According to the proposal, the package is expected to cover a financial bailout for the issuance of “tour vouchers” (validity of 12-18 months), which have equivalent values to the tours previously reserved by customers but forced to be suspended due to the Covid-19 outbreak and other majored cases. The beneficiaries include small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), home-stay services. Tourism employees who are forced to take unpaid leave will be supported within the stimulus package of VND 62 trillion approved by the Prime Minister. Especially, hospitality enterprises, tourism training facilities and workers will enjoy free of charge for the issuance, re-issuance and replacement of international travel business licenses for conducting inbound and outbound services, tour-guide cards in 2020.
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Tourism businesses are allowed to take part in tourism promotion programs with no payments for costs of visa application and airplane tickets for their officials (one official per business). Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAA) is requested to direct airlines to help travel agencies deal with deposits for airplane tickets purchased during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, ministries has proposed for the postponement of collection of social insurance premium in 2019 and 2020 until the end of June, 2021, and an increase unemployment support.
In addition, Ministry of Culture-Sports and Tourism also suggested a number of solutions to respond to Covid-19 pandemic and boost the recovery of tourism industry, including encouraging Vietnamese people to use tourism services.
In case of Coronavirus crisis in Vietnam and some Asian countries could end earlier than in other regions, Vietnam tourism sector will restructure tourism markets, focus on promoting markets which are not affected by Covid-19 anymore, encourage the development of tourism models with business events as MICE.
Translated by Phuong Lan (Source: Binh Thuan Newspaper)