Phu Quoc selects safe destinations to welcome tourists

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated with Kien Giang Province to prepare the necessary conditions for a pilot programme to welcome international tourists to PhuQuoc from the end of November 2021.

Visitors participate in thrilling games at VinWonders Phu Quoc (Photo: Hong Dat /VNA)
Visitors participate in thrilling games at VinWonders Phu Quoc (Photo: Hong Dat /VNA)

Information was announced at the third quarterly press conference of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held in Hanoi, on October 28.

According to VNAT Deputy General Director Pham Van Thuy, reopening to international and domestic tourism is necessary because up to now, tourism businesses have been trulyexhausted after such a long time being affected by the epidemic.

Currently, 100% people in Phu Quoc receiving one shot of covid-19 vaccines. The locality is continuing to deploy the 2nd injection.

The locality has selected a list of safe destinations to welcome tourists, developing a contingency plan in case a tourist has a positive case for SARS-CoV-2, then promptly implement the treatment plan.

International tourists to Phu Quoc will enter by air, coming from potential markets with high safety in COVID-19 prevention such as Northeast Asia, Europe, the United States, and Australia.

The National Administration of Tourism has also worked with Vietnam's diplomatic missions abroad to update information, promote, promote, and attract tourists from potential international markets to Phu Quoc.

After piloting the welcoming of visitors to Phu Quoc in the first phase, the tourism industry and localities will assess and learnfrom the experience and offer solutions suitable to the reality at that time, towards expansion to other destinations such as Ha Long, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat, gradually expanding the international tourist market in Vietnam.

The VNAT has developed Vietnam's safe tourism digital map. With the software application on a smartphone, travellers canaccess updated information on whether their destinations are safe enough to visit at that time or not.

The map can be uploaded on a website, presented in a mobile application, or integrated in the Safe Vietnam Tourism application created by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

The VNAT also plans to launch Vietnam Tourism Switchboard 1039 and VTV Travel application; developing a system to certify the number of vaccines against COVID-19 (https://travelpass.tourism.vn) to serve the return of international tourists.

For domestic tourists, any locality that ensures a safe corridor and meets the requirements set forth on the prevention and control of COVID-19 will gradually reopen, with safe places chosen by each locality.

Currently, localities are making efforts to welcome intra-provincial tourists first. Then, once the destinations are safe, they will continue to welcome tourists from other localities.