"Green corridor" needed for domestic tourism

In the past two weeks, several localities have basically brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control and began to restore intra-provincial tourism.

The terraced rice fields in the ripening rice season in Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province. (Photo: NDO)
The terraced rice fields in the ripening rice season in Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province. (Photo: NDO)

However, in order to restore domestic tourism, it is not possible to rely solely on intra-provincial tourism as locals are too familiar with local tourism products and resources.

In the context of the fight against the pandemic being complicated and once which may take a long time, it is crucial to connect green destinations from provinces and cities to both attractive and safe products for visitors.

How to move and connect smoothly inter-provincial green areas is a problem for travel businesses during the implementation of the programme “Restoring domestic tourism nationwide” recently launched by the Vietnam Tourism Association.

With their readiness, many enterprises have proactively developed new closed budget tours and routes to ensure safety in epidemic prevention and control. Green destinations, services, products and even tourists (issued with a COVID Green Card) are all being implemented. The remaining problem is a “green corridor” (also called green road or green channel).

Currently, provinces and cities have their own regulations on epidemic prevention and control based on their specific situation, along with different policies on quarantine for those who move to the localities. If there is not cooperation, agreement and coordination among localities to create a "green corridor" for inter-provincial tourism, it will be difficult to resume domestic tourism activities.

According to experts, in order to help the tourism industry operate smoothly and safely adapt itself to the new situation, in addition to unifying the criteria for safe tourism, special attention should be paid to removing barriers in terms of moving between interconnected green destinations. This requires the participation and close coordination of the relevant ministries, agencies and authorities of the provinces and cities in directing and giving specific regulations and guidelines for the connection and creation of “green corridors” for businesses to carry out tours and routes conveniently and safely.

It is also necessary to have strict conditions to reactivate domestic tourism. It will be futile if the tourism sector moves without the response and participation of the aviation, road, railway, and waterway industries.

Provincial and regional linkages require the sharing and cooperation of the localities. All parties involved in the tourism supply chain, such as: travel, accommodation, destinations, dining, and entertainment, must comply with the conditions and criteria on safety related to epidemic prevention and control.

Tourism enterprises should be responsible for controlling tourism programmes and groups of tourists to make them feel secure, relieving their fear of disease, and creating safe travel habits. Local management agencies will license and supervise safety and the quality of the services provided by travel businesses in the localities. This is also the strategy Ho Chi Minh City has been applying to diversify tourism products while ensuring safety.

However, some localities who have controlled the epidemic quite well are still hesitant to reopen tourism due to the slow speed of vaccination. Therefore, in order to accelerate the resumption of domestic tourism, vaccine coverage must be boosted in key tourist areas.

Only when necessary and sufficient conditions are met to form a favourable environment can domestic tourism operate safely and step by step get rid of difficulties, contributing to socio-economic restoration and development of safe and flexible adaptation to the new normal and effective control of COVID-19 pandemic.

Translated by NDO