76.

Six Senses Bhutan topped the list, followed by Como Bhutan Resort and Shinta Mani Wild Resort in Cambodia.

More than 800,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe and sharing their opinions on the top cities, islands, hotels and resorts, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and other topics.

The Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running recognition of excellence in the travel industry, recognizing the world’s very best hotels, resort and destinations.

More tourist destinations prepare to welcome domestic travelers, recover industry

Some tourist hotspots have announced plans to prepare for welcoming back domestic travelers in November after months of frozen tourism.

FLC Sam Son Beach & Golf Resort and Pu Luong Tourist Area in the north central province of Thanh Hoa will be allowed to receive domestic tourists from October while other tourist destinations do so from next month.

Thanh Hoa has set a target of welcoming 700,000 visitors in the last three months of the year.

Tourists coming to Thanh Hoa must be fully vaccinated, with the second dose administered at least 14 days before arrival or furnish a certificate showing they had contracted and recovered from Covid.

Visitors aged under 18 must furnish a negative Covid test certificate before arrival.

An aerial view of FLC Sam Son Beach & Golf Resort in Thanh Hoa Province. Photo: FLC Sam Son Beach & Golf Resort

All tourist facilities must ensure that 100 percent of staff have been fully immunized while employees who have to make frequent contact with tourists must be tested every five to seven days.

Aviation authorities have planned to operate one daily flight from Thanh Hoa to beach tourist hotspots like Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, and four return flights to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s business hub, starting Sunday, cited VnExpress.

Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay, plan to welcome back inter-provincial tourists to Tuan Chau International Tourist Area and Yen Tu tourist site from next month.

Quang Ninh, which reopened intra-provincial tourism from late September, eyes receiving two million visitors in the fourth quarter to boost its travel sector.

Authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, home to resort town Da Lat, also mulled allowing domestic tourists to Da Lat and Bao Loc from next month.

In addition to vaccination requirements, visitors are required to book a package tour with a designated travel agency and have medical and travel insurance.

Authorities in the central province of Binh Dinh, home to beach town Quy Nhon, also plans to allow fully vaccinated domestic tourists to Phuong Mai Peninsula, famous for idyllic beaches and high-end resorts, from early November.

With the pandemic situation under control, some tourism hotspots in Vietnam have eased social distancing restrictions and resumed tourism activities since early October.

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