Vietnam

Cambodia and Vietnam will soon restart their tourism cooperation via land and air

Vietnam to remove pre-departure testing requirement for all international arrivals from 15 May, as cases decrease significantly in the country

Vietnam’s GDP is predicted to grow by 5.5%-6% in 2022, with inflation in the range of 4%-4.5% in 2022, and over 5% in 2023, according to economists and policymakers during an economic forum organised by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Hanoi. In the worst case scenario, in regards to the pandemic situation and the Russia-Ukraine war, Vietnam’s GDP growth is predicted to be as low as 4.5%. Vietnam recorded 5.03% GDP growth in Q1 and a 2.1% increase in consumer price index. Vietnam’s Business Environment Index has also “almost” recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Vietnam’s GDP to grow by 6% in 2022, and 7.2% in 2023

Trip.com reported that hotel bookings in Vietnam increased 247% YoY, while international flight bookings increased 265% YoY. It also reported that Vietnam is one of the most popular international route booked from South Korea

Tan Lac District in Hoa Binh Province to develop sustainable tourism, ecotourism, resort tourism and experience tourism. Hoa Binh Province expects to attract more tourists as it will host the mountain biking event (14-17 May) and the road cycling event (19-22 May) of the SEA Games, with participation of about 400 athletes and officials

The 31st SEA Games has officially kicked off with an opening ceremony at My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi on 12 May. The event will run until 23 May

Hanoi is offering free city tours onboard double-decker buses for all athletes, coaches and reporters of the SEA Games throughout May

The Health Ministry has proposed to lift pre-departure testing requirements for travellers arriving in Vietnam by air

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Vietnam has reached mutual passport recognition with 20 countries: Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, India, Belarus, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Maldives, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Turkey, Singapore, Saint Lucia, the Republic of Korea, Iran, Palestine and the Dominican Republic, as well as by the European Commission, which means Vietnam’s vaccine passport can now be used in 81 countries and territories

Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Vietnam and Russia have agreed to conduct a joint military exercise

Hoan Kiem District in Hanoi has launched electric bus tours to serve SEA Games visitors on 12 May. The bus will run 3 routes, introducing cultural, historical, and architectural values of the district

Netflix has announced the top 9 finalists for its short film competition powered by the Cinema Beauty - Vietnam Creative Economy Grant, launched in Oct 2021 under the support of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Ministry

The Government’s Board for Private Economic Development Research (IV Board) has proposed changes to Vietnam’s border measures, including: • Lifting the pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirements for foreign arrivals and conducting on-arrival tests only for arrivals who display COVID-19 symptoms • Abolishing the $10,000 USD insurance requirement for tourists • Expanding visa exemptions for visitors from potential markets like the US, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands • Increasing the period for visa-free stay from 15 to 30 days for visitors from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and other northern European countries • Implementing multiple entry visas with longer exemption period, simplify administrative processes, and simplify e-visa and visa procedures at the border gates

HCMC to launch new tourism products for the summer holidays, including Sai Gon River cruises, helicopter tours, as well as cycling, trekking and camping tours in ecotourism areas. HCMC’s Tourism Department revealed that private or bespoke tours have been gaining popularity among tourists. It added that HCMC would continue to promote MICE tourism and improve the infrastructure and services for large groups, alongside the new products. HCMC earned $69.7 million USD in tourism revenue during the Reunification Day-May Day holiday

The Tourism and Trade Exchange Meeting between Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam was held on 5-6 May to discuss plans on boosting the flow of tourists between the countries

Hanoi and Hoi An have been included in the top 10 tourist cities for wellness services in Asia by travel websites Wego and TrustYou

Sabirama Hoi An Tourism Company said that they have received the most foreign tourists since the pandemic began in the past few days, mostly from the US, Australia and South Korea. Jack Tran Tours Hoi An have also received enquiries from European delegations. Hoi An received over 10,000 visitors daily in the past few days. Around 20% of the guests staying at eco-resorts and villas were foreigners. La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa welcomed 4,000 guests in Apr, of which over 20% were foreigners

Nui Than Tai hot spring park in Da Nang welcomed 25,000 guests while Marble Mountains welcomed 13,000 during the Reunification Day-May Day holiday. Asia Park officially reopened on 30 Apr after closure due to the pandemic, and saw a 300% YoY increase in visitor numbers. Sun World Ba Na Hills tourist area saw a 55% YoY increase in visitor numbers. Sun World Ba Na Hills has launched many new products including Time Gate, Moon Castle, Sun God Waterfall, B’estival 2022 Food and Beer Festival and thematic show “The Battle of the Moon Kingdom”. The resort reported that from now to 2025, it will continue to launch unique products such as a museum combined with natural landscape, tropical and flower gardens, wine production, volcano show, show roses, among others

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism regards the 31st SEA Games as a “golden opportunity” to popularise Vietnam’s nature and culture globally. Vietravel is selling 2 travel packages, which include tickets to SEA Games football matches and either a tour of Sapa and Ninh Binh, or Sapa and Ha Long

Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum welcomed nearly 7,000 visitors on the first day of the Reunification Day-May Day holiday

HCMC to temporarily close 2 out of 3 of its COVID-19 field hospitals, and permanently shut down those that are currently temporarily closed as the pandemic situation improves. Most wards and communes in the city have been designated low COVID risk, except for 4 that are still at medium risk, as of 4 May

The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2022 to take place at Le Van Tam Park from 14-17 May. Over 100 units, including over 50 localities, 38 tourism service businesses, and 11 restaurants and airlines will participate and promote their products and services at the event. HCMC tourist attractions such as Dam Sen Cultural Park, Suoi Tien tourist ara, Cu Chi Tunnels, the Sac Forest War Zone, the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Ao Dai museum will also offer discount on entry fees and promotional programmes to stimulate demand to the city

The Hanoi Tourism Festival 2022 to take place at Ly Thai To Garden and Dinh Tien Hoang Street from 13-15 May, featuring the participation of 100 tourism businesses, including Vietnam Airlines, Hanoi Tourism Corporation and Vietravel

150 tour companies are organising a workshop on the Cambodia-Vietnam-Thailand Economic Corridor opening, to boost cooperation for coastal tourism packages

The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) steps up installation and trial of the IT infrastructure for the 31st SEA Games. VNPT will also provide 5G network at the National Convention Centre (NCC) in Hanoi to facilitate fast news coverage

Vinh Long Province aims to develop tourism into a key economic sector by 2025, with an average annual tourist arrival growth target of 9% in 2021-2025 and 10% in 2026-2030. The average growth rate in 2015-2019 reached 11.6% per year, but the number of tourists fell in 2020-2021 to only around 1 million due to the pandemic. The province plans to link producers of OCOP (One Commune, One Product) products with tourism sites in and outside of the province to promote OCOP and tourism in 2021-2025. The Vinh Long People’s Committee will also launch projects to develop four tourism products, with homestay tourism as the key product, and the other 3 being agricultural, handicraft village, and cultural tourism. It plans to invest in land and waterway transport infrastructure, build new-style rural areas, develop and upgrade tourism sites, and encourage investment in ecotourism, shopping and food tourism

Hotels in Hanoi expressed readiness to welcome athletes and officials for the 31st SEA Games, although some are still experiencing staff shortages due to the pandemic. Cluster General Manager of Novotel Hanoi stated that many employees switched to other jobs during the pandemic and haven’t returned. He added that the staff need to be trained differently now, with the ability to be flexible, available and to multi-task. InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 have also prepared for Muslim guests, including providing a halal menu and a prayer room

Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam held a working group on implementing the Tourism Development Plan for the Development Triangle Region (2020-2025) and Vision 2030 on 4 May. Cambodia’s Tourism Development and International Cooperation Director-General suggested the meeting to be held twice yearly to review the results of the development before reporting to the ASEAN tourism standards

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reported a record 5 million domestic visitors during the Reunification Day-May Day holiday (30 Apr-3 May), generating $962 million USD in revenue. Da Nang welcomed 18 international flights from Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea, with international arrivals increasing nearly 16-fold YoY. Airlines operated nearly 1,000 flights a day from mid-April and at end-Apr, equal to 2019’s levels and up 30% compared to usual traffic. Average booking rate for domestic flights reached 70%, with flights connecting Hanoi and HCMC with tourist destinations reaching an 80% rate. At least 174,000 passengers travelled through HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat and Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airports on 3 May

The Northern Helicopter Company relaunched its helicopter tour for the Reunification Day-May Day holiday, after a long suspension due to the pandemic. The tour passes over Da Nang’s tourist attractions such as Marble Mountains, Son Tra Peninsula, and the Han River

Hanoi welcomed over 550,000 tourists during the Reunification Day-May Day holiday (29 Apr-3 May), a nearly 20-fold increase YoY, of which 2,000 were foreigners. Tourism revenue is estimated at $65.4 million USD, a 17-fold increase YoY. Hotel occupancy rate is estimated at 42.2%, with some hotels like Somerset Tay Ho, Tay Ho's InterContinental Hanoi Westlake and InterContinental Hanoi Landmark 72 reaching 60% occupancy, while Lotte Hanoi reached 80%. The President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum welcomed nearly 45,000 visitors, while the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival 2022 attracted over 65,000 visitors

Tuan Nguyen, Director of Hanoi-based motorcycle tour company Moto Tours Asia and his partners launched a network of village homestays in traditional stilt houses to promote ecotourism, fight poverty and preserve Indigenous culture in Dien Bien Phu, in which 100% of the profits will go to locals who own and operate the houses. The homestays welcomed around 300 guests per month, a third of which were foreigners, pre-pandemic, but now only accommodate half of the number, all domestic tourists, due to the pandemic

Central Vietnam saw a surge in visitor numbers during the Reunification Day-May Day holiday (29 Apr-3 May): • Khanh Hoa welcomed 275,500 visitors, up 119% YoY. Hotel occupancy reached 87%, while tourism revenue reached $23 million USD • Binh Dinh welcomed 192,000 visitors, up 92% YoY. Hotel occupancy reached 75%, especially for properties along the coastline. Over 135 flights from HCMC, Hanoi, and Hai Phong arrived at Phu Cat Airport since 29 Apr • Quang Bing welcomed 115,000 tourists, up 4.6% YoY • Hoi An welcomed around 10,000 visitors daily

Da Nang welcomed over 254,000 tourists during the Reunification Day-May Day holiday, comprising 246,600 domestic and 7,400 international visitors, up 3.4-fold YoY. Occupancy for 4 to 5-star hotels is estimated at over 70%, while hotels along the coastline reached over 90% occupancy

Sa Pa welcomed a record 98,000 visitors during the Reunification Day-May Day holiday, up 122% from 2019, 755% from 2020, and 225% from 2021. Tourism revenue reached $12.84 million USD

The Traffic Police Department reported that traffic volume during the Reunification Day-May Day weekend was the highest since the pandemic started, especially in Hanoi, HCMC, and other tourist destinations

Vietnam recorded no new daily COVID-19 deaths for the first time since 25 Jul 2021. 2,709 new cases were recorded, with Hanoi recording the most cases with 711. Vietnam has fully vaccinated 80.4% of its population, with 58% already boosted

The Asian Development Bank stated that countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam will still face challenges in tourism recovery even as borders reopen and restrictions are eased, as most are largely dependent on Chinese tourists that still have tight border restrictions. ADB warned that slow tourism recovery may have long-term impacts such as business closures, delayed investment, and hinder investment in human capital

The General Statistics Office reported that international arrivals to Vietnam in Apr increased 2.4-fold MoM and 5.2% YoY. International arrivals in Jan-Apr totalled nearly 192,400 visitors, up 184.7% YoY, of which 88.6% arrived by air, up 4-fold YoY. Arrivals by road and sea decreased 10.5% and 58.7%, respectively. Tourism revenue from accommodation and F&B grew 5.2% YoY, while it grew 10.5% YoY from transport services

The General Statistics Office reported that unemployment in Q1 fell by 130,000 from Q4 2021 to 1.3 million, indicating a labour market recovery as Vietnam continues its “living with the virus” strategy

Travel and hospitality players are preparing for an expected tourism boost from the SEA Games in May: • Lux Group to offer short tours for foreign tourists including a 5-day tour of the Tonkin and a 2-day Ha Long Bay cruise • Flamingo Redtours to cooperate with 5-star hotels on tours introducing architectural landmarks • Hanoitourist to launch a cycling tour to the Bat Trang Village, a walking tour to discover French colonial heritage in Hanoi, and a night tour of Hanoi’s Thang Long Imperial Citadel • Saigontourist to organise one-day tours in Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang • Hanoi Pan Pacific Hotel to host teams participating in the kurash and aerobics events, and expects occupancy to nearly reach maximum capacity during the Games • The Grand Vista Hanoi to host the bowling teams and will arrange special food stalls for Muslim guest

Tourism stakeholders argue that cable cars in tourist attractions in Vietnam have negatively affected the environment and brought little benefits to locals

The Health Ministry reported 5,019 new cases, the lowest number recorded since 29 Oct 2021. An average 7,280 daily cases were reported in the last 7 days, down 32% WoW

The Tourism Gift Festival 2022 to be held in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian zone, featuring products from Hanoi’s craft villages, as well as a number of events, contests, and activities. The festival is part of a series of events to be held in late-Apr and May to attract tourists to Hanoi for the 31st SEA Games in May

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism launched a tourism promotion clip ahead of the 31st SEA Games (12-23 May), as part of its “Vietnam: Travel to Love” media campaign

The Ha Long Carnival, along with the Ao Dai Festival in Quang Ninh was held on 29 Apr as part of the Ha Long-Quang Ninh Tourism Week 2022

The General Statistics Office reported that Vietnam welcomed 192,400 international arrivals in Jan-Apr, up 184.7% YoY. Arrivals by air occupy 88.6% of the total, up nearly 4-fold YoY. International arrivals in Apr increased 2.4-fold MoM and 5.2% YoY. Tourism revenue from accommodation, food, and transport services grew 5.2% MoM and 10.5% YoY

Air fares and hotel rates across the country has dropped by up to 50% in a series of last-minute deals ahead of the Reunification Day-May Day holiday

Da Nang welcomed over 220 tourists from South Korea on 29 Apr via Vietjet Air

Hanoi Tourism Department and Hanoitourist have launched a cycling tour to Bat Trang pottery village, as part of a series of tours designed for SEA Games visitors

The Deputy PM announced that international travellers with e-visas can now enter/exit Vietnam via Quang Ninh’s Van Don International Airport, the first private international airport in Vietnam, in addition to the previously announced 8 airports: Hanoi’s Noi Bai, HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat, Khanh Hoa’s Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Hai Phong’s Cat Bi, Can Tho, Phu Quoc, and Thua Thien-Hue’s Phu Bai Airports

The Health Ministry announced that all individuals entering Vietnam to participate in the 31st SEA Games will not be required to submit a health declaration upon entry, effective on all entry points from 27 Apr

Google Asia-Pacific’s report on the revival of the tourism industry in Southeast Asia has shown that demand from foreign tourists has improved significantly in Q1, reaching two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels in Mar. Top sources of the demand include the US, Australia, France, Singapore, and Japan. Hanoi and HCMC are the 2 top destinations, with My Tho and Bac Ninh showing a 75% growth in searches

Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo to resume direct services from Kolkata to Hanoi and HCMC from 23 May following a 2-year suspension due to the pandemic

Aqua Expeditions to resume Aqua Mekong sailings on 2 Sep, offering 3, 4, and 7-night itineraries going through Cambodia and Vietnam, with regular scheduled departures from HCMC, Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap

Construction has started for Vinmec Vinhomes Ocean Park 2-The Empire in Hung Yen, the first 5-star resort hospital in Vietnam. It is expected to start operations in 2024

Hanoi to launch the Son Tay-Xu Doai Tourism Year and the Son Tay ancient fortress pedestrian zone on 30 Apr, aiming to tap into the cultural heritage potentials of the area and contribute to tourism development. The Son Tay-Xu Doai Tourism Year will focus on cultural tourism potentials, along with resort and adventure tourism sites in nearby localities. The Son Tay pedestrian zone will be the 4th in Hanoi and will open to the public on weekends, featuring contemporary art performances, street music and folk dances

The Health Ministry announced to localities with medical quarantine activities to temporarily stop the submission of health declarations for arrivals at all Vietnam’s entry points as cases drop globally. The move is also in response to reports of long queues and congestion at HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport due to increased passenger traffic following border reopening and ahead of the 4-day Reunification Day-May Day holiday

Nova Service and Thanh Hang Group to open the Thanh Hang Beauty Medi health, hospitality, and aesthetic centre at NovaWorld Phan Thiet to meet the rising trend of cosmetic and medi-wellness tourism

Da Nang expects around 600 domestic and international flights from 27 Apr to 3 May, including 18 flights from Singapore, Thailand, and Korea. Room capacity of 4 to 5-star hotels and resorts is expected to reach 70%-75%, with coastal hotel occupancy reaching over 90% while hotels in the city centre reach about 50%. The Da Nang Tourism Department has also launched hotlines to respond to tourists’ complaints

Da Nang to introduce a series of programmes surrounding the Reunification Day-May Day holiday, including a helicopter sightseeing tour, a series of events at East Sea Park on 28 Apr-3 May to open the sea tourism season. Asia Park and Helio Centre Night Market will also reopen for the holiday, with entrance fees waived for visitors. The Da Nang Tourism Association expects visitor numbers to spike during the holiday compared to 2020 and 2021, even possibly exceeding 2019’s levels

10 out of 13 tourist attractions in Thua Thien Hue Province are ecotourism attractions, according to the Thua Thien Hue Tourism Department. Hue will develop sustainable green tourism to preserve and promote cultural and heritage values while taking into account environment conservation and local participation. The province’s tourism industry has also proposed to the Tourism Ministry to develop a set of green tourism criteria for accommodations, travel services and tourist attractions, to be applied nationwide

Quang Ninh to reserve 5 hotels and resorts during the 31st SEA Games (6-22 May) to accommodate the organising committee, referees, and athletes. It comprises Legacy Yen Tu Resort, FLC Grand Hotel, Tuan Chau Resort Ha Long, Hai Yen and Hoang Tam

Binh Thuan Province to host Visit Vietnam Year 2023

The plan to develop tourism in the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam triangle area in 2021-2025, with a vision toward 2030 has been revealed at a tourism forum in Kon Tum. The area aims to attract 3.3 million visitors, reaching an average growth rate of 14% annually and doubling by 2030. Vietnam will be in charge of 5 aspects: promoting the opening of international air routes to the area; connecting businesses and associations in the area to participate in the global supply chain; linking tourist clusters and resorts; launching a chain of tourism events in the area; and organising an annual forum on promotion of regional tourism. The provinces in the area include Ratanakiri, Stung Treng, Mondulkiri, and Kratie of Cambodia; Attapu, Salavan, Sekong, and Champassak of Laos; and Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Binh Phuoc of Vietnam

Google search data has shown that inbound travel demand into Vietnam has reached 55% of pre-pandemic levels in Mar, lower than the Philippines (104%), Indonesia (94%), and Singapore (64%). Search volumes for travel into Vietnam between 27 Mar-2 Apr grew 84% compared to the same period in 2019, with Hanoi and HCMC as the most searched destinations. 40% of inbound tourism from the US and Canada went to the Philippines and Vietnam

Google Destination Insights data has shown that travel search volume for Vietnam has increased by 25%-50% since international tourism reopening on 15 Mar. Searches on Google on Vietnam tourism increased sharply in early Apr, with searches for keywords like “Vietnam tourist”, “Vietnam tourism”, “Vietnam trip”, “Vietnam travel” increasing by 100% or 350% according to Google Trend. Top sources for the searches include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, India, the US, the UK, and Canada

Bac Luan 2 border gate of Mong Cai international border connecting Quang Ninh and Dongxing, China, reopened on 26 Apr after a 2-month closure due to the pandemic

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reported around 3 million domestic travellers, including 1.6 overnight travellers, during the Hung Kings commemoration holiday. Hanoi welcomed 200,000 tourists, gaining an estimated 560 billion VND in tourism revenue. HCMC welcomed 250,000 visitors, with tourism revenues estimated at 1,100 billion VND

Booking.com data has shown that domestic travellers mainly look for beaches and mountain resorts this summer, with Da Nang as the top destination, followed by Da Lat, Vung Tau, HCMC, and Phu Quoc. Top international destinations include Japan, USA, France, Thailand and Singapore, Cambodia, Australia, Germany, UK, Taiwan

Oxalis Adventure Tours has trained 250 former illegal loggers to become tour guides at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Inbound travel firms reported that Vietnam’s visa policy is still an obstacle that hinders the arrival of international tourists, claiming that the visa exemption period of 15 days is too short, especially if compared to other countries in the region such as 60 days for Thailand and 30 days for Indonesia

TST Tourism Company reported that HCMC’s helicopter tours have been fully booked for the upcoming holidays

Provinces within the tourism development cooperation cluster in Eastern Mekong Delta (Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Long An and Dong Thap) have seen an increase in visitor numbers since early 2022 as Vietnam transitions to an epidemic state. The provinces signed a deal in early 2022 on tourism cooperation and links, agreeing to assist each other on information-experience exchange, product-market development, human resources training, tourism promotion, fam trips, and technological application, among others. Tien Giang aims to welcome 1.1 million tourists in 2022, doubling from 2021. Ben Tre aims to welcome at least 3.2-5 million visitors by 2030, in which foreigners are expected to account for nearly 50%

HCMC to cease the screening for negative COVID-19 test results among arrivals from 25 Apr, as passengers are already required to submit them to the airlines prior to departure. HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport currently receives around 40 flights carrying 4,000-4,500 passengers daily

The Health Ministry announced that the health declaration requirement for domestic travel will be removed, with specific guidelines to remove the protocol to be announced soon by the General Department of Preventive Medicine. The ministry is also considering moving COVID-19 out of Group A, which includes “dangerous infectious diseases with the ability to spread quickly and widely, have a high mortality rate or an unknown causative agent”, although no decisions have been made and that “the government will make the final call”

Vietnam Airlines and Kon Tum People’s Committee have signed a cooperation agreement for 2022-2026 to strengthen the image and promotion activities of the 2 parties

Quang Ninh Department of Tourism has signed tourism cooperation agreements with HCMC travel businesses to spur tourism development, including providing incentives for tourism businesses in the 2 localities for effective cooperation. Quang Ninh will host 7 sports at the SEA Games in May, and the National Sports Games in Nov. Carnaval Ha Long will also be held at the Dai Duong Ocean Park on 29 Apr, kicking off the summer travel season, with an expected 2,000 participants. The Ha Long-Quang Ninh Tourism Week will coincide with the Reunification Day-May Day holiday

Vietnam Railways Corporation reported that train tickets from Hanoi to Hai Phong, Dong Hoi and Vinh, and from HCMC to Phan Thiet and Nha Trang on 30 Apr have nearly sold out. It plans to increase the number of trains by up to 30 on routes connecting Hanoi and Lao Cai, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Hue, and Da Nang to meet the holiday travel demand

Da Nang to host the 6th VNG Ironman 70.3 Vietnam Triathlon on 5-8 May, following a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic. It is expected to attract over 2,500 domestic and foreign participants

Sa Pa Summer Festival 2022 to be held through to end-Jul, introducing tourism programmes and unique cultural and sports events of the town. The event kicked off with the Fansipan Rose Festival 2022, with many activities to follow during the Reunification Day and May Day holiday

The Tourism Ministry has issued the detailed entry requirements for international travellers to Vietnam: • Travellers must be a citizen from the following 13 countries, which are eligible for a 15-day visa exemption: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Belarus • Foreign nationals, overseas Vietnamese, or relatives who hold sufficient legal papers as regulated (including valid permanent residence cards, temporary residence cards, visas, visa waivers) do not need to re-apply for personal verification or visa issuance/visa waivers, or apply for entry permission by ministries, sectors, or localities • Travellers (except for children under 2) are required to submit a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR/RT-LAMP test within 72 hours period to departure or ART within 24 hours if arriving by air • Travellers arriving by road, railway, or sea are subject to the same testing requirements if the travel time is short, and will be required to undergo an on-arrival test at their points of entry if the travel duration is long • Travellers showing COVID-19 symptoms will be required to undergo an on-arrival test • Travellers are required to make health declarations via tokhaiyte.vn and install the PC-COVID app • Travellers are urged to self-monitor their health for COVID-19 symptoms within 10 days of arrivals • Travellers must possess health or travel insurance with a min. coverage of $10,000 USD for COVID-19 treatment • Travellers will be responsible for all testing, health quarantine, check-up, and treatment expenses in case of COVID-19 infection

Travel firms look to alternative markets amid the absence of Chinese and South Korean tourists. BestPrice Travel welcomed its first group of Mongolian tourists from 7-14 Apr, who visited Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and Ninh Binh. Saigontourist is developing new tourism products, such as cruise tours targeting the North American market

