The province people's committee has approved a trial three-phase vaccine passport program for tourists from Europe, the U.S., Northeast and Southeast Asia, and Australia, which have high vaccination rates and controlled Covid-19 quite well, the government news portal reported.

Foreigners visit a park in Hue, 2020.

In the first phase of the program until January, visitors are required to book a tour with approved travel agencies, arrive in Hue by charter flights and stay at sequestered resorts.

A group of South Korean tourists are scheduled to arrive later this month and stay at the Laguna Lang Co Resort in Phu Loc District.

In the second phase, starting February, visitors can also come by cruise ships and visit more destinations such as the Bach Ma National Park and heritage sites.

In the final phase all restrictions will go depending on the situation.

Visitors need to furnish certificates showing they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid, and tested negative within 72 hours before departure.

They are also required to have medical or travel insurance including coverage for Covid-19 treatment worth at least $50,000 and install the IGOVN and PC-Covid health declaration applications on their phones while in Vietnam.

Hue, the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, is home to royal tombs, ancient palaces and pagodas that attract millions of foreign visitors every year.

In around four weeks since reopening to international tourism in mid-November, Vietnam has received over 1,000 foreign tourists who visited Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa and Kien Giang provinces.

By the end of this month the tourism industry expects the number to rise to 15,000.

Saudi Arabia to lift travel ban for arrivals from Vietnam

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior announced it will lift an entry ban on fully vaccinated expats from six countries including Vietnam from Dec. 1.

Domestic destinations suitable for solo travel

Solo travel is forecast to be a mainstream trend after the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, Booking.com statistics showed that only 17% of global tourists planned to travel alone; however, this number has almost doubled as 30% of global tourists and 29% of Vietnamese tourists say that they will plan a solo trip in the future. 

Conditions for international travel agencies to welcome international tourists into Vietnam

Temporary guidance No. 4122/HD-BVHTTDL dated November 5, 2021 from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requires international travel businesses participating in a pilot programme to welcome international visitors to Vietnam to ensure the implementation of the following tasks.

Singapore to allow 7-day home isolation for vaccinated Vietnamese travelers

Fully vaccinated travelers from four ASEAN countries including Vietnam will have their stay-home periods cut by three days to a week upon entering Singapore from Friday.

Khanh Hoa travel firm prepares to welcome back Japanese, South Korean tourists

A travel firm in Khanh Hoa Province has sought approval from local authorities to welcome back the first group of South Korean and Japanese tourists after nearly two years.

Source: VnExpress