Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued new guidelines for the second phase of a pilot plan to welcome international tourists, now allowing all places to participate in more relaxed requirements.
The new directive replaces the previous document issued on November 5 last year and will come into effect during the second phase of the pilot plan to welcome international tourists to the country, which is expected to last until March 14.
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Accordingly, all places are now allowed to inform the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of their plan to welcome foreign travelers based on local demand and COVID-19 prevention and control conditions.
The previous directive included only seven provinces and cities, namely Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh and Binh Dinh, in the pilot project.
International travel companies that meet all the requirements and have applied to Vietnam’s National Administration of Tourism can participate in the plan, the new guidance says.
Tourists are both foreigners and Vietnamese living abroad.
Visitors are only required to have a negative COVID-19 test result via the RT-PCR or RT-LAMP method within 72 hours of departure.
They must have travel insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment with a minimum liability of US$20,000 compared to the $50,000 previously promulgated.
Visitors should purchase at least three-day package holidays offered by legitimate travel agents.
However, people who are not fully vaccinated, as well as their guardians, must be on tours lasting at least seven days.
After the tours, visitors are allowed to travel freely or visit their relatives in Vietnam if they test negative for the new coronavirus.
They must first register with their travel agency, which then, according to regulations, informs the local authorities for management.
Vietnam has documented 2,643,024 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic first hit the country in early 2020, with 2,254,965 recoveries and 39,278 deaths.
Nearly 80 million of the country’s 98 million people have been vaccinated with at least one dose.
Vietnam has not officially welcomed any international tourists back, but has received multiple groups of foreign visitors as part of its pilot tourism reopening, the first phase of which began in late 2021.
By Duy Khang – Thien Dieu @ Tuoi Tre News