Binh Dinh to hold events, festivals, and fireworks displays from 25-30 Apr to coincide with the Reunification Day and Labour Day holiday. Hoang Yen Hotel Complex reported that 80% of the 200 rooms in its 3 and 4-star hotels have been booked for the holiday

Bac Giang to allow free entry to all SEA Games badminton matches held in the province from 16-22 May

Archipelago International launches in Vietnam with 5 new contracts and the establishment of Archipelago Indochina, which provides distribution and revenue management services for 4 hotels in HCMC and 1 in Phu Quoc. Archipelago Indochina will offer full-service management contracts for hotels as large as 1,000 rooms, soft brand management contracts, and franchise agreements across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

The Vietnam Railways Corporation to increase train frequency on the Hanoi-Hai Phong and HCMC-Nha Trang routes to serve upcoming 30 Apr-1 May holiday travel demand

Tourism activities will no longer be permitted on Cam Ranh’s Binh Ba Island and Hon Chut Islet of Binh Hung Island, to ensure security of the Cam Ranh military base. Travel agencies have been asked to stop and delete posts promoting tours and travel activities on the islands

Da Lat is expected to welcome 180,000 tourists during the 4-day Reunification Day and Labour Day holiday, up 135% YoY. Hotel occupancy is expected to reach over 90%, with most 3 to 5-star hotels in downtown Da Lat already fully booked. Room rates have increased by 30% for the holiday period. Da Lat has over 29,000 rooms capable of accommodating 50,000 tourists per day. Vung Tau is expected to welcome 160,000 tourists during the break, doubling from the 3-day Hung Kings commemoration holiday. Over 70% mid-range hotels in Vung Tau have been fully booked on sites like Booking.com and Traveloka, with room rates doubling from normal. Phu Quoc and Sa Pa also see high bookings, with nearly 90% of 3 to 5-star hotel rooms booked a week ahead of the holiday. Google Destination Insights data has shown that search frequency for domestic flights and accommodation in Mar have increased 44% YoY

Vietnam has been ranked 7th in Southeast Asia in Economist Intelligence Unit’s Travel-ready index 2022, which measures the favorability of conditions for tourism recovery

Vietnam calls for an expedited launch of an ASEAN digital vaccination certification portal, also suggesting to expand its coverage to the bloc’s partners to facilitate trade and tourism in and outside the region

Bao Son Paradise Theme Park in Hanoi to hold Ocean Festival from 30 Apr-3 May

Express Travel Group reported that Hoi An and Nam Hai are among the popular destinations for Australian tourists. The firm reported “strong bookings” since Vietnam’s border reopening

Travel firms in Khanh Hoa and Quang Ninh are concerned over the absence of Chinese tourists, which they are heavily dependent on. The Ha Long Tourist Boat Association reported that 70% of over 500 tourist boats in the bay remain idle. Quang Nam Trade and Tour Company reported revenue loss of around 60%-70% as Chinese tourists accounted for 60% of its customers pre-pandemic. Khang Thai and Vietnamtourist, the two largest tour operators specialising in bringing Chinese tourists to Khanh Hoa, have suspended operations. Hai Dang Group mulls closing down its Galina Hotel & Spa if Chinese tourists, which accounted for 70% of guests pre-pandemic, don’t return soon. The hotel’s occupancy rate currently stands at 25%. Khanh Hoa welcomed 3.5 million foreigners in 2019, in which 70% were from China. China was also Vietnam’s top source market in 2019 with 5.8 million arrivals

HCMC to launch fireworks at 2 venues for Reunification Day on 30 Apr, after last year’s suspension due to the pandemic

Da Nang to provide 50,000 free SIM cards to foreign visitors upon arrival at the airport from Apr-Jun under the Enjoy Danang programme. Da Nang Airport has received 29 international flights carrying 2,560 passengers since international flight resumption on 27 Mar. The airport expects 41 flights per week from Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia

A night street zone around Hue Imperial Citadel City will be launched on 22 Apr at Ngo Mon Square as part of the efforts to boost the night time economy. The zone will also offer “unique art programmes” for visitors

Director of Swallow Vietnam said that many tourists still face issues when applying for a visa to Vietnam, especially for online visas. She added that the application process is simple, but it takes a long time to receive a confirmation from the visa department. She revealed that some of her firm’s customers got stuck in Thailand or Singapore as they haven’t received the visa to enter Vietnam. She said: “some of our guests have scheduled to stay in Thailand for about 15 days and then come to Vietnam and they have applied for a visa before they fly, i.e. a total of 20 days, and still have not had a visa. It was not until the flight check-in was completed that it was reported that it had not been approved to enter Vietnam. So they had to cancel the schedule again and had to continue to stay in Thailand”

The US’ CDC has updated its travel recommendation for Vietnam from Level 4 (Do Not Travel) to Level 3 (High COVID-19 Risk)

Director of Golf at Laguna Golf Lang Co predicted that golf tourism in Vietnam will not only recover post-pandemic, but will also surpass pre-pandemic levels. New golf courses are under development across the country. Central Vietnam also added 2 more championship courses since 2019, bringing the total to 7

World Bank’s Vietnam Macro Monitoring report has shown that the GDP grew by 5% YoY in Q1, but still 2 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels. Economy for the accommodation and catering services fell 1.8% YoY, and still “well below their pre-pandemic level”

G Touring to launch a fam trip to Vietnam in Oct, as part of the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes annual campaign, and showcase 2 Planeterra Foundation community tourism projects

Hanoi Railway Transport JSC to resume Hanoi-Lao Cai train services after a 1-year hiatus from 29 Apr to meet travel demand during the 30 Apr-1 May holiday

Hanoi has completed preparations for the SEA Games (12-23 May)

Da Nang to step up tourism resumption on Son Tra Peninsula, including reviewing and implementing product and project development plans such as the Man Thai-Tho Quang community-based tourism development plan, the pilot plan for nighttime entertainment at My An beach, tourism management and development on Son Tra Peninsula and the management of the Nguyen Tat Thanh sea route. The city also plans to hold festivals, events, and tourism promotion programmes to attract tourists

Da Nang to hold the “Light up Da Nang” street art performances on 22 and 29 Apr, as part of the pilot to develop nighttime economy in the city

Ngu Hanh Son district in Da Nang to launch the An Thuong Tourist Streets connecting nighttime activities at My An Beach on 28 Apr. The district will also host a street carnival as part of the Visit Vietnam Year 2022, and will offer promotional deals for tourists

The Tourism Ministry and Kon Tum province to organise a tourism forum on 24 Apr, discussing the province’s tourism potential, as well as measures to develop products, promote tourism, and enhance connectivity. The Plan for Tourism Development in the Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam Development Triangle Area for 2021-2025 with a vision towards 2030 will also be announced in the forum

HCMC Tourism Department said that tourism players who coerce tourists to buy goods or services, or discriminate against tourists will be strictly fined

Asia DMC said that MICE tourism, especially weddings, is a “very attractive segment” for Indian tourists, and suggested for Vietnamese destinations to develop the segment to attract more Indian tourists

Bach Long Bridge in Moc Chau Island Tourist Area of Son La Province is set to open during the Reunification Day holiday (30 Apr). The bridge will be the world’s longest glass bridge at 632 metres

Sun World Ba Na Hills to launch new attraction, Grand Cascade, on 30 Apr

Saigontourist revealed that the firm would start receiving international tourists onboard cruise ships from early Dec. Three Royal Caribbean ships are scheduled to arrive in HCMC, Da Nang, and Ha Long each month from Dec to end-2024, transporting mainly American and European guests. Viet Excursions Company, which frequently handles cruises, said that it received “positive feedback” from international cruise lines regarding the travel season at end-2022 and early-2023. The firm is planned to receive around 20 cruises per month, equal to pre-pandemic level, from Europe and the US to Phu My, Saigon, Nha Trang, Chan May and Quang Ninh starting from Nov. Saigon Port in HCMC will receive the highest number of cruises, followed by Chan May in Thua Thien Hue Province

Hanoi to make the most of the SEA Games, which the city will host in May, to attract tourists by preparing tourism activities and promoting the city’s image. Hanoi’s Tourism Authority has curated several tours and programmes aimed to introduce the city to international sport delegations, athletes, and reporters. Hanoi will also hold several events in late Apr-May, including the Hanoi Tourism Gift Festival (29 Apr-1 May), Hanoi Tourism Festival (13-15 May), and the Hanoi Cuisine and Craft Village Tourism Festival (18-22 May). Hanoi aims to welcome 3.2 million tourists in Q2, including 150,000-200,000 foreigners

Hanoi to establish its 5th pedestrian street around the Ngoc Khanh Lake in downtown Ba Dinh District. The district will allocate $383,210 USD to renovate gardens and plant trees in the area. The finishing touches for the project will be completed in Q4 2023

Tourist destinations reported an increase in tourism activities during the Hung Kings commemoration holiday (9-11 Apr): • Ba Ria-Vung Tau welcomed 157,000 visitors, including over 1,600 foreigners, gaining $6,980 USD in tourism revenue. Vung Tau City welcomed around 92,000 visitors. Hotel occupancy at tourist areas like Vung Tau city, Xuyen Moc, Con Dao, and Dat Do districts reached over 80%. Occupancy is expected to reach 95% during the National Reunification Day (30 Apr) and May Day (1 May) holidays • Da Nang welcomed 78,000 visitors, of which 38,979 arrived by air. The number was 7 to 8 times higher than that of the New Year holiday. Occupancy at 4 and 5-star hotels reached 50%-60%, with beachside hotel occupancy reaching 70%-90% • Phu Quoc welcomed 75,000 visitors, up 3-fold from the New Year holiday • Hoi An welcomed 10,000 daily during the 3-day holiday • Saigontourist served over 8,000 guests during the holiday and reported that Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Da Nang, and Ha Giang were the top 5 popular destinations • TST Tourist predicts demand to climb on the upcoming 30 Apr and 1 May holidays, adding that bookings for its tour plans have reached 50%. The number of independent travellers is expected to increase in destinations near HCMC like Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Ho Tram, and Vung Tau

Lai Chau to hold a cultural and tourism week from 14-17 Apr, featuring a paragliding tournament, an ethnic cultural space exhibition, and visits to community-based tourism villages, among others

HCMC to launch the “HCM City From Above” helicopter tour on 30 Apr, as part of its “Welcome to HCM City” programme. The tours last for 30-45 minutes for the short-range and 60 minutes for the medium-range tours. The helicopters, aside from tourism purposes, will also be utilised to respond to medical emergencies

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in its Asia Travel-Ready Index has noted that Malaysia and Singapore have some of the best conditions for tourism recovery in Asia, whilst the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam received lower scores due to quarantine policies for returning citizens or vaccination rates

Thua Thien-Hue welcomed 35,000 visitors on the 8-11 Apr holiday, of which an estimated 22,600 were overnight guests. The province earned approx. 41 billion VND in revenue. Average hotel occupancy reached 65%, with most coastal resort hotels, hot mineral springs, and some hotels in Hue city centre operating at 90%-100% capacity on 9-10 Apr. Visitors to Hue monuments on 9-11 Apr range at 5,000-7,000/day. From 1 Apr-1 Jun, The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre offers a 50% discount on ticket prices for groups of 20 or more, while a 50% discount on tickets are also offered for Nha Nhac and royal dance performances at Duyet Thi Duong Theatre – Hue Citadel

Vietnam plans to increase minimum wage by 6% from Jul to help workers impacted by the pandemic, the country’s first minimum wage hike in 2 years

Binh Thuan has launched its smart tourism portal (https://muinevietnam.vn/), aimed at serving tourists, businesses, and state management agencies. The portal will be able to help tourists to make plans, find accommodation, tourist destinations, and services via scanning QR codes or downloading apps. Management agencies will be able to collect visitor statistics, tourism market share, business reports, and feedback, among others. Binh Thuan aims to make tourism a “spearhead industry” of the province by 2025

Tourism players reported an increase in business during the Hung Kings commemoration holiday. Thua Thien-Hue welcomed 35,000 visitors, up 6-fold from the New Year holiday. Hotel occupancy reached 70%-80%, with many 3 to 5-star hotels operating at full capacity. Vitamin Tours said that it received many last minute bookings, and reported that many 3-star hotels in Sa Pa and 4 to 5-star hotels in Ha Long were nearly fully booked on 9-10 Apr

Hung Kings Temple Relic Site in Phu Tho welcomed 200,000 visitors on 10 Apr in an official ceremony to pay tribute to the Hung Kings. The site also welcomed 20,000 visitors on 9 Apr and 10,000 on 8 Apr. Tourist destinations like Hanoi and Hai Phong cities, as well as Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, and Khanh Hoa also received thousands of visitors during the holiday. Lao Cai welcomed 78,300 visitors from 9-11 Apr

Da Nang organised the first boat trip to Ly Son island in Quang Ngai province on 9 Apr carrying nearly 400 passengers. The city also waived entrance fees for some tourist attractions including Ngu Hanh Son, Danang Museum, Fine Arts Museum, and Cham Sculpture Museum

HCMC expects tourism revenue in Apr to increase by 3.1% MoM and by 1.4% YoY following the 15 Mar tourism reopening. Tan Son Nhat Airport reported that the number of international arrivals has doubled in 2 weeks. The airport served 571 total flights on 1 Apr, with 56 international departures and 65 international arrivals, with 71,800 total passengers passing through the airport, of which nearly 10,000 were international passengers

Thousands of tourists and pilgrims are expected to visit the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho for the Hung Kings’ Festival, in which the main ceremony will fall on 10 Apr

A festival under the National Tourism Year - Quang Nam 2022 in Tam Ky opened on 8 Apr and is expected to welcome about 8,000 tourists. A festival, which marks the beginning of the tourist season, was also held in Cua Lo town in Nghe An Province on 8 Apr. The province will also hold a series of events and activities throughout Apr. Cua Lo aims to welcome 1.6 million visitors in 2022, earning $66.48 million USD in tourism revenue. Lao Cai will also hold a festival to promote tourism from 9-12 Apr and is expected to welcome over 12,000 visitors. The night market in the province’s Bac Ha district will also reopen following closure due to the pandemic

Hanoi to reopen kindergartens on 13 Apr after nearly one year of closure

HCMC has launched the “Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City” campaign, a series of tourism promotion events, festivals, and discount programmes which will run until Sep, including the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival, food festival, international marathon, exchanges with Michelin-starred international chefs, Southern fruit festival, Flower Festival, and Saigon Bread Festival, among others. Hundreds of businesses have also launched incentive programmes including promotional prices for city tours, reduced entry fees on tourism attractions, reduced prices on accommodations from 20% up to 73%, and reduced prices on restaurants, shopping malls, etc. HCMC will also welcome a group of 130 American tourists on 8 Apr

The Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board aims to welcome 1 million annual visitors from the UK in the next 5 years, up from 300,000 in 2019. A tourism event was held in London to promote Vietnam’s border reopening, attended by UK trade representatives as well as Vietnam Airlines, TMG Hospitality, SLC Representation, and Vivu Journeys. TMG and Vietnam Airlines plan to host a famtrip for about 100 people from the UK and open a new Visit Vietnam office in the UK on 1 May

The Nghe An Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centre has signed an agreement with TikTok to promote Nghe An tourism through building a TikTok account and launching the “Hello Nghe An” campaign on TikTok. The centre, the people’s committee of Cua Lo town, and TikTok held an event to promote maritime tourism and the province’s specialties on 7 Apr, featuring 80-100 booths introducing Nghe An products, famtrips and presstrips activities, and sustainable tourism development seminars

Lao Cai has successfully held the Mau Thuong Temple Festival 2022 and will follow it with more events and tourism products. Sa Pa will organise the Sa Pa Love Market, the Khen Mong Festival, canyoning tours, and the Vietnam International Mountain Marathon, while Bac Ha will hold the Love and Roses Festival from 8-10 Apr which is expected to attract 12,000 visitors. Lao Cai will also run the “Safe Travel-Full Experience” programme in Apr-May, offering incentives to tourists including discounts on attraction tickets and accommodation

Da Nang’s GRDP grew 0.89% YoY in Q1. The province will focus on restoring the tourism sector through tourism stimulus programmes, strengthening human resource training, and implementing measures to attract more MICE tourists. Da Nang piloted its support policies to attract MICE tourists in 2021, in which 10 groups with around 4,000 guests received support from the Tourism Promotion Centre between 15 Mar-30 Apr 2021 and in Dec 2021

The Transport Ministry has criticised the management board and contractors of the project to upgrade HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport, which has fallen behind schedule from the initial target of completion by 2021

Kien Giang province saw a surge in tourist arrivals following the 15 Mar tourism reopening, welcoming nearly 1.6 million visitors in Q1, up 31.1% YoY. Of those, over 1.1 million, including 26,000 foreigners, travelled to Phu Quoc, up 33.9% YoY. Sunset Sanato Resort and Villas reported a 95% occupancy in the first week of reopening, and was fully booked on the 18-20 Mar weekend. Kim Hoa Resort reported 65% occupancy in the first week, but reported manpower shortage with the resort only able to fill 50% of positions compared to pre-pandemic

Da Nang has launched the “Enjoy Danang” programme, supported by over 200 travel firms offering services and products at promotional prices. Da Nang also currently offers free entry to many tourist sites

Hanoi to reopen karaokes, bars, massage parlours, and gaming centres from 8 Apr after nearly a year of closures. Hanoi has resumed almost all socio-economic activities, with students in first to sixth grade also set to return to school on 6 Apr

The Asian Development Bank has updated Vietnam’s economic growth forecast to 6.5% in 2022 and 6.7% in 2023

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reported that Vietnam welcomed 15,000 foreign visitors in Mar, up 10-fold MoM. The Deputy Tourism Minister admitted that foreign tourist numbers are still low amid strict restrictions imposed by top markets like China and Japan, adding that attracting foreign visitors will be difficult since Northeast Asia accounts for 70% of Vietnam’s total foreign arrivals. He said that Oct 2022 to Apr 2023 will be the peak travel seasons for international tourists and arrival numbers are expected to rise. He noted that the Russia-Ukraine war has also affected localities that specialises in serving Russian tourists like Khanh Hoa

MerPerle Hon Tam Resort in Nha Trang, dubbed “Little Russia” due to the many high-spending Russian tourists it received pre-pandemic, spent nearly $44,000 USD for upgrades in preparation for international tourism reopening, but has received many cancellations from Russian tourists due to the Russia-Ukraine war

The World Bank has lowered Vietnam’s 2022 GDP growth forecast from 6.5% to 5.3%, due to effects of Vietnam’s Omicron wave and global impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war. WB predicts that the GDP growth might stabilise around 6.5% in the scenario where travel restrictions are eased, while in the worst case scenario, the growth is expected to only reach 4% in 2022, recovering to 6% in 2023 and 6.5% in 2024. International visitors are predicted to gradually increase from mid-2022

Hoi An welcomed a group of 126 visitors from the US, the first international group to return since travel was suspended due the pandemic. Easia Travel Company also plans to bring a group of 50 from Germany to Hoi An on 7 Apr

The government has issued an action plan to develop Khanh Hoa into a “leading tourism and agricultural hub” by 2030, with a target of 104 million VND GRDP per capita by 2025 and increasing to 189 million VND by 2030. It would be done by stepping up digital transformation and economic restructuring, as well as “developing a diverse service sector that has high intellectual and technological content”, and expanding the Cam Ranh International Airport, among others. It also plans to turn tourism into a key economic sector in Khanh Hoa and transform the area into a leading tourism destination in Southeast Asia by developing Nha Trang into a tourism city, the tourism area in Cam Ranh Peninsula into a national-level site, and the Northern Van Phong area into a world-class maritime tourism city, as well as boosting tourism connectivity with other localities

Ninh Thuan has set 4 pillars for its 2021-2025 tourism development plan: beaches, Cham culture, high tech upgrades, and eco-tourism at Nui Chua National Park. The province aims to welcome 3.5 million tourists, including 500,000 foreigners, by 2025, gaining $127.54 million USD in revenue. It aims to attract 6 million tourists, including 900,000 foreigners by 2030 and gain $250.39 million USD, contributing 15% of the province’s GRDP

Thua Thien-Hue has held the Hue Nam Temple (Hon Chen Temple) festival on 4 Apr

Thanh Hoa has launched a smart tourism product project, which will be implemented in 2 phases: focusing on building smart tourism application and digitisation of tourist attractions with VR and AR in the first phase; and focusing on developing advanced features to connect accommodation, travel agencies, restaurants, and entertainment areas in the second phase. Thanh Hoa has worked with MobiFone to digitalise information on tourism destinations and it aims to develop mobile app to provide information to tourists by 2025

Da Nang hotels have reportedly raised their room rates by 20% as demand rises alongside tourism recovery. Occupancy rates increased to 30%, up 10.2 percentage points QoQ, triggered by domestic tourism recovery during the Tet holiday in Feb. Room count for 4 and 5-star hotels in Da Nang has returned to pre-pandemic level of 11,000 rooms in Mar, with 4,000 new rooms from 19 private hotels expected to be added in the next 3 years

The Deputy PM has instructed the Transport Ministry to work with relevant parties on the investment plan for the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau and the Thu Thiem-Long Thanh International Airport railway projects, which are expected to cost 50 trillion VND and 40.5 trillion VND respectively. The railways are expected to open concurrently with the Long Thanh International Airport

Hanoi has launched a new luxury cruise tour on the Red River. The tour will be operated by AClass Cruises Group and will run daily 3-hour tours for up to 99 passengers at a time. Tickets cost from 1.39 million VND on Mon-Thu and from 1.49 million VND on Fri-Sun

The government to develop Con Dao Island into a world-class marine, cultural, historic, and spiritual tourism site under a newly revised plan for Con Dao development by 2045

The government plans to upgrade Con Dao Island’s infrastructure towards turning it into a “regional level eco-tourism area”, including upgrades on the airport, roads, waterways and piers. Provincial authorities has been asked to consider “effective exploitation” during the development of residential and tourist areas due to “limited land funds”

Saigon Pearl Investment Co., Ltd has leased over 70 hectares of land on the Con Dao National Park for the development of an eco-tourism project. The Ba Ria-Vung Tau People’s Committee has approved the eco-tourism and leisure tourism development plan for the Con Dao National Park until 2030, with over 60 eco-tourism projects already given in-principle approval and are looking for investors

The Vietnam International Aviation Expo 2022 is to be held in Hanoi on 15-17 Sep after a 2-year delay due to the pandemic

A workshop to seek ways to promote Vietnam’s golf tourism development was held at the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2022. Vietnam Golf Tourism Association (VIGTA) reported that Vietnam welcomed 3 million golf tourists in 2019, including 1.5 million foreigners, earning about over $197 million USD in revenue. The number of visitors and revenue still increased by about 10% YoY in Q1 2020. Golf tourists to Vietnam mainly come from South Korea, Japan, and some Southeast Asian countries. Around 50,000 Vietnamese and 20,000 foreigners living in Vietnam play golf, with the total number of golfers expected to increase to 300,000 by 2025

Hue set to receive an influx of visitors during the Hung Kings Commemoration holidays on 9-11 Apr. Air tickets from HCMC and Hanoi to Hue have reportedly been mostly booked for 8-11 Apr. Train tickets from HCMC to Hue have also reportedly sold out, while hotel booking rate increased by 60% compared to two weeks prior

Hanoi Railway Transport JSC to increase train services from Hanoi to various localities for the 30 Apr-1 May holiday. The Saigon Railway Transport JSC will also increase services between Saigon and Nha Trang stations

Marriott International confirmed an additional 30 hotels in the pipeline that will add nearly 9,000 rooms across Vietnam. Marriott’s Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand aims to open properties in Phu Quoc Island, Ha Long Bay, Dalat and Binh Chau. Renaissance Hotels will open in Da Nang, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts in Da Nang and Cam Ranh, the Marriott Hotels brand in Hanoi and Hoi An, while Westin will open in Hanoi and Cam Ranh. The Marriott International group currently operates 10 properties across 6 brands in Vietnam with 3,294 rooms

Hanoi to launch a 31-day countdown on 11 Apr ahead of the 31st SEA Games, together with the Olympic Run Day for Public Health and the 47th Ha Noi Moi Newspaper Run at Hoan Kiem Lake

The General Statistics Office reported that 34,600 new businesses were established in Q1, up 18% YoY. 25,600 enterprises resumed operations in Q1, up 74% YoY. The number of enterprises temporarily suspending operations reached 35,700, up 50% YoY, while 27,600 is waiting for dissolution. Up to 4,300 have completed dissolution procedures, down 17% YoY

The 16th International Travel Expo (ITE) Ho Chi Minh City 2022 to be held on 8-10 Sep after a 2-year suspension due to the pandemic, with an expected participation from over 200 local and foreign travel agents, carriers, hotels, resorts and tourism promotion agencies

