OP-ED: Vietnam’s tourism sector bouncing back after reopening

Just a few days after the reopening, the central province of Quang Nam kicked off the Visit Vietnam Year 2022, themed “Quang Nam - Green tourism destination”.

Throughout the year, nearly 300 cultural and tourism events will take place, including 64 hosted by Quang Nam alone. The key activities will be held from May to September.

In Quang Nam, Hoi An will be hosting many of these activities. The city and travel companies believe there is a good chance to introduce new tourism products to help tourism recover after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 8, Ho Chi Minh City - a major tourist magnet in Vietnam - welcomed 130 visitors from the US, the first large group of foreign tourists to the southern metropolis in two years.

This indicates interest among international tourists has begun to rebound, and that Vietnam in general and HCM City in particular are drawing attention from foreign travellers, the municipal Tourism Department said, adding the local tourism sector expects a rapid recovery after the reopening.

Meanwhile, the south central province of Khanh Hoa is stepping up communications to advertise itself and Nha Trang city as a safe, civilised and hospitable destination. It is also working to welcome visitors from traditional markets, including Russia, back, director of the provincial Tourism Department, Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, noted.

Other provinces in the northwestern and Central Highlands regions are focusing on developing tourism products that help travellers explore unique local cultures.

In central Thua Thien-Hue province, the former capital city of Hue is preparing for the Hue Festival 2022, slated for June 25 to 30.

Quang Ninh province, a major tourism centre in the north of Vietnam, has planned a series of events to stimulate travel, including hosting seven sporting events during the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) this May. The highlight of these activities will be the Ha Long - Quang Ninh Tourism Week, including the Ha Long Carnival, in late April and early May.

Vietnam’s tourism has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the number of international arrivals plunged by over 80 percent from the previous year to 3.7 million, while domestic tourism halved. The sector lost about 23 billion USD in revenue.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said the sector will work effectively on the tourism recovery and development programme in order to achieve the targets set in the country’s socio-economic recovery and development programme.

In particular, it will renew products, services, infrastructure, personnel and promotions, he went on, adding that the administration will also ask agencies to issue support policies for tourism businesses and workers hit by the pandemic.