On Wednesday October 6th, authorities in Vietnam announced the reopening of key tourist destinations to vaccinated visitors from countries deemed a low Covid-19 risk from December. The country is planning to implement a phased approach to reopening. The first location will be Phu Quoc, where fully vaccinated visitors be allowed to travel there without quarantine. Authorities expect to fully reopen by June of 2022.
Visitors to Phu Quoc must fully vaccinated, with the second dose taken at least 14 days and not more than 12 months before the date of entry. They must present a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours before their departure. The initiative is similar to Thailand’ Sandbox model, which will next month include more locations in its own pilot scheme to allow vaccinated visitors.
Depending on the results of the pilot in Vietnam, authorities may open other favorite tourist destinations to foreign travelers. Some of the potential destinations include Ha Long Bay in northern province of Quang Ninh, Hoi An City in the central province of Quang Nam, Nha Trang City in the central province of Khanh Hoa and Da Lat City in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong, to foreign arrivals.
Also from November, localities where the pandemic is considered to be under control may consider welcoming domestic travelers as long as they are fully vaccinated. Preventive measures must be observed at all times.
According to CNN, international arrivals fell to 3.8 million last year down from 18 million in 2019, when tourism revenue was $31 billion, equivalent to 12% of GDP. Vietnam is trying to increase the number of vaccinated people. With just 13% of its 98 million people inoculated so far, it has one of the lowest rates in Asia. Authorities are also considering introducing vaccine passports or health passes to facilitate a safe reopening of the country.