A forum to outline solutions for post-pandemic tourism recovery was held at the Vietnam International Travel Mart. The Culture Minister confirmed that the ministry would support localities and businesses in turning the tourism sector into a key economic sector. The Culture Ministry has launched the Tourism Development Supporting Fund, acting as a limited one-member company with 100% equity capital held by the state. The budget will be funded by the central budget, accounting for 10% of the total sum submitted to the state budget from visa and immigration procedure fees, and 5% submitted to the state budget from entrance fee to tourism sites. The fund can mobilise private sources from businesses, individuals and organisations in and outside Vietnam, and will cover tasks like tourism promotion, media, human resource training, and PR. The General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism stated the 5 pillars for tourism recovery: exploiting traditional market targets; focusing on green, ecological, community, relaxation, and healthcare tourism; effective marketing; digital transformation; and human resources development. Head of the Legal Department of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VCCI) suggested reactivating visa policies for more countries and extending the stay permit to over 30 days

Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports has proposed the municipal People’s Committee to pilot a new pedestrian zone in Tran Nhan Tong street in Hai Ba Trung District and surrounding areas, including around the Thien Quang Lake. The recently reopened pedestrian zone in Hoan Kiem district attracts an average of 3,000-5,000 visitors during the day and 15,000-20,000 at night

Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh provinces have launched the Three Localities - One Destination interprovincial tour as part of the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2022. The provinces have cooperated to launch new tourism products, including a cultural heritage and beach tour, revolutionary bases-ecological sites-extreme sports tour and a self-driving tour. They have also announced a series of activities to draw visitors in the summer, including Beach Tourism Festivals

Vietravel expects to serve 4,000 domestic and foreign tourists during the Reunification Day holidays (30 Apr-1 May), adding that around 30% of customers have registered to buy tours. They added that the psychology of booking tours have changed since the pandemic, with customers booking about a week prior to departure for domestic trips and 2 weeks for international trips. Fiditour-Vietluxtour Travel predicts that growth rate will be good and expects it to increase 30%-40% YoY. Saigontourist is selling 60 package tours for the holiday and expects to serve 8,000 guests. Beach destinations are among the most popular for the holidays, with travel agents focusing on selling tours to destinations ​​like Phu Quoc, Ho Tram, Con Dao, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon and Da Nang

Top One Travel reported that up to 90% of its guests at the moment are interested in going to Phu Quoc for the Reunification Day holiday. Many travel agents also reported that airfares to Phu Quoc from Hanoi have sharply increased since the beginning of the year

Tuyen Quang in partnership with Vietjet Air to hold the first international hot air balloon festival from 30 Mar-3 Apr, featuring 20 balloons from all over the world, as part of the Tuyen Quang Tourism Year 2022. The event takes place at 3 locations; Nguyen Tat Thanh Square in Tuyen Quang City, Na Tong Stadium in Lam Binh district’s Thuong Lam Commune, and Tan Trao Square in Son Duong

Construction for the Rach Mieu 2 bridge connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces has started and is expected to be completed in 2025. The project is invested by the Transport Ministry and has an investment of over $226 million USD

Ha Long city to renew tourism products and launch new sea-based products to attract tourists following the international tourism reopening, including launching the Sea Octopus cruise with a capacity of over 200 passengers. The city’s People’s Committee announced that the cruise’s nightlife service will be launched on 28 Apr, with 30 cruise ships offering dining services onboard the ships, with some staying at the wharf and some taking tourists around the coastal area. The nightlife street will be arranged at the jetty of Ha Long International Passenger Port. The city also plans to organise many tourism activities including Summer and Winter Carnivals, Tran Quoc Nghien Temple Festival, and weekend street music performances. Ha Long aims to attract 4.5 million tourists in 2022 and generate $301.6 million USD in revenue

The General Statistics Office reported that Vietnam’s economy grew 5.03% in Q1, up from 2021’s Q1 growth of 4.72% and 2020’s 3.66%, but lower than 2019’s 6.85%. The Consumer Price Index was up 1.92% YoY in Q1 and up by 0.7% MoM in Mar

The General Statistics Office reported that international arrivals increased 41.4% MoM in Mar, and increased 2.2 times YoY. Vietnam welcomed 91,000 foreign tourists in Q1, up 89.1% YoY, with arrivals by air occupying 90.5% of the total, up 165.2%. Revenue from accommodation and food services increased by 1.2% YoY in Q1, while tourism revenue rose by 1.9% YoY

A member of the PM's economic advisory group said that Vietnam lacks confidence in its tourism reopening despite the high vaccination rate, adding that the Tourism Ministry should issue a “a clearer, more proactive roadmap to tell the world that Vietnam is a safe destination”. He also said that the government should add more countries to the visa exemption list

Quang Nam is stepping up efforts to complete the construction of Dong Giang - Gate to Heaven ecotourism site by Q2 since it is expected to attract tourists as the province is hosting Visit Vietnam Year 2022. The site has invested $113.68 million USD in the first construction phase

Da Nang welcomed 310 international passengers with the resumption of flights by Singapore Airlines and Thai Vietjet. The city also tested its capacity to prepare for the 16th Routes Asia Development Forum 2022 on 6-8 Jun. Da Nang will launch a sea route connecting it to the Ly Son Islands off the coast of Quang Ngai Province on 29 Mar, with the first trip scheduled for 9 Apr

High-end hotels see high booking rates a month ahead of the Reunification Day holiday, while air fares and room prices are predicted to rise. Tourism firm BestPrice saw booking enquiries increase by around 30% WoW, while travel demand increased by around 15%-20% YoY. Data from Agoda showed that some hotels and resorts have been 90% booked for the holiday, while Booking.com showed that many hotels in Nha Trang, Vung Tau, and Kien Giang are also fully booked. BestPrice’s Marketing Director expects 4 and 5-star hotel prices to increase by 30%-50% compared to usual, while CEO of Vitamin Tours said that while price hikes during holidays are to be expected, accommodation prices are rising higher that the holiday season last year and even above pre-pandemic levels in some areas due to the rising travel demand. Deputy Chairman of Sa Pa Tourism Association expects visitor numbers to surge and fill up all available rooms during the 30 Apr-1 May holiday, adding that tourists have now become less concerned about the pandemic

The PM said that Vietnam’ tourism will focus on “positive pandemic resilience, safety and effectiveness, fast recovery and development” in 2022, with a basis of “peace, sustainability, digital transformation and connections”. He also said that tourism resumption will require a synchronised arrangement among agencies and localities, with safety being a top priority in post-COVID-19 tourism planning

Cua Khe village in Quang Nam has established the Cua Khe community-based tourism cooperative aimed to preserve traditional craft and create stable income for locals. The village had secured the “One Commune One Product” recognition for its fish sauce production

CBRE Vietnam’s Hotel Market View for 2021 revealed that average daily rate (ADR) in 2021 fell to $95.5 USD, down 5.7% YoY and down 19.7% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Occupancy rate in Hanoi’s hotels stood at 30.6%, down 4.5 percentage points from 2020 and 50.6 from 2019. Hanoi added only one 5-star hotel with 47 rooms in 2021, Capella Hanoi, bringing the total number of rooms to 8,407 from 38 projects. Construction on projects from international brands like Four Seasons, Wink, Dusit và Fairmont is expected to finish in late 2023. CBRE also expects that the 4-5 star hotel market in HCMC will thrive in 2022, with “encouraging progress” in H1 and further growth in H2. HCMC is expected to welcome an addition of 2,803 rooms from 13 projects, including the entrance of international hotel brands like Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Hotel Indigo and Avani

Novaland and Vietstar Airlines have signed an agreement to provide charter flight and evacuation air services via helicopters and business jets for customers, investors and partners for sightseeing, tourism, and healthcare across NovaWorld projects

HCMC expects to welcome 3,000 international visitors in Mar-Apr, and 3.5 million by year-end “if all bottlenecks are removed”. Relevant authorities are seeking approval from the HCMC People’s Committee to launch the “HCM City Welcomes You” programme to attract visitors

Permanent Vice Chairman of HCMC’s Infectious Disease Association believes that Hanoi should reopen pre schools and primary schools completely as HCMC has done, stating that “the consequences of letting children stay at home for too long would be much greater than the risks of COVID-19”. He said that schools should reopen while safely adapting to the pandemic

Khanh Hoa welcomed around 254,000 tourists in Q1, up 12% YoY. Of those, 14,000 were foreigners, up nearly 49% YoY. The province gained $58.17 million USD in revenue. Khanh Hoa has prepared to welcome international tourists, although the Director of the province’s Tourism Department said that difficulties and uncertainties remain amid the pandemic, adding that major markets like China, South Korea, and Japan still have strict travel restrictions. Vietnam Airlines will open the Singapore-Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa) route from 15 Apr and will resume the Incheon-Cam Ranh route from early Jul. Vietjet and Bamboo Airways also plan to resume flights to Cam Ranh

Hanoitourist and the Vietnam National Museum of History has launched a new tour to see red silk cotton flowers and visit the Vietnam National Museum of History

Hanoi’s Department of Tourism reported that the city has welcomed 2.8 million domestic tourists from Jan until now, up 45.3% YoY, generating $343.1 million USD in revenue, up 45.3% YoY. Hanoi will work with Vietnam Airlines and other carriers to organise events and programmes to promote tourism and attract foreign and domestic tourists to the city

Flamingo Redtours reported that they have seen an increase in deposits for tours and vacations ahead of the 30 Apr-1 May holiday, up 30% YoY for bookings by small groups and families. The firm said that bookings are mostly for family resort tours in big resorts in coastal areas of Hai Phong, Cat Ba, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc

General Director of the An Binh Air Services and Tourism Trading Company Limited in Hanoi has been arrested pending investigation over bribery allegations in licensing some companies to organise repatriation flights for returning overseas Vietnamese during the pandemic

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam reported that Vietnam airports served 321,000 international passengers in Q1, up 176.2% YoY, of which 141,600 were handled by domestic airlines, up 441% YoY. Carriers served 6.5 million domestic passengers in Q1, down 12.5% YoY. 23 domestic and foreign airlines have resumed 67 routes connecting Vietnam with 20 countries. Flights frequency between Singapore and Vietnam was the highest in 15-21 Mar with 45 round trips per week, about 36% of pre-pandemic frequency. Flights between Vietnam and Japan were the most crowded with 10,300 passengers in Q1, accounting for 18.1% of the total

Da Nang People’s Committee has issued a plan to organise the Routes Asia 2022 on 6-8 Jun with a capital of $656,000 USD. The event is expected to attract around 500 international participants. Routes Asia is the only airline route development event dedicated to Asia Pacific held annually by Informa Routes

The border gates between Son La in Vietnam and Houaphanh province in Laos are set to reopen on 1 Apr

Quang Nam Province kicks off the National Tourism Year with The My Son Sanctuary Legendary Night. The opening ceremony will be held at the Hoi An Memory Island on 26 Mar. Hoi An will also host a balloon festival on 25-26 Mar in celebration of the opening of the National Tourism Year. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will grant a 5-star rating to Silk Sense Resort in Hoi An, the 5th in the city to achieve it. The resort is also the first in Hoi An that utilises environmentally friendly products, including paper/bamboo straws, as well as paper bags and cups. Quang Nam has newly recognised a community-based tourism site in Cam Phu Village of Dien Ban Town. The FGV Group, The Hoi An Memories, Tan Thanh fishing village, Thien Minh Group, Silk Group and Phu Ninh Lake eco-tour will also launch new indigenous culture conservation tourism links in Quang Nam

Vietnam Real Estate E-Magazine (Reatimes) and Vietnam Institute of Real Estate Research (VIRES) have discussed measures to turn Quy Nhon city in Binh Dinh province into a leading tourism destination in Asia. VIRES research has shown that Quy Nhon and the Hai Giang peninsula area is attracting large investment cash flows in the tourism and resort real estate market. Vice Chairman of Vietnam Real Estate Association said that the area’s potentials “has not yet been fully tapped” and that Quy Nhon needs to create large-scale tourism products to turn it into an international destination

SEA Games opening ceremony to be held on 12 May and the closing ceremony on 23 May in Hanoi. Rehearsals for the opening ceremony will be held on 5 May

Chairman of the Da Nang Hotel Association said that while international tourism reopening is a “golden opportunity” for the industry to recover, visitors from pre-pandemic top markets will be scarce. He said that 32% of international arrivals in 2019 came from China, who is now implementing a “zero covid” strategy that hinders outbound travel. Visitors from China might not return until the year-end or early 2023. South Korea, another major market accounting for 23.8% of international arrivals in 2019, has issued a 7-day quarantine policy for people entering and returning from Vietnam which could dampen interest in trips to Vietnam. Many Vietnamese businesses have also planned to attract Russian tourists to Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Da Nang prior to Lunar New Year. Russian visitors accounted for 11% of the market share in 2019. Deputy Director of Anex Vietnam has announced that his firm has temporarily stopped welcoming Russian tourists to Nha Trang as Russia has advised airlines to limit flights to foreign countries due to sanction directives issued by the US and Western countries. Chairman of the Da Nang Hotel Association said that India is a potential market for Vietnam, and urged to intensify promotion there as well as markets that are open in terms of travel conditions. He added that from now to mid-2023, the domestic market will still dominate tourism in Vietnam. Da Nang aims to welcome 3.5 million visitors in 2022. The city welcomed 180,000 international visitors in 2021, up 1.6 times YoY, and 3.32 domestic visitors, up 3 times YoY

Vietnam’s tourism professionals believe that the government should expand the visa exemption policies to more countries and extend the maximum stay period

Tuyen Quang Province aims to attract 2.2 million visitors in 2022. Visitor arrivals in the province reportedly “increased dramatically in the opening months of 2022”

Vietnamese to have 7 days off during 2 national holidays, the commemoration of Hung Kings on 9-11 Apr, and National Reunification Day and May Day holidays on 30 Apr-3 May

Deputy Minister of Tourism said that tourism businesses should renew and offer new tourism products to meet the changing trends post-pandemic in order to have an effective tourism reopening. He suggested that businesses should focus on luxury tourism, ecotourism, community-based tourism, adventure tourism, sports tourism, and medical tourism and focus on markets that are showing stable and strong recovery like Germany, Spain, the UK, France, Australia, the US, India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He added that aside from reopening international routes and increasing flight frequency, airlines also need to open more routes to major markets and coordinate with travel firms to create tour packages and provide updated regulations for passengers

Quang Ninh aims to welcome 10 million tourists in 2022, including 1.5 million foreigners, and gain $918.13 million USD in tourism revenue. The province welcomed around 2 million visitors in Q1

Hue welcomed 16 South Korean tourists, the first group of international visitors to return since the pandemic

The pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi has been reopened

Hai Phong prepares to host the rowing and canoeing events during the SEA Games in mid-May by repairing accommodation facilities and recruiting volunteers

Da Nang to offer promotional tourism products from 1 Apr-31 May and 1 Jul-15 Aug under the “Enjoy Da Nang” programme, including flights and 5-star hotel packages and “healthcare combo” packages. Airfare, cuisine, and shopping promotions will also be offered at an online tourism fair on 14 Apr and 15 May

Da Nang to hold a hot air balloon festival on 27 Mar as part of the celebrations of international tourism resumption. The event will be organised by the Danang International Terminal Investment and Operation Joint Stock Company (AHT) and the city’s Department of Tourism, and will be broadcast live on the Danang FantastiCity website

Vietnam had reached agreement with 17 countries on mutual vaccine passport recognition, including with the US, the UK, Japan, Australia, Belarus, India, Cambodia, the Philippines, the Maldives, Palestine, Turkey, Egypt, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Singapore, Saint Lucia, and South Korea. Vietnam currently recognises vaccination certificates of 79 countries

Travel agencies reported an increase in MICE tours, and hope to further promote MICE tourism as the number of domestic tourists is expected to surge in the summer. HCMC’s Vietravel welcomed 150 groups of nearly 9,000 tourists to join MICE tours to Phu Quoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Da Lat, and Phan Thiet. Saigontourist welcomed 13,000 MICE tourists and is preparing to welcome over 80 groups for seminars, team building events and gala dinners in Hanoi, Sa Pa, Dien Bien, Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, and Phu Quoc

Many tourism businesses reported weaker performance in 2021 compared to 2020: • Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) reported a record loss of $37 million USD in Q3 2021. The company’s net profit for 2021 was only over 830 billion VND, down by nearly half YoY • Vietourist Travel JSC (VTD) reported an increased revenue in 2021 by 25%, reaching 130 billion VND, but its gross profit only reached 50% of the previous year’s at 4.1 billion VND • Ninh Van Bay Travel Real Estate (NVT) recorded a net revenue of 86 billion VND in the first Q1-Q3 2021, down 87.6% YoY • Ocean Hotel and Services Joint Stock Company (OCH) reached a revenue of 103 billion VND in 2021, down 74% YoY, while profit decreased by 99.4% • Dong A Hotel Group Joint Stock Company (DAH) reported the highest profit among tourism businesses at over 44 billion VND, with a revenue of over 680 billion VND, reaching 135% of their target • SSI Securities Company believes that tourism businesses will make a strong recovery following the tourism reopening. They predicted that promising stocks include VTD (Vietourist Travel JSC), VNG (Thanh Thanh Cong Tourist Joint Stock Company), CTC (Hoang Kim Tay Nguyen Group JSC), and TCT (Tay Ninh Cable Car Tour Company

General Secretary of the Vietnam Banks Association reported that the government is implementing a socio-economic recovery package of about 350,000 billion VND. The banking industry has also prepared policies to support businesses in general, including tourism enterprises

Some hotels in Vietnam reported that while preparations to welcome international guests have been made, no bookings from them have been received yet

Sales Director of Ambassador Cruise Company said that the business will also target domestic customers, besides potential markets such as Taiwan, South Korea, Europe, and the US. The company had 75% foreign visitors and 10%-25% domestic visitors pre-pandemic

The Ministry of Planning and Investment proposed to grant a 60-day visa exemption for foreigners entering the Bac Van Phong economic zone in Khanh Hoa province to attract strategic investors. Under the proposal, foreigners who want to visit places outside of the economic zone should still hold a visa granted by the immigration control agency as per normal regulations. The draft plan is expected to be submitted to the parliament in May

Phu Quoc International Airport received its first international flight since tourism reopening, welcoming 235 visitors from Almaty, Kazakhstan on 19 Mar. The airport served 48 domestic flights with 14,000 passengers on the same day. Since the beginning of Feb, the airport has served an average of 45 flights with 13,500 passengers daily. Phu Quoc received 1,282 guests across 10 flights from Korea, Laos, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Thailand during the vaccine passport pilot reopening programme

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has proposed to close the Con Dao Airport for 9 months from April 2023 for $167 million USD worth of upgrades, including widening the runway, lengthening taxiways, and building new ones. The airport’s capacity is expected to quintuple to 2 million passengers once the upgrade is finished. The airport will also be able to handle Airbus A320, A321 and other mid-sized aircraft

High-end tourist railway carriage The Vietage to reopen the Da Nang-Quy Nhon route from 1 Apr

The Ministry of Agriculture and Development along with the Ministry of Tourism has submitted a rural tourism development project proposal for 2021-2025 to the PM. The proposal set the goals of: at least one rural tourism destination per locality is recognised; 50% of rural tourism businesses meet standards; at least 50% of rural tourist attractions that have 3-stars or above in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) standards are digitised; at least 80 community-based tourism products and rural tourist attractions are recognised with 3-stars or above OCOP standards; 100% of rural tourism destinations are promoted, and 50% of rural tourist spots apply e-commerce. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said rural tourism is a new trend and has potentials that need to be explored. The ministry reported that 70% of Vietnam’s 1,300 tourist attractions are rural tourism. The Tourism Minister said that rural tourism development needs an intensive investment and needs to utilise resources from the National Target Programme on New Rural Development

The Health Ministry has issued the COVID-19 protocols for foreign arrivals: • Visitors with negative COVID-19 test results can enter Vietnam quarantine-free, but are recommended to self-monitor their health for the first 10 days • Visitors entering via air must present negative COVID-19 tests taken within 72 hours prior to departure for RT-PCR/RT-LAMP or within 24 hours for antigen test • Visitors entering via road, sea, and rail will be subject to the same requirements if their travel time is short. Those making a long trip will be required to undergo testing at border gates before entering Vietnam • Air travellers will not be required to take an on-arrival test, but must submit a medical declaration prior to entry and use Vietnam’s PC-COVID app for the duration of their stay • Visitors are required to have $10,000 USD worth of insurance that could cover COVID-19 treatment costs

Reopening of international flights and economic recovery expected to accelerate foreign direct investment inflow. Vietnam received nearly $45 billion USD worth of FDI in Jan-Feb, 91.5% of last year’s figure. The disbursed FDI totalled $2.68 billion, up 7.2% YoY

Danang FantastiCity 2022 Online Travel Mart was launched on 17 Mar, featuring over 200 travel companies and over 60 partners from Japan, South Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asian countries. The event was held by the municipal Tourism Department and Viettel Business Solutions Corporation, which have signed an MoU on cooperation in digital transformation and smart city constriction in 2021-2025. Viettel developed a digital ecosystem for tourism with smart travel card, tourism trading floor and virtual travel exhibition

The Vietnam International Travel Mart to take place on 31 Mar-3 Apr, featuring around 320 travel firms and management officials from 52 localities and 6 foreign countries, namely Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Turkey. The event is anticipated to welcome 40,000 visitors and 2,500 visiting firms. Travel and aviation firms plan to offer promotion on over 10,000 tours and 100,000 air tickets, along with 1,000 gifts for visitors

Da Nang to hold large-scale sporting events in 2022 to attract tourists, including the Da Nang International Marathon on 18-20 Mar, the Olympic Run Day for Public Health on 27 Mar, a hot-air balloon show held in Bach Dang street on 25-27 Mar, as well as the Ironman 70.3 Vietnam, and the Sprint and Ironkids competitions on 7-9 May which is expected to welcome around 2,000 international participants. A national boat race will be organised in Jun, along with a colour run on 10-12 Jun. 14 national sporting tournaments and the city’s 9th sport festival will also be held this year

Agoda has revealed the 10 countries with the highest number of tourists interested in visiting Vietnam. Singapore tops the list with most information searched on Vietnam, followed by the US, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Australia, the UK, Germany, Thailand, and the UAE

Vietnamese ambassadors in India, Japan, and France said that tourists from the countries they are stationed in are interested in returning to Vietnam. They suggested that Vietnam tailors specific tourism products for the tourists, including wedding tourism targeting high-spending Indians, or promoting green, sustainable tourism services for French tourists. Vietnam’s ambassador to India also revealed that a group of 250 high-spending Indian tourists planned to visit Vietnam in Feb, but have decided to go to Thailand instead due to the more relaxed entry requirements

HCMC and the western provinces to develop tourism products from now until end-2022 on the Alluvial roads, connecting HCMC - Tien Giang - Vinh Long - Can Tho - Hau Giang - Soc Trang - Bac Lieu - Ca Mau, as well as the colour border line connecting HCMC - Tien Giang - Long An - Dong Thap - An Giang - Tien Giang

Bac Lieu aims to welcome over 7 million visitors by 2025, gaining 10,000 billion VND in revenue that accounts for 7% of the province’s GRDP

Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson informed that foreign tourists can ask international travel companies to represent them in handling procedures at the immigration department and receive their visas at Vietnam’s overseas representative agencies or agencies authorised to grant visas

Vietnam has reinstated pre-pandemic immigration policies for foreigners and Vietnamese residing overseas, and resumed visa applications and exemptions. Vietnam has opened e-visa applications for 80 countries and will resume visa exemption for countries in accordance with international conventions of which Vietnam is a member, including ASEAN

Vietnam considers removing COVID-19 from the Class A infectious disease list which classifies it as “especially dangerous”. The removal would serve as a premise for the government to issue new adaptation policies

Vietnam to shift strategy from minimising COVID-19 infections to minimising hospitalisation and death risks based on the government’s COVID-19 prevention programme. Under the programme, the public would have easier access to health services and prevention protocols to minimise COVID-19’s impacts on the people’s lives. Vietnam sees an average of 170,000 new daily cases, up 39% from the previous week, while average number of daily deaths was 75, down 14% from the previous week

The Deputy PM has approved the investment policy of the Huong Binh cable car project, which will connect Lac Thuy District in Hoa Binh Province and Huong Son commune in Hanoi. The total investment capital is over 1,700 billion VND funded by a private company. The project is expected to begin construction in 2022 and be completed in Q4 2024

Vietnamese travel firms have begun contacting foreign customers and working with overseas partners to bring back international tourists to Vietnam following the clarifications on quarantine and testing rules. Lux Group has contacted 80 European groups who had cancelled their tours due to the pandemic and said that tour groups from Australia would visit in May, while tourists from France, Germany and Spain would visit in the summer. Anex Vietnam which specialises in bringing Russian tourists to Khanh Hoa said that they expect to bring Russian tourists back to Khanh Hoa in early Apr despite the escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine. Vietravel is working with partners in Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, France and the US in launching new tourism products and the firm expects to bring international tourists to Vietnam from later this month

