Nikkei reports that Vietnam is positively recovering after the Covid-19 epidemic. Foreign visitors can easily come to Vietnam thanks to its open entry policy.
According to statistics in Nikkei’s Covid-19 Recovery Index, Vietnam made efforts in May to relax prevention regulations and keep infection rates at a low level.
The Covid-19 Recovery Index assesses countries and territories in response to infection, Covid-19 vaccination implementation and social mobility.
The higher the rating, the closer that country and area is to resilience. This indicator is characterized by low infection and death rates, good vaccination coverage and gradual lifting of movement restrictions.
Vietnam is open to foreign tourists
In 2021, Vietnam and the Philippines will both be at the bottom of the Covid-19 Recovery Index rankings. However, according to May data, Vietnam rose 48 places to 14th place.
The most obvious improvement is the elimination of social distancing, Vietnam allows students to return to schools and reopen businesses.
According to Nikkei assessment, Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia to waive all testing, vaccination and isolation regulations for foreign tourists.
Nikkei writer Lien Hoang shared that it is getting easier to enter Vietnam. This person came to Vietnam from California (USA) in May, brought a vaccination certificate, negative PCR test and installed a tracking application on the phone.
“The immigration officer at the airport did not see any of the above documents, but simply asked me to take off my mask to verify my identity. Total passport control was less than a minute, just like any other flight I took to Vietnam before the Covid-19 epidemic,” said Lien Hoang.
Nikkei reported that Vietnam’s suspension of test results on May 15 marked a step forward in easing prevention measures against Covid-19. This policy change bodes well for travelers, supply chain managers and others who depend on smooth traffic flow.
“That means tourists feel comfortable coming to Vietnam, just like they did before the Covid-19 epidemic. This is an achievement few Asian countries have achieved,” said the Nikkei writer.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), with over 80% of the population fully immunized and 60% receiving booster doses, Vietnam received 27/30 points for immunization.
Asia tourism recovers well
Like Vietnam, the Philippines has moved up 40 places in the ranking and reached 33rd place thanks to the number of Covid-19 infections falling below 200 in the past week, with no deaths recorded.
Since February, the Southeast Asian country has opened its doors to fully vaccinated international visitors. Last week, the Philippines also stopped requiring foreign visitors who received a booster dose to present a negative Covid-19 test result upon entry.
According to Nikkei’s ranking, Cambodia and South Korea lead Asian countries in 2nd and 8th place. These two countries both aspire to live with the disease and have high vaccination rates.
In this list, China rose one place to 93rd. China’s domestic travel score fell to the lowest 4.5/30 as the country continues to take measures to prevent the Covid-19 outbreak.
The latest figures show that the number of passengers on public transport in 36 major cities in China fell by almost 50% year-on-year in 2019.
According to experts at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), China’s “Zero Covid-19” policy is unlikely to end this year. This means that China will close its borders in the near future, which will stagnate the recovery of the global tourism industry in general and Asia in particular.
Still, China is likely to play an important role in tourism recovery in 2023. “We expect China to gradually open up to international tourism after the first quarter of 2023, maintaining the momentum of global international arrivals even as Western demand begins to decline. EIU analyst Ejaz Ahmed told a June 1 conference.
@ Sing News