Nghe An Province to hold the Cua Lo Tourism Festival 2022 on 9 Apr

Hanoi has completed all preparations and infrastructure upgrades for the SEA Games, where the city will host 18 sport events. Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee said that a series of tourism promotion activities will be held from now to the opening of the games

Quang Ninh to host a seminar to discuss Vietnamese tourism recovery with a safe and flexible adaptation to the pandemic. The province will also hold over 60 promotion events, including the Ha Long Carnival and Ao Dai Festival. It also plans to organise a Ha Long Tourism Festival. Quang Ninh has completed preparations for international tourism reopening, especially for the upcoming holidays on 30 Apr-1 May. Vice Director of Muong Thanh Quang Ninh said that 80% of its rooms have been booked for the May Day holidays and 50% for weekends

Sun World Ba Na Hills tourist area in Da Nang to reopen to public from 18 Mar

Vietnam reported a new daily record of 180,558 new COVID-19 cases. Hanoi recorded the most cases with 26,220

Hanoi Transport Department plans to provide 1,000 public bicycles, including 500 electric ones, in 5 downtown districts within this year, based on the HCMC model. The bikes will be placed at 70-80 stations in Ba Dinh, Tay Ho, Dong Da, Thanh Xuan and near stations of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line. 3,000 more bikes will be added to 350 stations between 2023-2024. The project is estimated to cost $1.14 million USD funded by tech firm Tri Nam Group JSC, which will collect fees for capital recovery at 20,000 VND/hour for electric bikes. The price for normal bikes has not been set. The firm also proposes to set up charging stations in the city. The firm has been operating HCMC’s public bike service since Dec 2021

Vietnam to reinstate pre-pandemic entry and exit procedures for international arrivals from 15 Mar. Visa exemption has also been resumed for citizens from 13 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Denmark, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Belarus, and Sweden. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue communications with other countries regarding immigration policies and recognition of vaccine passports, while the Ministry of Health will provide health guidelines for people entering the country. Further details should be announced soon

Vietjet and the Tuyen Quang People’s Committee have announced plans to hold the largest-ever international hot air balloon festival in Vietnam this month

Vinpearl facilities served over 3,000 international tourists from various countries like South Korea, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Laos over 3 months of the pilot reopening programme

The General Statistics Office reported that 22,300 businesses have resumed operations in Jan-Feb, up 102.5% YoY. Newly-established enterprises reached almost 20,300, up 11.9% YoY. The number of enterprises temporarily suspending operations reached 32,700, up 51.3% YoY, while 8,900 ceased operations to wait for dissolution, up 6.3% YoY

The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed Vietnam’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war that “international disputes and disagreements should be resolved by peaceful means”. He urged those involved to “exercise restraint, reduce tensions, and continue to make efforts for dialogue to find a long-term solution which is in line with international law and takes into account the sides' legitimate interests”. The Russian Foreign Affairs Minister lauded Vietnam’s contribution to peace and pledge to support the safe evacuation of Vietnamese citizens

General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said that Vietnam’s target of welcoming 5 million foreigners and 60 million domestic tourists, gaining $17.5 billion USD in revenue is “ambitious, but still reachable”. He said that many major markets, including ASEAN, have shown interest in Vietnam’s reopening, with interest also coming from Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Google Destinations Insight data showed that international searches for Vietnam’s aviation remain high, growing 425% YoY on 21 Jan and 374% YoY on 3 Feb

Quang Nam gears up for international tourism reopening by preparing infrastructure, transportation and accommodation services, as well as renewing many tourism products

Quang Nam steps up transformation into a green tourism model with many restaurants switching to sustainable alternatives and accommodations turning kitchen waste to bio fertiliser. Local travel companies have also launched green tourism and responsible tourism products. At least 70-100 companies are expected to get green-tourism branding by 2025

Binh Thuan Province welcomed nearly 600,000 visitors in Jan-Feb, including over 10,000 foreigners. The province aims to welcome 4.5 million visitors, including 220,000 foreigners and earning $570 million USD. It received 6.5 million visitors in 2019. Binh Thuan aims for 18%-20% tourism growth by 2025, reaching 8.9 million visitors, contributing 10%-11% to the RGDP. Binh Thuan Tourism Department said that it will focus on developing sea, sport, entertainment, and cultural products, as well as improve human quality resources, strengthen digitisation, and focus on promotional activities to attract foreign and domestic tourists. Binh Thuan tourism players have prepared for the international tourism reopening by upgrading facilities and retraining staff. The province aims to attract not only its traditional tourist markets like Russia, China, and South Korea, but also aims to attract tourists from Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, and other countries

Hai Phong City to reopen night clubs and karaoke parlours from 16 Mar on a 2-month trial basis after 10 months of closure due to the pandemic

Hanoi to lift the 9pm closure requirement and allow F&B establishments to operate as normal. Hoan Kiem District has also announced that pedestrian spaces in the historic city centre from 18 Mar after nearly a year of closure due to the pandemic

Vietnam Airlines and Thua Thien Hue Province have signed a comprehensive cooperation deal for 2022-2026 to promote tourism and local investments through a series of programmes including communications and promotions in tourism, investment, trade, and air service. Vietnam Airlines will also be the official carrier for the Hue Festival 2022

The 2022 Manulife Da Nang International Marathon to be held on 20 Mar after a 2-year suspension due to the pandemic. A record number of 9,000 athletes, including 2,400 foreigners from 67 countries will compete in the event

General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said that reopening preparations from the tourism sector have been running smoothly, including ensuring safety and promoting destinations. He also hopes that the Health Ministry can issue an official document detailing entry policies soon. He added that Vietnam needs to simplify entry and exit procedures, including visa policies, to attract international tourists. VNAT has also asked the government to continue incentives and support policies for the tourism sector. VNAT has suggested tourism businesses to target markets in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Europe and Oceania, prioritising countries that have mutual vaccine recognition and are included in Vietnam’s visa waiver list

Latest proposal from the Tourism Ministry on international tourism reopening stated that: Pre-pandemic visa and entry requirements should be reinstated for visitors entering by air, road, railway and sea • Visitors aged 12 and above should have a certificate of full COVID-19 vaccination with the last dose given at least 14 days and no more than 6 months before the date of entry, or a certificate of recovery from COVID- 19 • Visitors arriving by air would be required to submit proof of negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP results taken within 72 hours prior to departure. They would be required to undergo ART within 24 hours of arrival at their accommodation and can travel freely if the result is negative • Visitors entering via land and sea routes should submit negative ART results • Tourists would be required to have $10,000 USD worth of insurance that could cover COVID-19 treatment costs

The Health Ministry clarified that COVID-19 patients can only leave their quarantine rooms and not their homes after confusion emerged following the ministry’s latest guideline that said "patients can leave their quarantine”, which led the public and media to believe patients could leave their home

The Health Ministry has allowed COVID-19 patients receiving home treatment to leave their isolation room at home, as long as they wear masks and uphold social distance. Their movements will still be restricted within their home. Results of self-performed tests will now also be recognised instead of only tests performed by health staff

Lai Chau Province to hold a culture and tourism week on 14-17 Apr to attract tourists and promote tourism development. The event will feature a fam trip and seminar to promote links in tourism development, among others. Tam Duong district will also hold the Putaleng international paragliding tourney with 100 domestic and international participants

Hanoi to open its 4th pedestrian zone at the Son Tay old fortress citadel on 30 Apr

Thua Thien-Hue prepares for international tourism reopening, with the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre offering new tourism products. The province will also hold the Hue Festival following a 2-year suspension due to the pandemic, with nearly 50 cultural events held throughout the year

Asia Exotica Vietnam said that they have received bookings for tours in Apr-May, as well as in the summer and autumn following Vietnam’s reopening announcement, with top destinations being Ha Long, Hoi An, and Hanoi, followed by Hue, HCMC, and Phu Quoc. Oxalis Adventure announced that the Son Doong cave expedition in Quang Binh Province has been fully booked throughout 2022 and 15% booked for 2023 tours, mostly by foreigners. Other Oxalis tours to Tu Lan, Hang Va, Hang En, and Hang Tien until May have been 80% booked. Vietnam welcomed 49,200 international visitors in Jan-Feb, up 71.7% YoY

Phu Quoc aims to attract 2 million tourists in 2022, including 500,000 foreigners, up 215.4% YoY

The government has approved the Tourism Ministry’s 2022-2026 tourism development plan, which was presented ahead of full international tourism reopening. The plan will be divided into 2 phases, with the first phase of 2022-2023 focused on supporting the recovery of tourism businesses by maintaining VAT and corporate income tax (CIT) reductions, lowering electricity charges and land rent, and extending the CIT payment deadline until end-2023, launching promotion events, and building a network of tourism SMEs. The first phase aims to welcome up to 9 million international tourists, 50% of 2019’s numbers, and 65-70 million domestic tourists, 75-80% of 2019’s numbers, and gain up to $19.63 billion USD in revenue, 50% of 2019’s amount. The second phase in 2024-2026 will be focused on developing a sustainable tourism labour market and high-quality human resources. It aims to welcome 18 million international visitors, equal to 2019’s figure, and 85 million domestic tourists by 2026 to achieve a revenue of $39.26 billion USD

The PM has approved a plan to develop the Thac Ba Lake tourism site in Yen Bai province into a national and international tourist destination by 2040. Under the plan, the site will be expanded while considering sustainable development and promoting local values. The site aims to welcome 1 million visitors by 2030 and 2.5 million by 2040

The Pear Blossom Festival is being held in the Hong Thai Commune of Tuyen Quang Province as part of the province’s 2022 tourism stimulus programme

Hanoi recorded an average of 30,000 new daily cases over the last week, increasing 10-fold MoM

The Centre for Culture-Sports and Radio and Television in Hoi An City of Quang Nam Province has collaborated with Bizverse to launch the Hoi An Metaverse tourism digital transformation project, which will digitise relics, attractions, traditional craft villages in Hoi An ancient city into a 3D map

Vietnam reported a record daily number of 169,114 new COVID-19 cases. Hanoi reported the highest number with 31,899

Senior Advisor at Public Health Emergency Operations Centre under the Health Ministry stated that Vietnam should be confident in reopening for international tourists, seeing as domestic transmissions account for the majority of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam at 99.7%

Travel firms reported that they still cannot sell tours to foreigners due to a lack of clarity from the government on reopening regulations

Anex Vietnam reported that the number of flights carrying Russian travellers decreased by 25%, from 8 to 6 flights a month, amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis

Latest draft proposal from the Health Ministry on international tourism reopening stated that: • International arrivals will no longer need COVID-19 vaccine certificates or proof of recent recovery • International air passengers are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to departure for PCR tests and 24 hours for ARTs. Children under 2 are exempt from testings • International arrivals will no longer be subject to on-arrival COVID-19 test and quarantine, but must comply with Vietnam’s pandemic measures • All entrants will be required to submit health declarations prior to entry and use Vietnam’s PC-COVID app during their stay

The National Private Economic Development Research Board and the Tourism Advisory Board stated in their letter to the PM that medical requirements for international tourists should be as simple as possible to increase Vietnam’s attractiveness and competitiveness as a tourism destination. They said that the stricter requirements for foreign tourists compared to those for Vietnamese arrivals should be avoided to prevent discrimination against foreign tourists. They recommended Vietnam to eliminate all testing requirements for foreign tourists and treat domestic and international visitors equally

New Netflix movie to start filming in Apr at 5 tourist destinations in Vietnam including Da Nang, Hoi An, Ha Giang, Hanoi, and HCMC. This will be the first international production to film in Vietnam since the pandemic started

Secretary of the HCMC’s Party Committee believes that based on the current situation, social distancing and avoiding mass gatherings should no longer be necessary, and only wearing masks and disinfecting hands should be enforced

Tourism businesses have started preparations for the 15 Mar international tourism reopening, although some expect international tourists will only return in full force in H2. Travel operators have also expressed concerns about the proposed strict entry restrictions by the Health Ministry, noting that it would inconvenience tourists and travel operators

Kien Giang province in the Mekong Delta plans to invest $2.2 million USD in tourism projects including upgrading road access to tourism destinations and infrastructure development, as well as tourism promotion via website and development of an online ticketing system and mobile app. Kien Giang is currently calling for investment in Ba Tau historical-cultural tourist site which needs an investment of approx. 70 billion VND. Kien Giang welcomed over 1 million tourists, including 18,600 foreigners, in Jan-Feb, up 27% YoY. Of those, 741,600 tourists travelled to Phu Quoc, up 30% YoY and earning the city 750 billion VND in tourism revenue

Savills Vietnam predicted that tourism reopening will drive demand for not only hospitality services but also serviced apartments. Director of Savills Hanoi reported that the hospitality market in Northern Vietnam is developing in areas apart from popular tourist destinations like Ha Long, but also in Hanoi suburbs and surrounding Hoa Bing and Thanh Hoa provinces due to improvements in transportation links. Managing Director of Savills Vietnam states that foreign direct investment flows and serviced apartments have strong correlation, with countries like Japan and South Korea driving the serviced apartment demand. Japanese and Korean expatriates accounted for 84% of tenants in Grade A serviced apartments in H2 2021. Global Buyer Survey 2021 revealed that good healthcare, air quality, and green spaces are the top priorities when choosing accommodation

Vietnamese airlines served 8,383 flights in Dec 2021, up 538% from 1,311 in Sep, following the easing of social distancing restrictions in Oct. Hotel occupancy improved in Q4 2021, with average room rates reaching 1.8 million VND, up 12% YoY. 2,900 rooms are also expected to be established in 2022-2023, showing an increased confidence of investors in the hospitality sector, Savills Vietnam reported

Hanoi aims to attract more tourists to its cultural relic sites, especially when tourism reopens from 15 Mar. Huong Pagoda sees around 1,000 tourists per day, compared to around 5,000 pre-pandemic. The site has welcomed 60,000 visitors this year so far, equivalent to one day of visitors in peak season pre-pandemic. Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, and Hoa Lo prison relic sites also see similar situations. The city’s relic sites have launched programmes to attract tourists including a gift presenting programme in Thang Long Imperial Citadel and night tours of Hoa Lo prison

The Vietnam Federation of Trade and Industry (VCCI) has proposed to the Finance Ministry to extend the VAT reduction from 10% to 8% beyond 2022 for sectors heavily impacted by the pandemic including tourism, hotels, and aviation

HCMC Tourism Department and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam have signed an MoU valid for 2022-2024, allowing the city to expand direct channels in promoting HCMC as a “premier tourist destination” to European and international tourists. HCMC Tourism Department has also signed an MoU valid for 2022-2027 with the Vietnam Airport Ground Services Company Limited (VIAGS) to promote tourism development by conducting market research and brand building, exchanging information on tourism and aviation sector development, cooperating in welcoming MICE tourists, and organise promotional activities for domestic and international travel

Tourist arrivals to Da Nang have been steadily increasing for the past 2 months. The Deputy Director of Da Nang Tourism Department reported that 45% tourist accommodation establishments are open and ready to welcome both domestic and international visitors. 150 tour operators and nearly all tourism attractions have also resumed operations

Tourism players welcome the 15 Mar international tourism reopening. General Manager of Asian Trails Vietnam said that tourism revival will depend on safety measures implemented, noting that policies like 24-hour quarantine and on-arrival tests would prevent tourists from coming. Managing Director of Diethelm Travel Vietnam also believes that tourism would thrive if Vietnam implements the simplest safety measures in the region and open borders without any kind of restrictions. The CEO of Lux Travel however, remained doubtful of short-term inbound recovery as it is unlikely to receive mass tourism from markets like China, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He predicted that the western market will return from May-Jun. Vietnam’s reopening announcement has also spurred interest. Lux Travel reported re-bookings from Germany, Spain, and France clients. Diethelm reported an increase in demand from France, the UK, and Nordic countries. Asian Trails Vietnam reported that Western European operators are interested in selling Vietnam tours soon

Quang Binh Discovery Marathon 2022 to be held 12-13 Mar at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, starting off the province’s tourism season

Self-organised tours have emerged as a rising trend amid tourism recovery in the new normal. Google and Temasek study showed that the online travel industry in Vietnam is estimated to reach $9 billion USD by 2025, while the figure is estimated at $90 billion USD for the whole Southeast Asia. Travel companies like Saigontourist, Vietravel, Fiditour-Vietluxtour and TST Tourist, have turned to high-end tourism services to adapt to the new normal, attracting clients like corporate and business leaders

The Vietnamese embassy in Doha organised a seminar in collaboration with Qatar travel agencies and a Vietnamese travel operator to promote Vietnamese tourism and to strengthen cooperation in the tourism industry between Vietnam and Qatar, as well as other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Vietnam’s ambassador to Qatar said that while the number of Qatar tourists to Vietnam is still limited to around 1,000 visitors in 2019, there is great potential for Qatar to explore Vietnamese tourism

Da Nang welcomed 720 MICE visitors attending Manulife Vietnam’s 2022 Million Dollar Round Table from 7-9 Mar. Vice Director of the city’s Tourism Promotion Centre said that this is the biggest MICE group the city has welcomed and that they will follow local City Tour programme in addition to the conference

Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap to step up the development of agro-ecotourism and community tourism. Dong Thap has also encouraged locals to engage in tourism startups and digitalisation. Community-based tourism has helped the province rank 3rd in the Mekong Delta region in regards to the number of tourists, as well as gain 1.88 billion USD revenue between 2016-2020

The Health Ministry proposed to cease the daily update of the number COVID-19 cases as “they don’t reflect the true nature of the pandemic situation” and can cause needless concerns among the public. The ministry has also proposed to revoke the 5-day home quarantine rule for fully vaccinated close contacts of COVID-19 patients and replace it with 10 days of self-monitoring. Home quarantine period for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated close contacts was proposed to be shortened from 7 to 5 days

Vietnam reported 131,817 new daily COVID-19 cases. Hanoi recorded the most cases with 25,013

Bamboo Airways to launch the Hanoi-Melbourne route from 27 Apr, becoming the first domestic carrier to operate this route

Vietnam abstained from voting to support the UN resolution to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The 31st SEA Games to be held in Hanoi and 11 surrounding provinces on 12-23 May, with nearly 10,000 competitors from 11 member countries, competing in 526 events across 40 sports. No quarantine restrictions will be imposed for participants and journalists. They will be required to register their schedules during their time in Vietnam and can travel within and around the venues. Participants will stay in hotels close to their competition venues and will undergo activities, training, and competition under a bubble system

The Tourism Ministry has requested localities to draft plans and examine the preparation of facilities and services to welcome visitors ahead of tourism reopening. The plans and inspections should focus on pandemic prevention and control, settlement of events in case tourists tested positive for COVID-19, the quality of tourism facilities, services and human resources. Localities and accommodation establishments are required to implement registrations and encourage tourists to use the “Du lich Viet Nam an toan” (Travel Vietnam Safely) app to look up safe travel information, make medical declarations, and evaluate destinations

Tourism players expressed disapproval over the Health Ministry’s proposal of “overly strict requirements” for foreign tourists for the tourism reopening. The restrictions are regarded as against truly reopening the country and could prevent foreign travellers from visiting Vietnam. Former Deputy Head of the Travel Division of the HCMC Tourism Department also pointed out that imported cases only accounted for 0.02% of the total nationwide cases on 1 Mar, meaning most cases are locally transmitted. Chairperson of Lux Group believes that Vietnam could only expect travellers from nearby markets like ASEAN countries and from countries that domestic airlines have reopened routes with like Europe and Australia. He added that many European groups want to re-book tours to Vietnam in Jun but still cannot obtain tourist visas as Vietnam has not yet resumed the granting of the visas. CEO of Images Travel & Events said his firm has had to refuse foreign tourists in Apr-May due to concerns of changes in policies. CEO of Oxalis said the firm may not focus on foreign markets in 2022 as they are not sure about the reopening plans

The Tourism Ministry has finalised its plan on tourism reopening and has reported it to the PM. The measures proposed aims to “ensure an equality for both domestic and international tourists, and create favourable conditions to attract foreign arrivals to Vietnam, while ensuring conditions on the prevention and control of the pandemic”. The ministry proposed that: • Visitors aged 12 and above should have a negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP test taken within 72 hours prior to departure • Visitors arriving by air should stay at their accommodations in the first 24 hours of arrival and take a COVID-19 test. If tested negative, they will be allowed to freely join tourism activities. Those arriving by land or sea are not required to quarantine if tested negative with rapid tests at the border gates

Singapore to launch a VTL with Vietnam from 16 Mar, with vaccinated travel pass application to open on 13 Mar

The General Statistics Office reported that retail sales of consumer goods and services in Jan-Feb increased 1.7% YoY, reaching over $38.35 billion USD

Vietnam welcomed 1,558 foreign visitors and 9.6 million domestic tourists in Feb, generating over $1.8 billion USD

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has proposed to resume the visa exemption policy for the international tourism reopening on 15 Mar and is awaiting the PM’s final decision. The ministry proposed to implement regulations on granting visas and visa exemptions, resume bilateral visa exemption as well as unilateral visa exemption with 13 countries: ​​Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the UK

Vietnam and Singapore has agreed to mutually accept each other’s vaccine passports, bringing the total number of countries in agreement with Vietnam to 15

Federal Agency for Tourism of Russia has recommended Vietnam as one of the safe tourism destinations without any restrictions for Russian visitors

PM Chinh announced that Vietnam will move towards “normalising” COVID-19 and transition to an endemic phase. He asked the Health Ministry to analyse the nationwide level of protection against the virus provided by antibodies. The Health Ministry said that cases and fatality rates have continued to decrease in Vietnam, but noted WHO’s caution that the pandemic would not be completely put under control before 2023. The Deputy PM said the COVID-19 prevention programme would be drafted and launched this week

Finance Ministry has announced that 10% of total visa fees and 5% of total excursion fees at tourism sites nationwide will be allocated to the Tourism Development Fund. The fund will be spent to promote and support tourism development including organising and attending tourism promotion events, receiving key opinion leaders on tourism promotion, supporting electronic marketing development, market survey and tourism product development, and developing tourism workforce, among others. The fund will support those participating in training courses for up to 9 million VND per person per course, as well as those organising contests on Vietnam’s tourism with 20 million VND for collective prizes and 15 million VND for individual prizes

HCMC Tourism Department has released a draft communications plan to promote the city on domestic and international media platforms, aiming to promote local destinations, people, cultural identities, products, and cuisine through television commercials and under-60-second films, the appointment of a tourism ambassador, and advertisements on international media channels. The Director of the Tourism Department said the city has prepared specific programmes in line with the government’s tourism reopening instructions. The department has also worked with firms in taking advantage of waterway routes, and is planning to conduct surveys and launch helicopter tours and high-speed boat service to Con Dao Island. HCMC has 34 hotels with 6,800 rooms to welcome tourists under the international tourism reopening pilot programme

HCMC to tighten COVID-19 restrictions in 13 high-risk areas, including suspending bars, dance clubs, and karaoke parlours, as well as limiting activities for weddings, funerals, festivals, massage and beauty parlours, in-person dining and movie theatres

Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta to develop agricultural tourism under its Tourism Department’s 2021-2025 project with vision towards 2030. Under the plan, the city aims to identify and promote all of its agricultural tourism destinations such as stork gardens, traditional craft villages and farms, as well as train 70% of agriculture tourism workers to improve their professional skills. The city aims to attract 1.3 million visitors and gain 910 billion VND revenue by 2025, increasing to 2.4 million visitors and 1.9 trillion VND revenue by 2030

Public buses will now be allowed to operate in the domestic terminal at HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat airport to ease transportation access for passengers and prevent congestion outside of the terminal. The airport was designed to have 25 million annual capacity by 2020 but has surpassed 40 million passengers by 2017, which has put pressure on its infrastructure

Germany’s Robert Koch-Institute has removed Vietnam from the list of countries with high COVID-19 risk, meaning passengers entering Germany from Vietnam will no longer be subject to strict regulations from 3 Mar

The Health Ministry has proposed a set of pandemic rules to the Tourism Ministry for the 15 Mar international tourism reopening, including: • Visitors aged 12 and above should have a certificate of full COVID-19 vaccination with the last dose given at least 14 days and no more than 6 months before the date of entry, or a certificate of recovery from COVID-19. Children under 12 are not required to have vaccination certificates. • High risk groups including those over 65, pregnant women, and those with underlying medical conditions should avoid travelling to Vietnam until further recommendation, and comply with vaccination rules if entering the country • Tourists should present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours ahead of arrival, make a health declaration prior to entering the country. They should inform medical staff if showing COVID-19 symptoms at border gates • Tourists should utilise the PC-COVID app throughout their stay, as well as adhere to the 5K message (face mask, disinfection, distance, no gathering, health declaration) • Tourists are required to stay at their accommodation in the first 24 hours of entry and take a COVID-19 test. They are recommended to stay at the accommodation for 72 hours and need to have a negative ART or PCR result daily before going out. If they choose to stay at their accommodation for 72 hours, they will need to take a test on the third day. Tourists who test negative can travel freely after the 72 hours are up. • Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children or have never been infected with the coronavirus must not leave their place of accommodation in the first 24 hours of entry. They would need to have a negative COVID-19 test every day before going outside for the next 7 days • Reopening of tourism activities should consider the outbreak level in each locality providing tourism services. Localities should also prepare a backup plan to respond to possible COVID-19 developments

Many projects of international hotel brands are expected to start operations in 2022, including Regent Phu Quoc, Voco Hotel Da Nang, Best Western Plus Marvella Nha Trang, Radisson Resort Phan Thiet and Mercure Da Lat. Statistics from Savills Hotel has shown that the number of branded hotel and resort projects in Vietnam increased from 36 with 8,200 rooms in 2010 to 120 with 32,000 rooms as of late Jan, comprising around 64 regional and international brands

The Director of Khanh Hoa’s Tourism Department revealed that the province welcomed nearly 122,000 visitors, including nearly 4,600 foreign visitors in Q4 2021, generating 450 billion VND tourism revenue. Khanh Hoa had also received 48 flights with over 10,000 international tourists from Russia, Korea, Japan, and Malaysia since the vaccine passport pilot program started in early Nov 2021 until 22 Feb. The province aims to welcome over 1.2 million visitors including 40,000 international visitors as well as generate 4 trillion VND in tourism revenue, up 80% from 2021’s achievements. The director also said that domestic tourism will play a vital role in 2022 and that the province will strengthen its communication activities, promotion, and stimulus to attract tourists. She added that Khanh Hoa will also focus on key markets regarding international visitors such as Russia, Korea, China, Malaysia, and India

Tourism businesses continue to grapple with labour shortage ahead of tourism reopening, leaving many firms understaffed while struggling to hire or afford additional workers. Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reported that there were 2.5 million tourism workers pre-pandemic, but that 80-90% of tourism companies had closed or are running at limited capacity due to the pandemic. VNAT has urged the Tourism Ministry to extend support packages until late 2023 including financial support, favourable loans, lower electricity bills, tax cuts and interest reduction. VNAT also reported that 80% of relief package for tourism workers who lost their jobs since Jul 2021 had been disbursed

The Malaysian government has said that is in negotiations with 12 countries to implement Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs): Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Korea and the UK. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that there are 3 phases of negotiations: preliminary (currently with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Vietnam and Thailand); comprehensive (Brunei, Indonesia and Korea) and implementation (Singapore). It noted that these negotiations were “rather slow” due to the uncertainties of the Omicron variant

The US CDC has declared Vietnam as Level 4: Very High Risk on its travel advisory list

The General Statistics Office announced that Vietnam welcomed 49,200 foreign visitors in Jan-Feb, up 71.7% YoY. The number of tourists in Feb increased 49.6% MoM, and over 196% YoY. 87% of foreign arrivals entered the country by air

Lao Cai aims to welcome 4 million visitors and generate $657.6 million USD revenue in tourism in 2022, according to its Culture-Tourism Development Plan for 2020-2025. The province will focus on developing tourism infrastructure, product, and human resources, improving promotional activities, as well as developing plans, mechanisms and policies. Lao Cai will expedite the progress of its major projects like the Sa Pa Airport and the road connecting Sa Pa with the Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway. The province plans to expand links with major tourism hubs like Hanoi, Da Nang, and HCMC to develop luxury mountain resort and beach tourism, as well as with Luang Prabang city in Laos and Chiang Mai in Thailand for developing specific products. It also plans to build a system of its festival and spiritual tourism products, as well as develop a range of tourism products regarding sports, adventure, nature exploration, wet market culture, and resort, among others. Lao Cai welcomed 245,250 visitors in Feb, up 261.2% MoM and gained 993.9 billion VND in tourism revenue, up 373.3% MoM

Hue City to launch a series of arts and cultural activities from Q2, which will take place at night from 6-10 PM at various public sites including Pham Ngu Lao, Chu Van An, Vo Thi Sau Pedestrian Streets, Tu Tuong and 3/2 Parks, and tourist attractions like Dong Ba Night Market, Hoang Thanh Night Street, and pedestrian areas by Huong (Perfume) River. Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue City said that they had studied the plan of developing the night economy to boost the city’s general economy

Quang Ninh to launch a safe tourism campaign in mid-Mar when international tourism reopens. Director of the provincial Tourism Department stated that they plan to organise around 70 cultural, sport, tourism and trade events throughout 2022, and will also host 7 sports of the SEA Games. A roadshow will also be held throughout southern localities as well as major international markets like China, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand when possible

The SEA Games Organising Committee has announced that international sport delegations and reporters will not all be quarantined in case COVID-19 cases are found, and instead only those who who test positive will be quarantined and monitored

HCMC has announced 9 tourist attractions and 5 travel firms which are allowed to serve foreign tourists on tour packages in the vaccine passport pilot programme ahead of mid-Mar tourism reopening. The attractions include the Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh Museum, War Remnants Museum, Southern Women's Museum, Ao Dai Museum, Vietnam History Museum, Cu Chi Tunnels, Sac Forest Tourism Area and Saigon Skydeck Observatory at the Bitexco Financial Tower. The travel firms include Saigontourist, Vinasun travel, Hai Van Cat Travel, TSTourist, and Blue Sky Travel. From 15 Mar, foreign tourists will no longer be required to book tour packages and can travel freely when visiting the country

Bac Lieu to boost agritourism, craft village tourism, eco-tourism, and community-based tourism in the north of National Highway 1A. The province will invest in parks and theme streets, as well as organise events, art programmes, workshops and exhibitions to promote tourism in the area

Mekong Delta localities saw a significant increase in tourism arrivals in Jan-Feb. Kien Giang welcomed over 1 million tourists, up 27% YoY, attributed to the vaccine passport pilot programme in Phu Quoc Island. In Feb alone, the province welcomed 728,000 travellers, up 2.23% MoM and 60% YoY, of which over 10,000 were foreign visitors, up 20.81% YoY. Ca Mau welcomed over 130,000 tourists in Jan-Feb, and aims to generate 1,000 billion VND in tourism revenue throughout 2022. An Giang welcomed around 400,000 visitors, up 58% YoY

Vietnam to launch a 40 trillion VND worth of support package offering a 2% interest cut for loans of pandemic-hit businesses. The aviation, transportation, tourism, accommodation, and food services sectors will benefit from the preferential interest rate credit package

F.I.T and Crystal Bay groups have begun construction on the Cap Padaran Mui Dinh project in Ninh Thuan worth over $1 billion USD, which will feature hotels, resorts, beach villas, and entertainment and sport complex, among others. The Bai Trang resort will be built in the first phase at the cost of $150 million USD. Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan People’s Committee said authorities had devised many policies to attract investors in the project with a goal of turning it into a land of luxurious resorts. The area of Mui Dinh-Ca Na in the province has been designated for tourism development in Ninh Thuan’s plan for 2021-25 with a vision towards 2030

National Music Festival 2022 to be held on 10-12 Mar in Dak Lak province

Vietnam held a working session with Croatian Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ministries to explore cooperation in economy, trade, and tourism. Vietnamese ambassador hopes both countries can assist each other’s tourism promotion and share experience in tourism. Croatian State Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism said that his country will share its experience in safe and sustainable tourism with Vietnam, adding that Croatia welcomed around 4,000 Vietnamese tourists in 2019

Hotels and travel firms in Khanh Hoa expressed concerns over the potential absence of Russian tourists amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict ahead of Vietnam’s international tourism reopening, as Russia is traditionally the biggest tourism market for Khanh Hoa

Vietnam reported a new daily record of 98,864 cases, comprising 77,982 cases in 61 cities/provinces and the addition of 20,894 cases recorded in Thai Nguyen province from previous days

At least 13 dead and 4 missing after a tourist boat capsized in bad weather off the coast of Hoi An on the way back from Cu Lao Cham Island. The boat was carrying 39 domestic tourists and crew members

Google’s Destination Insights data has shown that the frequency of international searches on Vietnam’s tourism grew the fastest in the world at 75% during Dec-Feb. Russia, the U.S., Australia, India, Singapore, Japan, the U.K., France, Malaysia and South Korea contributed the most searches. HCMC was the most searched destination followed by Hanoi, Da Lat, Phu Quoc and Nha Trang

Localities and authorities have devised various digital transformation initiatives in the tourism sector following the launch of the National Digital Transformation Programme that aims to raise the GDP share of the digital economy to 20% by 2025. Thua Thien-Hue has cooperated with businesses such as Vietsoftpro, Tiktok, Viettel VTS and Zalo to promote its tourist sites. Thanh Hoa has piloted a smart travel platform that applies AR technology for virtual tours. Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has cooperated with Ha Giang in digital transformation and smart tourism. It also partnered with Google to launch “Google Arts & Culture – Wonders of Vietnam”, which allows the public to view images and videos of artworks and cultural artefacts in Vietnam. The Ministry of Planning and Investment have cooperated with Facebook to promote tourism programmes on social platforms. HCMC held the HCMC Tourism Festival through a website, e-commerce platforms Shopee and Traveloka, and online travel agents. It featured virtual exhibition booths, direct support via message or email, and direct online purchase, making it the first online exchange in Vietnam in tourism. The HCMC Tourism Department has also cooperated with Onicorn Media to develop HoChiMinhCity Tourism app which could help users find information about the city’s tourism destinations

Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board survey has shown that 40% of respondents preferred online tour booking, and only 12-15% preferred to book via travel firms

Three localities have proposed new casino projects: Khanh Hoa proposed a casino on Hon Tre Island, Da Nang at Sun World Ba Na Hill tourist area, and Binh Thuan at Dai Duong Valley tourist area. The Finance Ministry has relayed only two projects to the PM, the Ba Na Hill and Hon Tre Island project, and rejected Binh Thuan’s proposal as the area does not have enough international visitors and the Ho Tram casino project located nearby has been operating inefficiently. Sun Group invested 16 trillion VND in the Ba Na Hill project, while Vinpearl JSC has invested 25.7 trillion VND for the tourism and entertainment complex at Hon Tre which will include a casino, hotel, amusement park, golf course, and convention centre. Vietnam is currently piloting allowing Vietnamese to play at casinos, with two casinos in Phu Quoc Island and one in Van Don Island. The Finance Ministry has proposed to extend the pilot period until 2024 from the initial 2019-2022 period due to the pandemic. Phu Quoc casino received 240,560 visitors by end-Sep 2021, of which 35% were foreigners and 65% were Vietnamese. Currently, the casino has lost about 3.9 trillion VND

Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine certificates are still not available for citizens 2 months after the Health Ministry introduced the official template due to technical issues regarding the procedure of digitally signing the certificates. The Health Ministry has asked the Ministry of Information and Communications to expedite the process of issuing vaccine certificates to facilitate international travel for Vietnamese. The Health Ministry has also requested for the vaccine passports to be displayed on the national COVID-19 app, PC-COVID

Director of Da Nang City’s Tourism Promotion Centre (TPT) informed that MICE groups with over 50 guests will be able to enjoy entrance fee discounts, as well as receive gifts and assistance in event organisation from Feb to year-end. TPT will cooperate with the Da Nang Tourism Association to encourage firms to register for incentives on products and services for MICE guests. Da Nang had piloted support policies to attract MICE groups in 2021, in which 10 groups with about 4,000 guests received support from TPT

Tourism and hospitality stocks in Vietnam rose following reopening announcements, with Vietourist Travel (VTD), OCH Hospitality & Service JSC, Hoang Kim Tay Nguyen Group (CTC), Dong A Hotel Group JSC, Thanh Thanh Cong Tourist (VNG) and Ninh Van Bay Travel Real Estate (NVT) hitting ceiling prices on 17 Feb. Tourism companies including CTC, NVT, VNG, VTD, and Daseco reported poor profits in 2021

CEO of Oxalis Adventure said that tour bookings in Mar-Apr had reached 80%, with many accommodation facilities fully booked on 30 Apr, which is a national holiday

Melia Hotels International has partnered with Vinpearl and will take over the management of 12 hotels and resorts in Vietnam, becoming the second largest international hotel group in Vietnam in terms of number of rooms. The group currently has 6 properties in operation and 6 in the pipeline. The partnership will bring the total properties to 24 hotels and resorts, comprising 8 hotels in operation and 16 in the pipeline. The 12 properties under the arrangement will be rebranded as Melia Vinpearl Hotels, starting with Melia Vinpearl Quang Binh’s rebranding in Mar and Melia Vinpearl Hotel Hue in May. The remaining 10 properties will complete migration to Melia Vinpearl in H1

Vietnam to hold 192 events under the “Visit Vietnam Year - Quang Nam 2022” programme, including 10 national-level events, 62 organised by Quang Nam, and 120 by 40 centrally run cities and provinces

Tourism and hospitality businesses reported difficulties in recruiting workers, with high demand but low supply of workers. The CEO of Santa, operator of hoteljob.vn, informed that demand for tourism workers has increased since early-Dec 2021. He predicts that massive recruitment would be seen in Mar. Localities with the highest demand for workers include HCMC with 1,500 adverts on the hoteljob.vn platform, followed by Hanoi, Phu Quoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Da Nang

Da Nang Tourism Department has collaborated with Hekate Technology JSC to develop and pilot Chatbot Danang Fantasticity, the first automatic tourism information system via chat in Vietnam. Founder of travel e-commerce website Tripi.vn said that customer satisfaction score has increased by 98% and expenses for each order halved since the company’s operations were semi-automated

COVID-19 test kit prices have increased significantly compared to before Tet, causing shortages amid a surge in cases

Chairman of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam said that the construction of the airfield infrastructure of the Long Thanh Airport is expected to be completed in Dec 2024, with the construction of the airport’s terminal to be completed in Mar 2025. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by Sep 2025, 3 months earlier than planned

Quang Nam aims to welcome 1.7 million foreign visitors in 2022 and 4.2 million domestic visitors, targeting a revenue of $263 million USD

Quang Binh welcomed over 35,000 visitors during and after the Tet holiday, with daily visitor numbers increasing 16% YoY. The Province has introduced tourism stimulus programmes as well as new tourism products to attract visitors including night kayaking at Phong Nha, canyoneering at Toc Tien Waterfall, and visits to Dong Chau forest

The Tourism Ministry has proposed to allow ART kits to be used to test foreign visitors upon arrival in Vietnam, with those testing negative allowed to travel freely immediately. The ministry also proposed to allow foreign visitors to enter via land and sea instead of only by air during the pilot tourism reopening

Khanh Hoa is preparing for international tourism reopening on 15 Mar. The Khanh Hoa Tourism Association has organised an inter-sectoral survey team and issued instructions on welcoming foreign tourists and on pandemic measures for accommodation facilities, tourist attractions, transport and travel companies, and shops. The tourist site on Diep Son Island is undergoing infrastructure repair and upgrade. Travel companies have also expressed optimism and has started preparation for the reopening

Tourist arrivals to Mekong Delta surged during the first days of Tet. Can Tho City welcomed over 196,000 visitors and gained 1.92 million USD in revenue, with Cai Rang Floating Market and My Khanh eco-tourism site being the busiest destinations. An Giang welcomed 50-100,000 visitors per day during the first four days of Tet to its popular destinations like Sam Mountain and Cam Mountain, Tra Su Cajuput Forest, and President Ton Duc Thang Memorial Site. Ba Chua Xu Temple inside Sam Mountain welcomed 740,000 visitors between 30 Jan-6 Feb, up 85% YoY, while over 42,000 people visited Cam Mountain, up 50% YoY. Kien Giang welcomed 98,000 tourists, including 5,582 foreigners, and generated 150 billion VND in revenue

The Tourism Ministry has issued the requirements for karaoke and disco venues reopening. Localities are required to follow 5 requirements based on the pandemic risk levels in the area. Business owners and customers need to strictly follow the pandemic measures, while localities are instructed to monitor the implementation of such measures

The Investigation Police Agency has asked the Transport Ministry to provide a list of “rescue” repatriation flights for overseas Vietnamese as part of its investigation into a bribery case at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in which some officials allegedly sought personal gain in licensing companies to organise repatriation flights. The Transport Ministry was requested to provide among others, the name of the airline, flight numbers, aviation businesses that were authorised to operate the flights, as well as the list of citizens on the flights

Thua Thien-Hue Province has gained approval to welcome foreign tourists under the vaccine passport trial programme. The Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism said that charter flights from South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia would arrive from now to 15 Mar. Tourists could stay at isolated resorts including Laguna Lang Co, Vedana Lagoon Resort & Spa Hue, Kawara My An Onsen Resort and Spa, and Alba Thanh Tan Hot Springs Resort. They will be allowed to visit golf courses and tourist attractions under a package tour with designated travel companies

The Health Ministry to reduce the ceiling price of ART tests by 30%, from 109,700 VND to 78,000 VND. The price is capped at 178,900 for those using an automatic or semi-automatic immunoassay machine and at 501,800 VND for RT-PCR tests

Tourism businesses optimistic on 2022 prospects on account of mid-Mar reopening. Co-founder of Asia Exotica Vietnam Travel hopes customers will return by summer 2022. He expects total arrivals to be less than 40% of pre-pandemic levels, though he is confident on tourism recovery in 2024-2025 period. Some tourism businesses predict returning Vietnamese from Singapore, South Korea, and the US would surge from now to mid-2022. Vietravel Hanoi welcomed 4 groups from Southeast Asian countries to Phu Quoc in the first days of 2022 and hopes to welcome tourists from Europe, the US, South Korea, and Japan in the summer. Deputy Director of Vietravel Hanoi said that they are coordinating with domestic and overseas partners to bring international tourists to Vietnam, and send Vietnamese travellers to Southeast and Northeast Asia by end-Q2. Indochina Unique Tourist has launched tours for Thai travellers, and the firm expects Songkran holiday season in Apr would bring in tourists from Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia

Ha Giang Province has launched the “Theo buoc chan anh” (Following their footsteps) tour to preserve historical values and promote revolutionary traditions. The tour is expected to attract more tourists to Ha Giang, which has many historical sites

Hotel and travel firms rush to recruit and train staff ahead of 15 Mar international tourism reopening. Recruitment website Hotel Job has posted 150 hiring announcements from hospitality businesses and has received 1,000 candidate profiles for management and housekeeping. Director of the Santa Company, which runs Hotel Job, said that recruitment demand doubled YoY and the page traffic continues to increase. Resorts and hotels in tourist areas such as Ha Long, Hoi An, Sa Pa and Phu Quoc also have high recruitment demand as many have laid off staff during the pandemic and are now facing personnel shortage. The Tourism Ministry reported that tourism businesses laid off their staff by 70%-80% in 2020. Full-time tourism workers in 2021 were only 25% of the number in 2020 and around 30% quit or had their contracts terminated

The Tourism Ministry has released new guidelines for the vaccine passport pilot programme, which will last until the full reopening on 15 Mar. Tourists will now be allowed to travel by regular commercial flights instead of only charter flights. They are required to join a pre-registered 3-day tour and, if tested negative after that period, they will be allowed to travel to other participating localities, namely Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, and Binh Dinh provinces, as well as HCMC and Da Nang City. The travel insurance requirement will also be reduced from $50,000 to $20,000 USD

HCMC’s Department of Tourism has released a list of hotels eligible to welcome foreign tourists, including InterContinental Saigon, Liberty Central Saigon Center, Silverland Sakyo, Ramana Saigon, and Windsor Plaza Hotel. Hotels were chosen based on voluntary registration and must strictly comply with pandemic regulations and guidelines

HCMC authorities have proposed to make Ha Ton Quyen Street pedestrian-only from 4-10 PM on Fri-Sun starting Q3. The street will have around 70 food, fashion, and souvenir stalls, as well as a parking lot and mobile toilets. The conversion will be privately-funded

Vietnam has recorded 42,427 new COVID-19 cases, the highest ever daily number since the start of the pandemic. Hanoi recorded the most cases with 4,549

Hanoi to delay school reopening for grade 1-6 students and let all students from grade 1-12 continue online learning due to rising COVID-19 cases and some opposition from parents. Hanoi recorded a daily average of 3,675 new cases in the past week and consistently recorded the highest number of cases in the country’s daily tally

Ninh Thuan aims to welcome 3.5 million tourists by 2025, including 455,000 international tourists, under the provincial tourism development plan for 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030. By 2030, the province aims to welcome 6 million visitors, including 900,000 foreigners. Tourism is forecasted to generate 2.9 trillion VND by 2025 and 5.9 trillion VND by 2030, occupying 15% of the GRDP. The province will focus on the domestic market, recovering international markets like Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as making efforts to attract high-end tourists from existing and potential markets in Southeast Asia, Western Europe and Northern America. Ninh Thuan will develop leisure, culture, agriculture, high-tech, and eco-tourism, beach and water activities, renewable energy farms tours, and medical tourism, with a focus on human resource development, investment in new tourist sites, as well as brand building and promotion. The plan is expected to cost 75.53 trillion VND, with 79 billion VND coming from the budget. Vice Chairman of Ninh Thuan People’s Committee asked the tourism sector to step up pandemic control measures and promote digital transformation in the sector

Quang Nam to host a series of events as part of Visit Vietnam Year 2022, themed “Quang Nam - A Green Destination”. 180 events will be held throughout the year under 6 themes: spring tours, river-based and agri-tours, tours to Chu Lai, ethnic culture experiences and Ho Chi Minh trail tours, summer tours, and heritage tours

Hanoi to reopen kindergartens from 1 Mar, but will let parents decide whether to send their children to school or not

Inbound tour guides are hopeful about Vietnam’s international tourism reopening, though uncertainties remain on when tourists will arrive, with some expecting low arrivals during the first months of reopening, VNExpress reported

The Tourism Ministry has proposed to resume the e-visa policy for tourists from 46 countries, along with the visa exemption policy for tourists from 24 countries

Vietnam’s Foreign Minister has asked ASEAN countries to accept each other’s vaccine passports to support travel resumption and post-pandemic recovery

4 more countries have accepted Vietnam’s vaccine passport: Egypt, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Turkey, bringing the total to 14 countries

Quang Ninh welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to its spiritual tourism sites during the Tet Holiday. The Complex of Yen Tu Monuments and Landscape welcomed 1,500 visitors on the first day of Tet, doubling in the following days, and peaked at 36,000 on the 4th and 5th days of Tet

153,000 foreign passengers have flown to and from Vietnam as of 14 Feb since the start of the pilot programme on international flight resumption. Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport served 80 international flights, including 23 passenger flights on 15 Feb, the first day of the reopening of regular international flights. HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport served 94 international flights

The government has agreed with the Tourism Ministry’s proposal to fully reopen international tourism from 15 Mar. The Deputy PM has urged the ministry to finalise plans and provide localities with detailed instructions on tourism resumption, as well as to issue protocols for welcoming foreign tourists. He has also asked the ministry to work with other ministries, including Health and Foreign Affairs, to design a new visa policy for international tourists. Under the new tourism plan, foreigners are expected to pay around $30 USD per person to enjoy COVID-19 insurance benefits worth $10,000 USD. In case foreign tourists test positive, their accommodation establishments will be responsible to cooperate with local authorities and health facilities to assist with their quarantine and treatment

HCMC to upgrade the infrastructures of Ben Thanh Market in a renovation plan funded by private sources

Bamboo Airways has signed an MoU with SR Technics on a $60 million USD worth of engines maintenance cooperation. The airline has also signed an agreement with Boeing to focus on digital solutions for its fleet to help improve efficiency and reduce operating costs

Hoan Kiem District has proposed to the Hanoi city authorities to reopen the pedestrian areas surrounding the Hoan Kiem Lake in early Mar, after nearly a year of closure due to the pandemic. A final plan for the reopening is under development by city authorities

Hanoi to diversify tourism products based on the potential of each area to sustainably develop the tourism sector post-pandemic. MICE, culinary and heritage tourism will be promoted in inner districts, spiritual and agrotourism will be promoted in the suburban areas, while resort and health tourism, as well as community and spiritual tourism will be developed in rural areas

Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, Foreign Affairs, Transport, Public Security and National Defence has proposed to fully reopen tourism from mid-Mar, earlier than the previously proposed Apr target. The ministries have also proposed to resume pre-pandemic visa policy and lift the current requirement for tourists to join closed-loop tours. Under the plan, tourists would need to be fully-vaccinated, present negative pre-departure COVID-19 tests, install Vietnam’s COVID-19 app, and have a $10,000 USD worth of COVID-19 insurance. Air travellers would need self-quarantine for 24 hours and undergo a COVID-19 test upon arrival

Director of the Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency (IDEA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the agency will expand virtual programmes promoting Vietnamese products and hold training on e-commerce for Vietnamese firms. They will also develop an e-payment system and improve transport and delivery service quality in 2022-2025. Half of Vietnam’s population are using e-commerce and many are favouring cashless payments, with the number of e-wallet payments increasing 10-fold in the past 2 years. Purchase volume on major online marketplaces like Tiki and Lazada have reportedly increased 40-100% ahead of the Tet holiday

A rehearsal has been held for the International Hot Air Balloon Festival scheduled for late Mar in Tuyen Quang province. The organiser, Ballooning Media Co. Ltd, will discuss with Tuyen Quang authorities to decide the time, location, and scale of the event following the rehearsal. The event is expected to welcome 15 hot air balloons from different countries and is expected to attract domestic and international tourists to the area

HCMC’s Department of Transport announced that the city’s first electric bus route is set to open within Q1, as one of the five routes to be piloted in the southern economic hub for 2 years

Huong (Perfume) Pagoda in Hanoi set to reopen to the public on 16 Feb, with increased health and safety protocols. Authorities have set up checkpoints and mobile medical stations in the surrounding area, while boats carrying tourists to the pagoda will operate at 70-80% capacity

Bac Giang Province to focus on tourism development while applying flexible pandemic control measures in 2022, the Director of the provincial Department of Tourism announced. Bac Giang has set a target to welcome 3 million visitors, generating 6,000 jobs and $131.78 million USD in revenue. Bac Giang Tourism Development Steering Board aims to complete work on the West Yen Tu spiritual tourism complex by 2025, recognise 11 more community-based tourism sites bringing them to a total of 20 sites, and attract investment for the construction of 5 golf courses and at least one 5-star hotel and resort. The board has also proposed to the People’s Committee to allocate $2.45 million USD for tourism development. Bac Giang tourism suffered from the pandemic, receiving only 400,000 visitors in 2021, down 60% YoY, while tourism revenues reached 6.02 million USD, down 65.4% YoY

Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association said that local businesses and airlines had discussed plans to promote tourism in Da Nang, with a stimulus package expected to be launched at end-Feb. The plan will focus on domestic tourists from Mar and expand to international tourists from Apr. Da Nang has also allowed tourist services such as spas, massage parlours, and karaoke venues to reopen

Vietnam to remove COVID-19 restrictions on international flights with all markets and restore flight frequency to pre-pandemic level starting 15 Feb, Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam announced

Vietnam reported 27,311 new COVID-19 cases, up 831 cases from 11 Feb. Hanoi reported the highest number of cases at 2,981

The Tourism Ministry has announced a target of 18 million foreign and 85 million domestic visitors, as well as 800-900 trillion VND in tourism revenue by 2026 as part of Vietnam’s Tourism Development Programme 2021-2026 submitted to the PM. The programme will be divided into 2 stages, with the first phase of 2022-2023 focused on supporting the recovery of tourism businesses. The first phase aims to welcome up to 9 million international tourists, 50% of 2019’s numbers, and 65-70 million domestic tourists, 75-80% of 2019’s numbers, and gain 400-450 trillion VND in revenue. The second phase in 2024-2026 will be focused on promoting sustainable tourism development in the “new normal” and aims to welcome 103 million international and domestic tourists to achieve a tourism revenue of 900 trillion VND. The ministry will also focus on upgrading infrastructure in tourism areas and boost digital transformation in tourism

The first stage of Hanoi’s 2022-2023 tourism recovery roadmap would run through H1 2022, with all restrictions expected to be lifted in Q3 for the second phase. Phase 1 would mainly be focused on the domestic market, while Phase 2 will welcome foreign visitors in accordance with the government’s reopening roadmap

The Tourism Ministry has proposed to the government to resume pre-pandemic visa waiver policy for tourists from 24 countries for when international tourism restarts

Vietnam has welcomed 8,967 international tourists under the vaccine passport trial programme, mostly from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Singapore, the UK, the US and Canada. 27 cases of COVID-19 cases have been detected among them, 17 in Phu Quoc and 10 in Khanh Hoa. 16 travel firms, 82 lodging facilities, 28 tourist sites, 8 shopping centres and 48 transportation companies across 5 localities joined the first phase of the programme

Google Destination Insights data has shown that international searches for accommodations and flights into Vietnam have begun rising from early-Dec. Searches for flights notably increased 425% YoY on 21 Jan and 374% on 3 Feb. Countries that contributed the most searches include the US, Australia, Russia, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, India, the UK and Canada. The most searched destinations in Vietnam include Hanoi, HCMC, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Phan Thiet, Da Nang, Hoi An, Da Lat, Quy Nhon, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau

Vietnam has broken the record for daily COVID-19 cases for 2 days in a row, hitting 23,953 on 9 Feb before hitting 26,032 the next day

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reported that 6.2 million people visited 35 key tourism sites in Vietnam. Tay Ninh received 600,000 travellers, while Vung Tau received 204,500. Da Lat received 112,000 visitors, up 167% YoY. Khanh Hoa received 98,610 tourists, Phu Quoc City 79,000 and Sa Pa 74,400. Phu Yen received 42,000 visitors, up 173%

The CEO of Vietsense reported that most families nowadays arrange their own holidays instead of joining tours to minimise COVID-19 risks. He said that if independent travel continues, there will be fewer travel firms organising tours and added that the government should support Vietnamese travel firms lest tourism falls to foreign online tech firms. He also noted that independent tourism could pose risks such as traffic jams due to an increase of private cars at tourism attractions, overcharging for local tourism services, and overcrowding at tourist attractions which could trigger another COVID-19 wave

No cities and provinces in Vietnam have been declared a high-risk zone under the Health Ministry’s new covid assessment criteria

General Statistics Office reported that Vietnam welcomed over 19,700 international visitors in Jan, up 11.2% YoY. Most of the visitors originated from Asia at 13,847 visitors, followed by Europe with 4,337 visitors

HCMC welcomed thousands of visitors to its Tet attractions. Nguyen Hue Flower Street received around 350,000 visitors between 29 Jan-6 Feb, up 440% YoY. Tao Dan Spring Flower Festival, the city’s annual biggest flower fair, welcomed over 300,000 visitors. The Tet Book Fair welcomed 350,000 visitors while the HCMC Book Pedestrian Street on Nguyen Van Binh Street in District 1 welcomed 60,000 visitors

Mekong Delta’s tourist arrivals increased significantly during the Tet holiday. Ca Mau Province received nearly 72,500 visitors between 31 Jan-4 Feb, up 3.4% YoY. Phu Quoc city reported full occupancy on all of its 3 to 5 star resorts and hotels between 2-6 Feb, with the majority of tourists coming from HCMC and Hanoi. An Giang welcomed 316,000 visitors between 31 Jan-3 Feb, up 58% YoY

Deputy Minister of Health warned that the travel surge during the Tet holiday posed a higher risk for the spread of the virus, especially the Omicron strain, and could result in more COVID-19 infections, especially severe cases

The Tourism Ministry recorded 5.5 million domestic tourists during the Tet holiday from 29 Jan-6 Feb. Vietnam also received 467 visitors from Russia under the vaccine passport programme. Tourists mainly opted for short-distance tours with flexible itineraries featuring new tourism products. HCMC received 200,000 domestic tourists and earned $6.16 million USD, while Khanh Hoa welcomed over 85,000 visitors, increasing 2.5-fold YoY. Kien Giang welcomed 368 flights during the holiday, with daily flight numbers expected to stay at 40 between 7-13 Feb. Over 100,000 tourists visited the Mekong Delta, with 75% visiting Phu Quoc

Hanoi to reopen cinemas and art performing venues on 10 Feb after 9 months of closure due to the pandemic. Bars, karaoke, massage parlours, and dance clubs remain closed. The Huong Pagoda will also be reopened for visitors on 16 Feb, without organising any ceremonies to prevent crowds

Da Nang welcomed nearly 36,000 visitors during the Tet holiday, up 17% YoY, across around 400 flights on 8 domestic routes, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. Of those, 25,500 guests stayed overnight. Many accommodations have cut room tariffs by 30-50%. Most of the visitors were reportedly independent travellers and booked their accommodation at the last minute. Hotel occupancy peaked from the 2nd-5th day of Tet, mostly at 4 or 5 star hotels along the coast

Some tourism companies reported positive results following restructuring operations in 2021 after suffering losses due to the pandemic, including Dong A Hotel Group, Hoi An Tourist Service JSC, and Ben Thanh Tourist Service Corporation. Fiinpro statistics has shown that tourism and entertainment is one of the three industries with the lowest growth in the stock market in 2021 at only 6.3% increase, much lower than the 36% growth of the market benchmark VN-Index

Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport served over 370 flights on 6 Feb, the last day of Tet holiday, including 18 outbound and 20 inbound international flights. Outbound domestic passengers reached 56,000, beating the pre-holiday peak on 29 Jan of 40,600 passengers and 2021’s peak of 29,000, but still behind 2020’s peak of 91,000. HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport served over 670 flights with around 101,000 passengers, including 31,700 outbound and 70,000 inbound

Hanoi served over 105,000 tourists during the Tet Holiday (31 Jan-6 Feb), mainly local residents and those from adjacent localities, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. Hanoi Zoo was the most popular attraction with 28,000 visitors between 31 Jan-3 Feb, followed by Bao Son Paradise Park with 15,000 and Ba Vi National Park with 13,000. Many popular spring festivals have been cancelled and some cultural destinations remain closed due to COVID-19. Average hotel occupancy was estimated at 22.4%, up 6.1% YoY

Quang Ninh welcomed over 300,000 tourists from 31 Jan-5 Feb, generating $17.6 million USD. The province aims to attract 9.5 million visitors, including 1.4 million foreigners and generate 19 trillion VND in tourism revenue in 2022. Dak Lak Province welcomed 143,000 visitors, including 260 foreigners, during Tet, up 51.5% YoY. The province earned 8.46 billion VND, up 43.6% YoY

Vice Chairman of the Sa Pa Tourism Association said all high-end resorts in Sa Pa saw over 90% of their rooms booked from the second day of the lunar year. He reckons the high hotel occupancy is due to a shortage of supply with many hotels closing down the previous year. He added that service prices in high-end resorts will increase by 30-40% compared to normal days, with added incentives for guests such as free tickets for children and credit accumulation for F&B. Luxury resorts in the southern market also reported high occupancy, with prices increasing by 10% compared to normal days. CEO of WE Travel Agency said that interest in traditional destinations such as Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hoi An and Ha Long remain high and that luxury cruises are also favoured by tourists

Vietnam tourist destinations crowded during the Tet holidays. Da Lat welcomed 112,000 visitors between 31 Jan-5 Feb, up 166% YoY. Bai Sau beach in Vung Tau received 204,000 during the holidays. Sa Pa welcomed 74,400 visitors between 29 Jan-5 Feb, with hotels in the downtown area at full occupancy on 3-5 Feb

Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport received 63,000 visitors on 400 flights on 6 Feb, the highest daily inbound number in the last 2 years

Congestion has been seen at toll stations on Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway leading to Hanoi as Tet break ends

Thua Thien-Hue welcomed nearly 47,000 tourists during the Tet holiday from 29 Jan-3 Feb, including 330 foreigners. Over 9,000 guests stayed in the area’s lodging facilities, with many hotels reporting 70%-90% occupancy

Phong Nha Tourism Centre has launched a new night kayaking tour inside the Phong Nha and Bi Ky caves in Quang Binh province

Around 65,000 tourists visited Khanh Hoa on the first 5 days of the Tet holidays (31 Jan-4 Feb), generating $10.28 million USD for the province

Southern Airports Authority reported a record number of 97,700 passengers going through HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport via 704 flights. The sudden spike in passenger numbers has caused a shortage of taxis in the airport since 3 Feb. Southern Airports Authority urged passengers to travel with personal cars, and has worked with HCMC’s Department of Transport and the Taxi Association to arrange more vehicles to prevent congestion

PM Chinh urged Vietnam to be prepared for tourism reopening, ideally by end-Mar and no later than end-Apr. The PM said tourism will reopen when certain groups of the population have received the third dose of vaccines and immigration control policies are in place

Deputy Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said that there will be a shift in tourism trends towards health and wellness in the future. She noted that wellness tourism is still untapped in Vietnam due to a lack of research on its potentials and policies for its development. Director of Thua Thien Hue Department of Tourism said the locality will soon issue policies and product orientations for tourism businesses to develop healthcare tours

Agoda data for travel over the Lunar New Year has shown for the Vietnamese market that: • The top 8 most popular destinations were: Phu Quoc, Dalat, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Phan Thiet, HCMC, Da Nang and Quy Nhon • Preferred accommodation was 4-5* hotels

The Trang An eco-tourism site in the Ninh Binh province has reopened after a long hiatus due to the pandemic

Vietnam recorded 8,744 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily number since 21 Nov 2021. Hanoi reported the most local transmissions at 2,716

HCMC aims to attract 25 million domestic tourists if the pandemic is well controlled, 18 million in the case of unexpected events

Tourism Ministry has proposed to the PM for international tourism resumption. Under the plan, the second phase of welcoming international tourists will last until 30 Mar, with eligible destinations extended to “green zone” localities who have completed administering booster vaccinations. The ministry also proposed full tourism resumption from 31 Mar instead of the initial plan of early May, with all eligible hospitality businesses allowed to participate in receiving international tourists. The ministry believes that it would be an appropriate time as Vietnam would have completed their booster programme by end-Mar, adding that slow reopening would reduce Vietnam’s attractiveness to foreign tourists as other countries in the region are also planning to restart international tourism soon. The earlier reopening is also expected to draw tourists, especially from ASEAN countries with high vaccination rates, to the SEA Games in May

Vietnam welcomed 19,700 international arrivals in Jan, up 11.2% YoY according to the General Statistics Office. Air travellers occupied 88% of the arrivals, followed by land with 11.9% and sea with 0.1%. 70.2% of the arrivals originated from Asia, occupying the top spot

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has launched a new video as part of a programme promoting Vietnamese tourism on YouTube organised by VNAT and supported by Vinpearl and Google

Deputy PM has approved the increase of commercial international flight frequency and the removal of rapid COVID-19 tests for air passengers. More flights to and from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are under consideration, while more locations in Europe and Oceania are expected to be added in the pilot flight resumption programme. Local authorities are in talks with authorities of Singapore, Japan, and South Korea to consider removing quarantine restrictions for Vietnamese travellers upon arrival

The Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh to open for public on 31 Jan, the last day of the lunar year

Tours see bookings reach 80%, with some hotels in Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Nha Trang on full capacity ahead of the Tet holidays, as reported by SGGP News. Many tourist companies have started introducing luxury tours aimed at the high-income group like caravan tours on private luxurious vehicles with a dedicated tour guide, mechanical engineer, and healthcare staff, and staying at luxurious hotels like Six Senses in Khanh Hoa, Zannier in Phu Yen, Intercontinental in Da Nang, or Le Champ Tu Le in Yen Bai. The tours cost around $3,000 USD/pax for a 7-day tour, increasing to $4,400 USD if using helicopter for transport

HCMC Health Department has proposed to let foreign arrivals who tested positive for COVID-19 with mild or no symptoms to be isolated either at home or at private hospitals

HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport served around 706 flights carrying around 63,000 passengers on 27 Jan, a 50% drop YoY

PM Chinh expressed confidence to reopen social and economic activities due to high vaccination rates and experience in fighting COVID-19. He urged the public to be vigilant during the upcoming Tet holiday, and asked localities to speed up vaccination programmes with the goal of completing vaccination for all children aged 12-17 within the month

Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines, Vietravel Airlines, Hai Au Aviation, along with major travel and hotel firms namely Vietravel, Saigontourist, TMG, Sun Group, and BIM have asked the PM to announce international tourism resumption date by Feb to provide sufficient time for preparations

Vietnam has welcomed over 8,500 foreign visitors under the vaccine passport pilot programme as of 23 Jan, according to the Tourism Ministry. Khanh Hoa received the most visitors with 7,000, followed by Phu Quoc with 1,282 and Quang Nam with 239. 27 foreign visitors tested positive for COVID-19 during the first phase of the programme

Hanoi’s Department of Tourism has built a plan for 2022-2023 tourism recovery and development with a focus on the domestic market. The city aims to welcome 9-10 million visitors, including 1.2-2 million foreigners in the period, with an aim to generate 27-35 trillion VND in revenue. Tour operators are expected to promote Hanoi’s tourism products as well as boost sport and health tourism ahead of the SEA Games. The Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism noted that the city needs to follow current trends such as “no-touch” tourism and focus on human resources training. Hanoi’s tourism started to pick up in late 2021, with travel companies launching new products and offering promotions, as well as seeking new markets and preparing to resume outbound tours

Vietnam Airlines and Thanh Hoa People’s Committee has signed an agreement for the 2022-2026 period to cooperate in the fields of investment, trade, tourism, and aviation. The airline will consider launching domestic and international routes from Thanh Hoa’s Tho Xuan Airport, and both parties will jointly hold external, educational, cultural, sport and tourism activities, as well as promote each other’s images on mass media

Deputy PM has released the conclusion of his security and safety inspection for the Tet period at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport. He asked ministries to use only one medical declaration application and arrange combo flights or delay the landing time to prevent congestion at airports. He also asked all airlines to comply with testing regulations for passengers

Hanoi has recorded its first Omicron community transmission case, in addition to the city’s 13 imported cases

The Tam Dao area in Vinh Phuc province has been recognised as a National Tourist Site by the Tourism Ministry. A project to develop Tam Dao tourism by 2025 with 2030 vision has previously been approved by the People’s Committee, including plans to diversify tourism products, increase accommodation facilities, complete transport infrastructure, and develop human resources

Vice Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee urged tourism businesses to focus on solutions to revive tourism in 2022, including promoting support for tourism businesses, developing tourism products, stepping up tourism promotion with information technology, and improving the quality of human resources training

Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, and Bac Giang to finalise scientific dossier to seek UNESCO World Heritage Recognition for the Yen Tu Monuments and Landscapes Complex, to be submitted to the Tourism Ministry by end of Jul and after revisions, submitted to UNESCO for evaluation by end of Sep

Singapore’s Changi Airport Group survey on tourists travelling through the airport has shown that up to 90% said they want to visit Vietnam as soon as travel restrictions are lifted. They look to visit with family and friends to enjoy famous landscapes, beaches, and local specialties. Top destinations include HCMC, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ha Long Bay

A meeting was held to discuss reopening plans for international tourists, with ministries proposing to allow international tourists to visit localities that have administered booster shots, while delegates stated that a new health ministry guideline on local COVID-19 risk levels should be issued to determine appropriate measures for tourism resumption. Some also advised that tourists should be able to travel to low-risk destinations and to stay in Vietnam for longer than one week

HCMC Department of Tourism has proposed a two-phase pilot programme to welcome foreign visitors in 2022. The first phase, from Jan-Mar, would allow entry for those with vaccine passports or full-vaccination certificates recognised by Vietnam, with the last shot administered between 14 days and 12 months before departure, or those with certificates of recovery from COVID-19 within 6 months. Unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated children under 18 can also enter with their parents, guardians, or caregivers who fulfilled the requirements. The second phase from Apr would also allow entry for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adults aged 18-65 apart from those who fulfill the requirements in the first phase. Travellers must take a pre-departure PCR test, have a min. of $50,000 USD insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment, and join package tours offered by travel firms

HCMC to reopen schools in low and medium-risk areas for kindergarten, primary, and 6th grade students from 14 Feb

Hanoi to reopen schools in low and medium-risk areas for 7th-12th graders from 8 Feb, as a majority of students have been vaccinated. Full-vaccination rate has reached 98.3% for the 12-14 age group and 97.6% for the 15-17 age group

Those returning to their hometowns for the Tet holiday will not be subject to quarantine due to the high vaccination rate, the Health Ministry announced. First dose vaccination for those over 18 across all localities have reached 100% with a 95.6% rate for second and 18.6% for third dose. First dose vaccination for children aged 12-17 have also reached 94%

Civil Aviation Administration of China has rejected Vietnam’s proposal for resumption of commercial flights due to the strict entry restrictions still in place as cases remain high globally as well as in China

New policies from Immigration Department of Vietnam stated that: • Foreigners and overseas Vietnamese who hold valid permanent or temporary residence cards, visas and visa exemption certificates, can enter Vietnam without having to obtain prior approval from authorities or undergoing pre-clearance procedures • Foreigners who wish to enter for market research, business, investment, work, conferences, study, family visits but do not have one of the above-mentioned documents must obtain approval from the provincial People’s Committees or ministries, sectors, and central authorities before undergoing sponsoring, inviting procedures for visas at the Immigration Department • All entrants must present take a pre-departure PCR test, submit an online health declaration, take an on-arrival ART if arriving from a country with Omicron, and undergo a 3-day quarantine at home or other accommodation if fully vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19, or a 7-day quarantine at a hotel if not fully vaccinated • Those who wish to enter for tourism purposes can do so by joining tour groups under the vaccine passport pilot programme

Lam Dong aims to welcome 5 million visitors in 2022, including 150,000 foreign visitors. The province plans to restore traditional festivals of local ethnic minority groups and develop new tourism products, launch a week-long travel festival, and develop Da Lat as a smart tourism city

Quang Nam has resumed tourism including weekend markets and beach tourism communities, as well as reopening tourism destinations and performances. The Provincial Tourism Association has also created “green tourism” businesses through free plastic-zero and waste-recycling initiatives

Da Nang aims to welcome 3.5 million tourists generating $291 million USD in revenues in 2022. Over 300 hotels and resorts and 50 travel agencies in Da Nang have resumed operations, and 9 of 16 tourism destinations have officially opened in early Jan. Vietnam Airlines has planned regular domestic flights connecting Da Nang with 8 localities including HCMC and Hanoi, while travel agencies plan to bring 22,000 tourists from South Korea, Japan, Russia, and overseas Vietnamese to Da Nang in Jan-Mar. Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre survey has shown that 57% of tourists prefer travelling to Da Nang as the COVID-19 situation is well controlled, and 75% said they require a “safety guarantee” from local travel agencies. Director of the centre said that Da Nang would focus on golf and MICE to revive tourism and that South Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, and Taipei are ready to explore golf, MICE, and beach tourism in the city

Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre has signed an agreement with Klook Vietnam to expedite digital transformation and attract more domestic as well as foreign customers, especially in the Asian market for when international flights resume

Transport Ministry announced that pre-departure COVID-19 tests will no longer be required for domestic air passengers regardless of vaccination status, except for those from “red areas” (highest level of COVID-19 risk). No areas are currently designated as “red areas” in Vietnam. The adjustments aims to create better travel conditions, especially during Tet, and for Vietnam to safely adapt to the new normal while vaccination rate is high

Several Vietnamese tourism firms and airlines have partnered to offer package tours which include air tickets and accommodation services to meet Tet demands, including collaborations between Saigontourist Group and Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Vinpearl, as well as Sun Group and Vietnam Airlines

Average hotel room rate in HCMC hit $60.8 USD/night in Q4 2021, up 21% from Q3 as tourism recovers, but still down 5% YoY. Average room rate for hotels offering quarantine rose 18% with a 20% room occupancy rate, down 36 percentage points QoQ. 2,760 rooms are available for quarantine across 23 hotels, up 55% QoQ

HCMC aims to welcome 3.5 million international visitors in 2022

The Tourism Advisory Board, the Private Sector Development Committee, and the Vietnam Business Forum Alliance have proposed full tourism reopening from 1 May to the government. The Tourism Ministry to hold a conference on 24 Jan with ministries, localities, and major travel firms to discuss the reopening

Many localities still apply varying COVID-19 travel regulations ahead of Tet, despite the Health Ministry’s request to follow Ministry’s Decision 4800 to require quarantine only for those coming from locked-down areas or red zones

The Government Office has issued a dispatch to ministries and municipal People’s Committees under the PM’s directions to build a roadmap to reopen Vietnam to foreign tourists in a “safe, scientific and effective manner”. The PM reported that foreign arrivals in Vietnam dropped by 76.7% in 2020 and by 95.9% in 2021 due to the pandemic

The Tourism Minister proposes to fully reopen Vietnam to international tourists by 30 Apr after seeing “encouraging results” from the pilot scheme. Vietnam has received 7,800 foreign visitors since mid-Nov launch of the pilot vaccine passport programme

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to coordinate with relevant parties in arranging repatriation flights for overseas Vietnamese who wish to return. Vietnam has arranged around 800 repatriation flights for nearly 200,000 Vietnamese in over 60 countries in the past 2 years

Vietnam-Korea Business and Investment Association and Yongpyung Resort Group signed an MoU to boost cooperation in post-pandemic tourism promotion and economic recovery including organising culture and trade promotion events, expanding opportunities for cooperation and investment, establishing social support programmes, and promote cultural exchanges and market connection

Thua Thien Hue has launched a virtual space, allowing 90 localities and travel firms to interact with customers and promote tourism products and activities in the province in a 3D format. The province’s Department of Tourism aims to hold the event annually and technology partner Vietsoftpro stated that it will continue to improve the virtual space to eventually include booking services for visitors

Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport welcomed 121 foreign flights on 1-19 Jan, bringing a total of 16,843 passengers, of which 179 tested positive for COVID-19

Many tourism destinations and businesses remain deserted following international flight resumption, resulting in more worker lay-offs and operation suspensions, VNExpress reported. Visitor numbers in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province fell 32% YoY to 88,700 during the 3-day New Year Holiday, while Da Lat’s numbers fell 11.6% to 55,000 tourists

Health Ministry has asked localities to cancel Tet firework displays amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. Many localities have also announced the cancellation of Tet festivals and fireworks

Vietnam to implement “no vaccine, no entry” policy for SEA games in May

Quang Nam to cooperate with Thien Minh Group in promoting Tourism Year 2022, with plans to develop and promote Quang Nam’s tourism to both domestic and international markets, as well as launching green tourism products

Deputy PM has approved 5 new special national relics namely Tay Son Thuong Dao historical relic complex in Gia Lai, President Ho Chi Minh memorial site in Quang Ninh, Vietnam-Laos revolutionary historical relic site in Son La, Thang Long Tu Tran temples in Hanoi, as well as the addition of the 1015 and 1049 high points in Kon Tum to the Dak To-Tan Canh Victory special national relic site

Da Nang has been ranked first overall in National Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) and the Private Economic Development Research Board’s Vietnam Tourism Competitiveness Index due to strong transport and tourism infrastructure, readiness for technology application, and environmental sustainability. Hanoi ranked first in terms of cultural resources, Lam Dong in natural resources, and Quang Nam in price competitiveness

Over 420,000 workers have registered to stay back in HCMC instead of returning home for Tet, up 30% YoY, Head of the Policy and Law Department in the HCMC Labor Confederation reported. Top reasons include affected income due to the pandemic and concerns over quarantine policies in their hometowns. The HCMC Labor Confederation informed that Tet bonus for workers will drop 30% YoY on average and that it will allocate $30.8 million USD to support workers who do not return home for Tet

Deputy PM has agreed to simplify administrative procedures for foreign arrivals, allowing those with valid visas visiting Vietnam not for tourism purposes to enter without having to apply to the local authorities and immigration department. Those visiting for tourism purposes still need to follow all regulations and seek approval from the People’s Committee and the Department of Immigration

Quang Ninh is ready to welcome international tourists from late Jan or early Feb, with Tuan Chau Group selected to provide services for international guests. Currently 625 tourism facilities in the province have met the pandemic control and prevention safety criteria including 471 accommodation facilities, 79 shopping and dining establishments, 13 tourist sites, and 62 tour and transportation companies

Da Nang has been ranked first overall in National Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) and the Private Economic Development Research Board’s Vietnam Tourism Competitiveness Index due to strong transport and tourism infrastructure, readiness for technology application, and environmental sustainability. Hanoi ranked first in terms of cultural resources, Lam Dong in natural resources, and Quang Nam in price competitiveness

The government is considering cutting VAT for applicable goods and services from 10% to 8% in 2022 starting from Feb, which will amount to $2.17 billion USD tax break for businesses, almost 3 times of the tax cut in 2021 according to the Finance Minister

Kien Giang Department of Tourism has signed MoUs with airlines to revive the tourism sector, building a “foundation” for stimulus programmes, promotions, and launch of tourism products in the new normal. Director of Vietjet’s Commercial Department called on the province to offer stimulus and “favourable conditions” for travel firms, while Deputy Director of Bamboo Airways’ South Region Sales Department asked for incentives for businesses to develop tourism products. Director of Kien Giang Tourism, Commerce and Investment Promotion Centre said the province aims to attract travellers from low-risk countries and promote Kien Giang as a “safe and friendly tourism destination”, as well as continue promotion on the domestic market especially cities like HCMC, Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hai Phong, as well as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Lam Dong provinces

International Labor Organization estimated the number of unemployment in Vietnam to reach 1.3 million in 2022, higher than the 1.2 million in 2021 and equal to that of 2020. The General Statistics Office reported that unemployment in Vietnam rose to 3.72% in Q3 2021, the highest since the pandemic started. An estimated 2.2 million workers have left Vietnam’s major cities to return to their hometown amid the pandemic

HCMC recorded 3 community Omicron cases, the first in Vietnam. All 70 previous Omicron cases have been foreign arrivals quarantined upon entry, including 30 in HCMC

Phu Quoc has started the second phase of the vaccine passport pilot programme from this month, faster than the scheduled end of the first phase on 20 Mar. 8 more hotels, resorts, and lodging facilities will participate in the second phase, bringing the total to 18

Delegations of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training paid working visits to several provinces such as Hoa Binh, Vinh Phuc, and Ninh Binh to check the preparations for the 31st SEA Games. The games will run in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring localities from 12-23 May, featuring 40 sports with 526 events and around 10,000 participants

HCMC has been declared a “green zone” for two consecutive weeks, prompting the city to make plans to reopen schools for preschool to 6th grade students in the first week of Feb, after the Tet holidays. The Department of Education and Training informed that 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th grade students have resumed in-person learning since 4 Jan, and 9th and 12th graders since 13 Dec, with 92-96% of them now attending school in person. The Deputy Director of the department reported that 130 cases were detected between 13 Dec-7 Jan in high schools, with all of them being community transmissions and not in-school transmissions. He noted that “HCMC has brought the pandemic under complete control in schools”

Phu Quoc has welcomed around 1,000 international visitors from South Korea, Thailand, Laos, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in just over a month after reopening under the vaccine passport trial program, according to Kien Giang Department of Tourism. Director of the department said that the province has connected with international media to work with Vietnamese diplomatic representatives abroad to promote the tourism reopening. He also noted that over 30 countries have revived coastal and maritime tourism, and that Kien Giang must prepare to welcome cruise ship passengers

Health Ministry to draft new criteria to classify the pandemic level, including to stop relying on daily infection numbers and only consider hospitalisation and death rates as many mild and asymptomatic infections are treated at home, according to the Deputy Minister. A medical expert stated that with Omicron infection rate moving faster than Delta, relying on daily infection numbers would result in many localities declared as high risk zones, which would affect production and business activities

Hanoi aims to welcome 10-12 million visitors in 2022, including 1.2-2 million foreigners. Hanoi’s Tourism Department stated that tourism activities in the city will be quickly restored once the pandemic is under control domestically and globally. The department will collaborate with authorities and businesses to develop unique tourism products, upgrade tourist areas, and improve cultural tourism products. Hanoi welcomed 4 million domestic tourists in 2021, 53% of 2020’s number and 36% of the yearly target, generating a revenue of $490 million USD, which was 40% of 2020’s number and 23% of the yearly target

Dong Nai to build 3 routes worth $858 million USD in early 2023, connecting localities with the Long Thanh International Airport, which is set to start operations in 2025

Da Lat, Ha Long, and Vung Tau has been awarded the ASEAN Clean Tourism Cities 2022 at the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2022

HCMC to hold flower festivals and open tourist attractions as Tet approaches, with pandemic prevention measures in place

Visa’s Voice of the Consumer survey has shown that: • 76% of Vietnamese respondents are planning domestic leisure trips, while 38% are planning overseas trips • The top 3 factors providing comfort to travellers are the stability of the COVID-19 situation at the destination (63%), being vaccinated (48%), and the decrease of global cases (40%) • 52% are interested in travel bubbles, but not in the immediate future. A third of the respondents said they would be planning, booking, or having a staycation as soon as the government lifts restrictions, while 30% also said they would visit local attractions • The pandemic has caused a spike in online travel, with an increase in viewers of travel-related photos and videos. 53% watched YouTube travel videos, 40% visit travel sites on social media, and 38% took online virtual tours

HCMC to suspend Tet fireworks for the second consecutive year

All 1,000 slots for 2022 in local travel firm Oxalis Adventure’s 4D3N Son Doong Expedition cave tour has been booked by domestic visitors, mostly from HCMC and southern localities, Quang Binh Department of Tourism reported. The $3,000 USD/pax tour helps Quang Binh earn 50-60 billion VND annually. About 100 visitors, in which 80% are foreigners, have already booked slots for 2023 in the brief period since ticket sales started. Oxalis Adventure’s other cave exploration tours have also seen high demand for the upcoming Tet and summer holidays

Deputy PM has agreed that the 2022 Tet holidays will last for 5 days, 31 Jan-4 Feb

Hanoi’s Department of Tourism is making preparations to welcome foreign tourists “when conditions allow”, including launching tourism promotion programmes, as well as giving instructions to tour agencies, accommodation providers, and tourist attractions in how to ensure safety and quality of the tourism products

Con Dao Resort Travel Joint Stock Company to develop an eco-tourism site in Con Dao National Park in the Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The development is in line with the park’s 2021-2030 project on ecological, leisure, and entertainment tourism, which aims to diversify tourism activities while raising awareness of local residents and visitors on environment and natural resources conservation

Standard Chartered predicts Vietnam’s GDP growth to reach 6.7% in 2022 and 7% in 2023, while HSBC estimates 6.5% for 2022

Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam stated that all air passengers from countries with Omicron cases will still be required to undergo rapid testing when entering Vietnam, with the fees included in ticket prices or directly paid by passengers to the test organisers at the airport. The cost must not exceed the price set by the Ministry of Health. Deputy Minister of Transport has received proposals from airline on removing rapid testing regulations, stating that some foreign airports do not provide testing services before departure, as well as expressing concerns about testing costs, lack of instructions for airlines on the testing regulations, and possible congestion at airports at the peak time of international flights

Vietnam welcomed over 7,800 international travellers from 1-7 Jan via 64 flights including 18 commercial flights, while the rest were charter flights carrying experts and tourists on package tours, Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam reported. CAAV has received complaints on current pandemic prevention protocols from foreign passengers, including the requirement to submit medical declaration on many different apps and the rapid testing requirements

Southern Vietnam travel agencies are offering a range of tours ahead of the Tet period, mostly to “green zone” destinations, as well as those with natural open spaces and cultural experiences. Short day trips around HCMC and Mekong Delta are reportedly gaining popularity. Many tour operators have also strengthened COVID-19 measures, such as Vietravel requiring full-vaccination and the use of protective equipment for staff, COVID-19 testing for tour guides, as well as disinfection and higher hygiene standards. Vice Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee stated that local authorities and enterprises have collaborated to develop and promote tours in the city for New Year’s and Tet holidays, aiming to promote exciting new experiences and enhance the city’s image as a safe destination

VietnamPlus reported that a recent survey has shown that: • 90% of Vietnamese expressed desire to travel in the next 10 months, with 53.7% of them planning to take a trip between Dec 2021 to the first months of 2022, while 56% are prioritising pandemic safety • 75% hoped that digital platforms in tourism will focus on providing safe tourism information • 87% showed concerns about undertaking quarantine in their target destination or after returning from the trip • 61% were afraid of pandemic outbreak while travelling, while 54% showed hesitation due to different travel restriction measures among localities

Private Sector Development Committee and the Tourism Advisory Board has submitted a proposal on measures to support tourism sector’s post-pandemic recovery, asking the government to: • Maintain Resolution 128’s “flexibly and safely adapting to COVID-19” principle and keep it unchanged in future adjustments • Encourage localities to give regular and accurate updates on pandemic control measures, especially those related to travelling and accommodation, and create a hotline to support the work • Focus on digital transformation in tourism to ensure connections among authorities, businesses and localities during post-pandemic recovery and assist digital marketing in tourism • Strengthen the public-private dialogue to build tourism recovery plans

Vietcetera and Mastercard to hold Flavors Vietnam 2022 from Jan-Apr in HCMC and Hanoi, offering various gastronomic activities. The programme aims to boost local F&B industry and will see participation from over 500 businesses and an attendance of over 5,000 people

Vietnam has approved a $15.4 billion USD stimulus package for the 2022-2023 period to support those impacted by the pandemic, which will include measures to reduce VAT by 2 percentage points, cut loan interest rates by 0.5-1 percentage points and increase infrastructure investment, as well as funding for healthcare system and financial support to cut house rents for workers

Singapore-based tourism startup LynKey’s first projects to be announced in Q1 2022 and will digitise properties and resorts in Vietnam. LynKey has launched a “blockchain-powered token marketplace and ecosystem”, which will “tokenise all aspects of property development – purchases, leases, land use and related tourism entertainment” worth $8 billion USD. The company aims to combine “property tech and smart tourism experiences, from resorts and cruises with NFTs and metaverse AR and VR solutions”

Nghe An Province to focus on developing safe and eco-friendly agritourism after 2 years of the pandemic affecting the tourism industry. Director of the Hon Mat Eco-Tourism Area stated that they will combine tourism products with agricultural production experiences in line with new tourism trends. Vice Chairman of Dong Thanh District stated that this move has helped promote local agricultural specialties as well as friendly tourism

General Statistics Office reported that over 1.4 million Vietnamese became unemployed in 2021, up 17% YoY due to impacts of fourth COVID-19 wave

Tourism Ministry has submitted a draft guideline expanding the requirements for international tourists to visit Vietnam on 7-day package tours. Those under 18, over 65, pregnant women, and those with underlying medical problems who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated would be allowed to visit Vietnam under the new guideline, and are required to quarantine for 7 days. Fully-vaccinated tourists and those who have recovered from COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for 3 days

6 state-owned corporations failed to achieve annual revenue and profit targets, including Vietnam Airlines Corporation, Airports Corporation of Vietnam, and Vietnam Railways Corporation

Vietnam Immigration Department to stop the automatic extension of visas for foreign nationals stranded in Vietnam due to COVID-19

Medium-risk wards in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem and Tay Ho districts to allow in-person dining from 10 Jan. Cau Giay district’s risk level increased to high and in-person dining will be suspended. Hanoi as a whole is at a medium coronavirus risk, with 20 districts at medium-risk and 8 at high-risk

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has asked local authorities to cancel Tet festivals and fireworks displays amid concerns of COVID-19 spike. The ministry urged localities to strengthen and raise awareness of COVID-19 preventive measures, as well as improve supervision of culture, sports and tourism activities before, during, and after Tet

Travel demand for Tet period remains low amid Omicron concerns. Airfares for HCMC-Hanoi return flights on 28 Jan, the last day before the holiday starts, dropped 20-25% YoY. Airlines have also cut the number of seats for Tet by 20-25% to 2.7 million this year. Ticket agents stated that travellers are going to book last minute to see the government’s response to the pandemic situation. Hanoi Railways has sold around 9,400 tickets, down 81% YoY. Vietnam Railways has sold 8.1% of its HCMC-Hanoi tickets and 3.8% of its Hanoi-HCMC tickets as of 4 Jan. Hanoi’s Giap Bat bus station sees around 700 passengers per day, down 90% YoY, with some buses leaving with only 2-3 passengers on board, according to the station director. He added that some bus companies have stopped selling tickets due to low demand

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has signed 2 new projects in Ho Tram, to be unveiled Q1 2024, as the latest phase in the brand’s expansion strategy in Vietnam which includes 4 properties in operation, 16 new properties signed, and ongoing discussions for more. The group aims to operate over 20 hotels and resorts by end of 2024

Vietnam Airlines has officially launched e-commerce platforms, VNAMAZING which offers tourism services and VNAMALL which offers various aviation and non-aviation goods and services. The airline also launched the Vietnam Airlines Gift Card for purchasing and upgrading airline tickets

International travellers looking to enter Vietnam following the resumption of regular international flights feel troubled by complicated and unclear document requirements, as well as the slow process of document approvals from the immigration, according to VN Express

Vietnam has set targets for 2022 GDP growth at 6-6.5% and GDP per capita at $3,900 USD, with a focus on COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as economic recovery

The government plans to boost inclusion of Vietnamese food in cultural tourism to help revive the industry. Chairman of the Vietnam Administration of Tourism stated that cultural heritage and cuisine has attracted millions of foreign tourists along with domestic tourists. Local travel agencies are focusing on developing tourism products that bring authentic experiences, including traditional food festivals, cooking classes, and food tours. The Tourism Ministry has also approved a project on building a national brand on cultural tourism, aiming to develop values of cultural heritage and cuisine, as well as improving economic efficiency and tourism competitiveness. Cultural tourism is expected to occupy 20-25% of the total $130 billion USD tourism revenue by 2030

IHG Hotels & Resorts has extended partnership with Sun Hospitality Group to develop 4 more hotels in Vietnam, including Holiday Inn Resort Yoko Park Onsen in Quang Ninh and 3 properties in Ba Na Hills of Danang: Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Resort, and Voco

Health Ministry has asked localities to design plans to combat the pandemic and ordered stronger preventive measures including improving medical capacity, close monitoring for arrivals, speeding up vaccination, strengthening pandemic prevention and control at public places, as well as raising public awareness and encouraging the 5K measures

Phu Quoc seeks to become not only a high-end resort tourism centre, but also a financial hub, and centre of aviation and maritime trade. Phu Quoc has attracted 350 investment projects worth $17 billion USD in early 2022, including many high-class tourism and entertainment area developments. The city also aims to welcome over 4,000 foreign visitors by the end of Jan

HCMC to work on transport projects in the vicinity of Tan Son Nhat Airport, in line with the airport’s Terminal T3 project. The projects include building roads and expanding streets, as well as projects at the city’s gateways, HCMC’s Management Board for Investment and Construction of Transport Projects reported

Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam proposes to remove on-arrival rapid testing in favour of valid pre-departure RT-PCR test results. CAAV has also received feedback from airlines including suggestions to ease the testing fee collection and health declaration processes

The government has issued a document on Deputy PM’s orders on adjustments in the vaccine passport trial programme welcoming international tourists, including implementing the programme in a safe and effective manner. The Tourism Ministry has been asked to study, implement, and amend a temporary guide for receiving foreign arrivals in line with COVID-19 regulations

Quang Ninh’s Department of Tourism has drafted a “Green-lane tourism” plan to revive the tourism sector, providing tourists with information on places with safety in regards to the COVID-19 situation. Director of Quang Ninh’s Department of Tourism hopes the plan could offer tourists safe services and offer comfort while experiencing said tourism services, adding that the scheme could be an opportunity for businesses to promote their services and provide safe working environment for their staff

119,800 firms left the market in 2021 due to pandemic impact, up 17.8% YoY. Of those, 55,000 temporarily suspended operations for a definite period, up 18% YoY. 48,100 have stopped operations pending dissolution procedures, up 27.8% YoY, while 16,700 have completed dissolution procedures, down 4.1% YoY. Vietnam also saw a decline of 13.4% YoY in newly-established businesses at 116,800 and a decrease of 2.2% YoY in firms that resumed operation at 43,100

Vietnam’s latest stimulus package for 2022-2023 period, worth $15.25 billion USD, aims to revive the economy by including measures such as reducing bank loan interest rates by 1% and delay loan payments for businesses, as well as a 64 trillion VND tax reduction and 110 trillion VND in assistance for businesses

121 passengers from Phnom Penh arrived at HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat Airport on 1 Jan via a Vietnam Airlines flight. General secretary of the Vietnam Aviation Business Association said that the reopening of regular international flights is timely and necessary, as delay in resuming the flights would result in economic loss and a slower recovery of the aviation sector if compared to foreign countries

Vietnam welcomed 1,753 international arrivals through 17 flights between 1-3 Jan, the first 3 days of regular international flight resumption

HCMC People’s Committee issued a five-step quarantine procedure for arrivals amid the emergence of Omicron in Vietnam. Under the guideline, arrivals must register a “personal QR code”, undergo on-arrival tests, comply with 5K regulations after arriving at the accommodation, monitor and declare health conditions daily, and undergo RT-PCR during the quarantine period. Fully-vaccinated travellers or those who have recovered from COVID-19 must quarantine for 3 days, while unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated travellers must quarantine for 7 days

Hanoi has welcomed 143 passengers from Tokyo, the first international arrivals in 2022. Hanoi’s Department of Tourism also reported that the city served 60,000 passengers, mainly domestic, in the New Year holidays on 1-3 Jan, down 49% YoY

Sa Pa welcomed 17,346 visitors over the New Year holidays on 1-3 Jan, 30% of 2021’s number, according to the Head of the Culture-Information Office of Sa Pa. Tourism revenue reached $2.01 million USD, up $341,281 USD from the Christmas holidays on 24-26 Dec

Vietnam tourism agencies predict a positive outlook on post-COVID tourism. Saigontourist Group is offering up to 50% discounts for stays in 5-star hotels, targeting tourists looking for luxury services. Vietravel has revealed that it will serve 15,000 visitors during the Lunar New Year, with tourists asking about independent tours in addition to guided tours and preferring 3-5 day trips. TST Tourist Media Director has developed new tourism products including an HCMC-Long An trip and a river bus excursion to Thu Duc City

Vietnam welcomed 3,000 international visitors in Dec, a 14.2% increase. Phu Quoc and Khanh Hoa have welcomed 1,500 international visitors since reopening. Vietnam National Administration of Tourism also recorded around 5 million domestic travellers in Dec, doubling MoM, with Khanh Hoa, Da Lat, and Phu Quoc being popular destinations

HCMC to reopen bars, dance clubs, and karaoke parlors from 10 Jan after 8 months of suspension

HCMC and Binh Dinh to welcome foreign tourists under the vaccine passport trial programme from this month, raising the total localities allowed to receive foreign visitors under the programme to 7

Thong Nhat Park to be the only location in Hanoi to set off Tet Fireworks on 1 Feb

Plan to develop Vietnam’s airport system by 2030 is expected to cost up to $17.4 billion USD. Transport ministry aims to increase the airports’ capacity to 276 million per year under the development plan, while current capacity stands at 95 million per year, 66% of the targeted 144 million. Investment in Hanoi and HCMC’s large hubs, such as Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, and Lon Thanh Airports will be given priority through 2030, while work will also be done to upgrade 22 existing airports and invest in 6 new airports, to a total capacity of 283 million passengers per year across the 28 airports. The ministry also plans to add 2 more airports by 2050, totalling 14 international and 17 domestic airports

Agoda reported that HCMC has been named top destination for Vietnamese tourists during the New Year holiday for the second consecutive year. Sa Pa is in second place, followed by Da Lat, Hanoi, Phu Quoc, and Nha Trang. Ninh Binh made the list for the first time in 10th place. Agoda data also showed that travellers are looking for new experiences, with many preferring off-beat nature or beach destinations in addition to famous cities. Tourists also opt for staycations in 4-5 star venues for year-end

Nui Sam national tourism site in An Giang to reopen from 1 Jan with “new normal” protocols in place

Free “Going Home” tour at Cuc Phuong National Park, allowing visitors to join staff in releasing rescued animals back to the wild, has received enthusiastic response and is spreading awareness on wildlife protection. The tour has successfully released over 100 wild animals to their natural habitat

National Tourism Year 2022 is expected to revive tourism in its host city, Quang Nam, and promote the city and Vietnam itself. Deputy Minister of Tourism believes the event needs to highlight the host city’s tourism products while improving the locals’ livelihood. The programme will commence on 25 Mar at the Hoi An Impression Theme Park

Hanoi has backtracked on plans to quarantine travellers from countries with Omicron in centralised facilities following Transport Ministry’s statement that removing centralised quarantine is a key factor to facilitate international flight resumption and that Hanoi’s strict requirement could disrupt the plans. The Ministry requested localities to adopt Ministry of Health’s Guidelines without any additional regulations

Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam issued a new directive for international arrivals, requiring passengers who have gone through countries that detected Omicron to take rapid COVID-19 tests before boarding and after disembarking. Quick test areas will be set up at international airports and passengers need to bear the testing costs

Hanoi travellers opt for neighbouring destinations and suburban areas for holidays amid complex COVID-19 situation in Hanoi, preferring activities like paragliding at Doi Bu, or staying at Min Phu commune homestays which have been fully booked since a month ago

Hanoi to cancel New Year’s Eve outdoor activities, including countdown events and firework displays. Virtual events and pre-recorded cultural performances will be broadcast instead. Hoan Kiem, a downtown district where cultural events usually take place, will also cancel celebrations and suspend indoor dining

Vietnam reported 2.58% GDP growth in 2021, slowing from the 2.91% growth in 2020. GDP growth in Q4 increased 5.22% YoY, rebounding from the 6.02% contraction in Q3

Vietnam’s plans to revive the tourism sector in 2022 include: • Launching the tourism recovery and development scheme under the 2022-2023 socioeconomic development programme • Completing the 2021-2030 tourism system planning with a 2045 vision and submitting it to the government for approval • Developing smart tourism through digital transformation • Aiming to welcome 65 million tourists, including 5 million foreigners, and earning $17.39 billion USD in revenue

HCMC plans to develop smart tourism in 2021-2025 by improving public digital infrastructure and allowing private sectors to engage in smart tourism solutions and mobilise investment resources. The city also looks to develop technologies integrated with tourism services, build mobile applications, install QR codes that introduce destinations, expand public wifi, build an information and entertainment provision system (City4U), and build a tourism and visitor database, while developing a tourism management system and smart tourism operation centre. Vice Chairwoman of HCMC’s People’s Committee stated that the scheme aims to develop the tourism sector better by eliminating bottlenecks and providing better tourist experience, while connecting data analysis and forecast of tourism demand and trend

Tay Ninh to waive entrance fee for the Ba Den Relic Complex from 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2022 as part of the effort to promote tourism and support visitors and enterprises affected by the pandemic

General Statistics Office reported around 157,300 international arrivals in 2021, down 95.9% YoY due to pandemic impact, with 85% of the total arrivals originating from Asia and 70.6% entering the country by air. Foreign arrivals in Dec alone reached 17,200 visitors, up 14.2% MoM due to pilot programmes welcoming international tourists and resumption of commercial international flights

Tourists from Thailand and South Korea expected to boost tourism in the first phase of international flight resumption, while tourists from far off countries, such as the US and European countries, will be the focus of Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. MInistry of Transport plans to lift or ease quarantine for fully-vaccinated or recovered passengers by that time

HCMC Department of Tourism has asked for the Department of Planning and Investment’s plan to support small and medium-sized businesses until 2025 to include certain policies exclusive for tourism businesses, including providing interest-free and unsecured loans, as well as tax subsidies or waiver for land rent, so the businesses can recover and pay their employees. The Department of Tourism has also been helping businesses devise domestic tourism products for New Year and Tet holidays

Over 700,000 small and micro F&B establishments have suspended operations due to the pandemic, Chairman of Vietnam Culinary Culture Association claimed. Deputy Minister of Tourism revealed that 338 out of over 2,500 outbound tour operators applied for dissolution and 90% of travel firms shut down in 2020, while 35% of travel firms had their business licences revoked in 2021

Several suggestions for tourism recovery has been proposed at the “Vietnam’s Tourism Recovery and Development” seminar, including extending the 30% cut to the value-added tax to 2022 and 2023, delaying the tax payment deadline for the next several years, cutting lending rates and requirements for tourism businesses, reducing land rentals further from the current 30% and extending the reduction to 2022 and 2023. Ministry of Tourism has proposed to focus on implementing the tourism recovery and development programme, a part of the 2022-2023 socioeconomic recovery and development, as well as supporting tourism businesses and workers

Vietnam has detected its first imported Omicron case, a traveller from the UK who arrived in Hanoi on 19 Dec

Hanoi to impose centralised quarantine for those arriving from countries that have reported Omicron cases, regardless of the passengers’ vaccination or COVID-19 recovery status, following HCMC who have been implementing the policy since 14 Dec. Random testing will also be carried out on those who entered Vietnam with travel history to Omicron-infected countries in the last 28 days, those reinfected with COVID-19 after recovery, and those arriving from pandemic hotsports

Hanoi to allow foreign arrivals that have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 to self-isolate for 3 days from 1 Jan. If tested negative on the third day, they are free to leave but need to monitor their health for 11 days and avoid large gatherings or crowded places. Partially vaccinated people need to self-isolate for 7 days and be tested on the third and seventh days. The adjustment was announced following government’s approval to resume international flights between Vietnam and 9 destinations, and just one day after Hanoi decided to quarantine travellers from Omicron-infected countries in centralised facilities

Vietnam has extended temporary residence to foreigners who entered the country after 1 Mar 2020, allowing all pre-approved foreigners and their family including diplomats, officials, experts, business managers, foreign investors, high-tech workers, and other business travelers, to stay in or come to Vietnam. Currently, still no new tourist visas are issued

Transport Ministry has been granted autonomy in regards to international flights reopening, with Deputy PM asking the ministry to cooperate with other ministries, agencies, and localities to decide the resumption of international commercial routes

Transport Ministry has allowed the increase of flight frequency on domestic routes, with flights on Hanoi-HCMC route increasing to 25 round-trip flights per day from 27 Dec to 18 Jan, and increasing further to 52 from 19 Jan to 16 Feb. Flights on HCMC-Da Nang and Hanoi-Da Nang routes will be increased to 20 round-trips per day, with other routes increased by 9 round-trips per day

HCMC Department of Culture and Sports has proposed to the city government to reopen bars, discos, and karaoke parlors as HCMC has controlled the outbreak, has a high vaccination rate, and because most businesses have resumed operations. The department also noted that safety criteria for the reopening of said businesses have also been issued

One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme has helped the commercialisation of local products in Central Vietnam, providing funds for tourism development in the localities

Transport Ministry announced that negative COVID-19 test results are now not required for air travellers from HCMC and Can Tho, with negative results only required for travellers from localities with very high COVID-19 risks or locked-down areas

Southern Vietnam’s tourism sectors are striving to reform and diversify tourism products for the “new normal” as New Year and Tet approach. Many on-the-spot tours and multi-day tours to northwestern and central localities, as well as southwest coastal areas like Phu Quoc and Ha Tien have also been resumed. Saigontourist have developed various tourism products for different markets, ranging from small groups to MICE, and over 12,000 tourists of 14 delegations had signed up for their MICE programmes in Ha Long, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Ben Tre, HCMC, and Phu Quoc in Dec. Director of HCMC Department of Tourism stated that HCMC has over 360 tourist attractions, including Vietnam’s top natural and cultural heritage sites, and that the city is working to develop other types of tourism including culinary tourism, shopping tourism, waterway tourism, eco-tourism and medical tourism. General Director of Vinpearl said successful reopening of Phu Quoc to 200 South Korean tourists in late Nov has instilled confidence in tourism developers and operators in creating new tourism products

226 Russian tourists arrived in Khanh Hoa under the pilot vaccine passport programme, with more expected to come between 26 Dec-23 Mar through 26 flights (2 per week) with 320-340 passengers per flight, operated by Azur Air and Anex Viet Nam, the agency that organises the Russian tours. The tourists will stay between 7-26 days, said the Sales Director of Anex Viet Nam. Meanwhile, 210 tourists from Uzbekistan have also arrived in Phu Quoc United Centre for a 9-day trip. Until the end of Feb, Phu Quoc expects 8 more delegations from the country

Hoi An Lantern Festival to be held from 25 Dec to 15 Feb as part of a series of cultural and art events held to mark the beginning of 2022 post-COVID tourism events. Chairman of the Quang Nam People's Committee has also selected the Hoi An Memories show as a special scene art programme and a venue for the opening of the National Tourism Year 2022 on 25 Mar

Participants of the tourism conference in Nghe An suggested several measures to revive tourism industry including the importance of simplifying procedures for international tourists, digital transformation, fully-vaccinating at least 70% of the population, tax cuts for travel businesses, and implementation of the “vaccine passport” scheme

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly urged Vietnam to keep up with other countries in adopting policies for international border reopening at the tourism conference in Nghe An. He also expressed the importance of assessing COVID-19’s impact, as well as the current status of the tourism industry and its future outlook to propose solutions for tourism revival, adding that the solutions “must focus on improving Vietnam’s tourism competitiveness and bring its potential and advantages into full play to create distinctive, culturally and historically rich products and brands”, while taking into account cultural and environmental conservation along with sustainable tourism development

A Tourism conference was held in Nghe An to discuss COVID-19 impact on tourism, as well as ways to revive and develop the sector. Fourth wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam has caused the number of tourists to drop by almost 30% YoY, and Deputy Minister of Tourism stated that tourism recovery and development programme should be promoted to help the industry, including assisting tourism businesses and workers, issuing new policies facilitating tourism, boosting attraction of investment to nighttime, ecological, leisure, and community-based tourism, digital transformation, and developing tourism personnel in the “new normal” era

5 more Hanoi districts to suspend dine-in and limit gathering from 26 Dec, following increase of the districts’ COVID-19 risk to “high”, to a total 8 out of 12 Hanoi districts now classified as having high COVID-19 risks

Deputy PM said Vietnam’s reopening to international tourists should not be hasty amid concerns about the Omicron variant, and the tourism industry should be renewed and be better prepared to welcome foreign guests. Vice Chairman of Kien Giang Province said that Omicron has had direct consequences to Vietnam’s reopening plan, including the postponement of the Dec tours of South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia tourists to Phu Quoc Island. The island has welcomed 412 foreign tourists across 3 international flights so far, with 10-12 flights from Dubai, South Korea, and Malaysia scheduled in Nov

Quang Ninh aims to welcome 9.53 million visitors in 2022, including 1.43 million international visitors. The province also expects tourism revenue to reach 19,000 billion VND, average tourist expenditure to be 2 million VND, and tourism budget revenue to cross 1,700 billion VND. In 2021, it welcomed 4.38 million tourists which was 97% of the target, and tourism revenue reached 7.745 billion VND, 85% of the target. The number of tourists and tourism revenue in 2021 was only 31% of 2019 numbers

HCMC has launched its first tourism week, “Ho Chi Minh City - The City I Love”, to spread pride among locals and attract both domestic and international tourists to the city. Vice Chairwoman of HCMC’s People’s Committee has requested the city’s tourism authorities to coordinate with other parties and Thu Duc city and districts on developing tourism products

People visiting Vietnam for less than 14 days for diplomatic, official, or business purposes are not required to undergo quarantine, but need to comply to COVID-19 preventive measures, Ministry of Health announced. If they want to extend their stay, current immigration and COVID-19 regulations must be followed

HCMC’s Department of Tourism advised the People’s Committee to propose to the government to allow quarantine-free travel for international tourists with vaccine passports

Vietnam aims to welcome 5 million international tourists under the vaccine passport program and gain $17.5 billion USD tourism revenue in 2022, Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism stated. Initial estimation showed Vietnam has welcomed 40 million domestic tourists in 2021, down 20% YoY and gaining 180 trillion VND in revenue, while 3,500 international tourists has visited on special tour packages since mid-Nov reopening

PM has requested further investigation on Viet A Technologies JSC, which allegedly overcharged COVID-19 test kits and colluded with hospital or testing centre managers to use its test kits

FLC Group has inaugurated a hotel and convention center complex in Vinh Phuc, featuring a 5-star hotel with nearly 200 rooms and a convention centre with ​​2,000 pax capacity, as a part of the FLC Vinh Phuc Convention & Luxury Resort. FLC aims to target local tourism potentials with the complex, and together with many other FLC projects in Vinh Phuc, create more jobs, improve locals’ income, and attract investors to local tourism and service sectors

HCMC to ban firework displays on New Year’s Eve, Deputy Head of the Municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Economic Recovery announced. HCMC People’s Committee had already planned activities like the New Year’s countdown on Nguyen Hue walking street in District 1, and the Deputy Head said depending on the COVID-19 situation, respective administrations could decide whether to scale down or suspend the events

Vietnam reported 16,377 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to over 1.6 million cases since the start of the pandemic. Hanoi reported the highest cases nationwide for the 4th consecutive days with 1,774

Japan is the only country so far that is on board with Vietnam’s plan for resumption of international flights, with 4 flights a week. Participating airlines in this pilot phase will be Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Japan Airlines, and ANA

Ninh Thuan Province has reopened to domestic tourists. From now until the end of Q1 2022, only a small number of tourism businesses that meet safety standards will be allowed to open. In Q2, the province will pilot a programme to welcome international tourists and from Q3, tourism activities will be organised under the “new normal” state

PM has banned large gatherings during New Year and Tet holidays

PM has assigned tasks to ministries ahead of international flight resumption on 1 Jan. Health Ministry has been asked to issue new entry guidelines for travellers on regular international flights. Foreign Ministry was asked to continue negotiations on mutual recognition of “vaccine passports” with other countries, with priority for destinations in the first phase of international flight resumption. Health, Public Security and Information and Communications Ministries were to release the medical declaration software for monitoring and tracing visitors, while the Transport Ministry was asked to work with aviation agencies to grant flight slots for different carriers

Ministry of Tourism plans to reopen sea and land routes for international tourists after the vaccine passport pilot programme on the air route. The ministry reported that foreign tourists’ responses to Vietnam tours have been positive and that they were confident in Vietnam’s pandemic prevention and control measures

Over 8,000 fully-vaccinated tourism workers have been deployed for Quang Ninh’s reopening for international tourists. A temporary set of safety standards for foreign tourists have been issued in Nov, comprising 24 compulsory and 11 recommended criteria

Quang Ninh to welcome first international visitors on 7 Jan, a group of South Korean tourists under the vaccine passport trial programme arriving on a charter flight

As of 6 Dec, over 1,100 international visitors had arrived in Vietnam on charter flights since mid-Nov reopening. 15,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit Vietnam in Dec

New tourism products including night river bus tour in Saigon river, and Vietravel’s mangrove forest crossing stand up paddle tour and forest walking tour in Can Gio district have been launched ahead of New Year and Tet holidays. Deputy General Director of Saigon Tourism Corporation added that his company is continuously developing Can Gio tourism, including upgrading hotels and leisure facilities, developing new products by sea, air, road, rail, or inland waterway, promoting tourist attractions, and strengthening human resources training

HCMC to launch new tourism products for year-end to stimulate demand for New Year and Tet period, including Fiditour-Vietluxtour’s “Saigon Past and Present” tour which will take visitors to museums and historical sites, along with modern landmarks. HCMC will also promote linkage of tourism programmes with Mekong Delta provinces, like Long An and Ben Tre. HCMC travel firms plan to offer customised tours to Long An such as eco-tourism or river tourism weekend getaways

VOV report has shown that during the last 18 months of pandemic, 80% of travel agencies have suspended operations, 50% of hotels have closed, and over 2 million hospitality workers were laid off

Tourism businesses are preparing for international flight resumption on 1 Jan, with Vietnam Airlines cooperating with tourism businesses to promote green tourism in 2022 and localities implementing tourism stimulus programs to attract domestic and foreign tourists. Hanoi has issued safe pandemic adaptation criteria for tourism attractions and is promoting heritage, relic sites, and craft villages tours, as well as helping travel companies to develop package tours

HCMC bus station officials predict ticket sales would drop 30-40% YoY during the Tet holiday. Mien Dong Bus Station estimates 20,000-22,000 daily passengers during 27-29 Jan, while Mien Tay Bus Station estimates 22,000-27,000 during 28-30 Jan

Thai Vietjet to launch 4D3N package tours to Phu Quoc Island for Thai tourists from 30 Dec, with prices starting at 15,800,000 VND. Travellers will receive free COVID-19 travel insurance package for the first month of launching

Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed to accelerate negotiations on passport and vaccination certificate recognition, as well as border trade agreement

Thua Thien-Hue province to open Imperial Citadel night street zone on 31 Dec to boost nighttime economy. It will open on Fri & Sat from 7-11 pm and visitors will be able to watch art performances, experience folk games, see traditional crafts, and taste local cuisine

Da Nang pilots installation of QR code boards on street signs in Son Tra district which will link to tourist information when scanned

Another district in Hanoi, Hai Ba Trung, has stopped dining-in, outdoor exercise and in-person study from 19 Dec after a rise in cases

HCMC’s Can Gio District to focus on welcoming tourists back in 2022 by improving the quality of tourism activities and community tourism products in Thanh An Island commune, establishing a night market, and developing agricultural products which will be advertised through contests and tourism promotion seminars

The Health Ministry has proposed that all non-essential large gatherings be suspended over Tet due to the increase in cases

Hanoi has reported a record number of daily cases, 1,244

Quang Ninh Museum has been awarded the highest rank in the museum system of Vietnam by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism

Quang Ninh to reduce entrance fee to tourist attractions by half in H1 2022, including Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Museum, and Yen Tu Complex of Monuments and Landscape, in order to restart tourism in Quang Ninh and attract visitors. 1.2-1.5 million tourists are expected to visit Ha Long Bay in H1 2022, along with 100,000 for Quang Ninh Museum, and 200,000-250,000 for Yen Tu Complex. The amount of entrance fee reduction in Quang Ninh Province for the past two years is equivalent to nearly $2.1 million USD

Newest scenario by Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) sees international flight resumption implemented in 2 phases, with 9 destinations in the first phase: Beijing/Guangxi, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, and San Francisco/Los Angeles, and an additional 6 destinations in the second phase: Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Paris, Frankfurt), Sydney, and Moscow

The Ministry of Tourism has urged the government to reopen its visa exemption scheme for less than 15 days for selected markets as part of its report on the vaccine passport trial so far. It also proposed that travel firms can bring tourists to Vietnam on scheduled, rather than charter, flights. It is seeking Binh Dinh province to be added to the second phase of the vaccine passport program. It suggested that overseas Vietnamese be permitted to use the vaccine passport trial, too for Tet

Dak Lak Province and Animals Asia Foundation has signed an MoU on the conversion of elephant-friendly tourism model, aiming to end elephant-riding tourism and other activities that affect the elephants’ welfare, as well as contributing to elephant conservation

Vietnam added 34,059 local COVID-19 cases to the national database, comprising 15,627 new cases from 60 localities, and 18,792 cases from previous days in Tay Ninh. Infections in the fourth COVID-19 wave totals to 1,486,875 cases

Rapid test service at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport will be suspended from 16 Dec, due to the decrease in passengers needing the rapid test service as most have been vaccinated

Ministry of Health proposes to let fully vaccinated foreign arrivals to shorten self-quarantine period to 3 days from 1 Jan 2022, with the RT-PCR test conducted on the first and third day

Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, and Thua Thien Hue plan to stop covering medical fees for COVID-19 patients who refused vaccination without any contraindications

Hanoi reported a new daily high for the second time in a week with 1,024 cases

Yen Duc village has seen a significant decrease in visitors during the pandemic, as foreign tourists accounted for 70% of the village’s 20,000 visitors per year pre-pandemic. The community-based tourism model in the village has created jobs for over 50 villagers in tourism sector, with many having to return to farming work during the pandemic to make ends meet

Ha Noi authorities have no plans to impose large-scale lockdown despite a spike in COVID-19 cases, given that the situation is still under control and the vaccination rate is high. Instead, the city is focusing on improving healthcare capacity to deal with outbreaks

Only 6,900 train tickets (20% of total seats available) have been sold for the Tet period (20 Jan-13 Feb 2022). Hanoi station has sold 300, a fifth of usual numbers, while Saigon station has sold 6,300 tickets, 3% of last year’s number. One of the railway employees believes quarantine restrictions and frequently changing regulations are the reason behind slow sales, and also because workers in the Southern area and students haven’t returned to the major cities and are already in their hometowns. Vietnam Railways has been offering promotions, not hiking fares, discounting early and group bookings, reducing prices for return tickets, as well as running a promotion for booking whole coaches which will continue until 28 Feb, with discounts for travel beyond 300 km and free meals

Asian Development Bank has revised Vietnam’s 2021 GDP growth estimate, now expected to fall to 2.0% from the previous forecast of 3.8% due to Q3 economic contractions, before expanding 6.5% in 2022

Deputy PMs have encouraged overseas Vietnamese to return home for the Tet holiday, urgently cooperating with Ministry of Transport, the aviation sector, and supporting ministries to prepare entry procedures and the reopening of international air routes

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has launched a special page on Vietnam’s Tourism Website promoting the “Live Fully in Vietnam” campaign. The page contains information on Vietnam’s tourism and recommendations related to culture, cuisine, health, and beach resorts

Hanoi’s Dong Da District has issued temporary ban on dine-in services, face-to-face learning, culture, sport and entertainment events, gatherings of over 20 people in a room, and gatherings of over 10 people in public spaces following a spike of cases

Lao Cai’s medicinal plants fields have attracted more tourists, which has helped economic development and poverty reduction in the ethnic minority-inhabited areas. Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that 4,000ha of land in Bac Ha, Sa Pa, and Bat Xat districts will be focused for growing medicinal plants during 2021-2025, with the areas also turned into community-based and eco-tourism sites

Conference promoting tourism cooperation between HCMC and 8 cities and provinces in the Northwest region was held on 11 Dec. The cooperation involves sharing experiences in building and developing tourism and plans of welcoming tourism services. Director of HCMC’s Department of Tourism shared at the event that HCMC has been focusing on digital transformation that is in line with safety and flexible adaptation during the pandemic, with the department launching tourism resources on Google Map, Google Earth, and a renewed website introducing the HCMC Tourism Day 2021

The Deputy PM has agreed to resuming international commercial flights from 1 Jan 2022 to Beijing, Guangzhou, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Vientiane, Phnom Penh and San Francisco/ Los Angeles . The Health Ministry and Ministry of Information and Communications have been told to come out with a medical declaration software for air passengers, and the Foreign Ministry has been told to reach an agreement with other countries for vaccine passport recognition

Vietnam is expected to add 36 million people to its middle class by 2030 according to a McKinsey report

Vietnam Festival 2021 held in Tokyo on 11-12 Dec aims to promote Vietnamese cuisine and culture to Japanese people

Vietnam named as Asia’s Best River Cruise Destination at 2021 World Cruise Awards

Danang has welcomed its first group of 500 MICE travellers as part of a national surgery and endoscopy hybrid conference

Vinpearl Resort & Spa Phu Quoc has rearranged its staff into zones and separated international guests’ living spaces to ensure community safety. Foreign tourists are still able to go sightseeing, enjoy entertainment, dine, and shop at selected venues as a part of the vaccine passport itinerary

IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched the Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay Resort

Netin Travel Company has started piloting eco-tourism services at Khe Nuoc Tron Nature Reserve in Quang Binh Province, including trekking in the primeval forest and rappelling down the Duong Cam Waterfall. Authorities hope the addition of adventure tourism will bring more tourists to the province post-pandemic

Night river buses on route No.1 in HCMC, connecting Bach Dang and Linh Dong, have started operations and will run at 7-8 pm daily with tickets priced at 15,000 VND

HCMC’s is seeking government’s approval to pilot a program welcoming international tourists with vaccine passports, with an expected start date of 21 Dec

Hong Kong has banned Cathay Pacific flights from HCMC until 23 Dec after 3 passengers from flight CX764 tested positive for COVID-19

Cross Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Tan Thanh Trading & Tourism JSC to develop 2 new hotels in Vung Tau set to open in Q4 2022

Vietnam recorded 15,300 new cases, highest daily number since Sep

Kien Giang welcomed 300,000 visitors in Nov, a 10-fold increase MoM. 290,000 of them, including 1,400 foreign visitors, travelled to Phu Quoc. Tourist arrivals to Da Lat city have also increased, especially on weekends, with outdoor tourist attractions and open space cafes attracting up to thousands of people daily

Travellers entering Vietnam who are fully-vaccinated and tested negative for COVID-19 can self-quarantine at home instead of in government facilities. Deputy PM stated that the decision came with consideration of the many Vietnamese looking to return for the upcoming Tet holiday

Quang Ninh has released safety guidelines ahead of welcoming the first group of foreign tourists in Jan 2022. The province plans to prioritise promising markets like China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Director of Vietfood Travel Hanoi said that the firm plans to fly international tourists to Quang Ninh on direct charter flights and from there, tourists can join package tours of up to 7-days to Ha Long city and Ha Long Bay

Vietnam has added 6 countries; Canada, Iran, Iraq, Maldives, South Africa and Zimbabwe, to the vaccine passport acceptance list, which now includes 78 countries and territories. Vietnam’s vaccine passport has now been recognised by Australia, in addition to the US, the UK, Japan, and Belarus. Other countries like members of ASEAN and EU, China, and South Korea are still waiting for Vietnam to release a consistent vaccine passport model, while Canada has agreed in principle

UNDP and the Mekong Development Research Institute (MDRI) survey has shown that: • 84-89% of respondents rated government’s efforts of handling the pandemic as “good” or “very good”, but the numbers dropped to 70-74% in areas with severe outbreaks like HCMC, Binh Duong, Long An, and Dong Nai • 93% of respondents agreed with strict social distancing restrictions, but the rate is lower at 86% in the 4 hotspots • 83% of respondents said saving lives was more important than economic revival. The rates were 71% among poor people, 77% in the 4 hotspots, and 78% in areas with at least 4-months lockdown

Vung Tau province has allowed hotels, resorts, restaurants, tourist spots, museums, movie theatres, and religious sites in low and medium COVID-19 risk areas to reopen. Non-essential services like karaoke parlors, dance clubs, and pubs are allowed to fully operate in low-risk areas, and operate at limited capacity in medium and high-risk areas

HCMC plans to reopen to foreign tourists during year-end holiday season, sooner than expected, as vaccination rates have reached the requisite for restoring tourism with first-shot coverage almost reaching 100% and second-shot coverage at over 90%

Deputy Chair of the Vietnam Tourism Association stated that Vietnam’s tourism entered a new state following the release of Resolution 128 which addressed the need for Vietnam to “live together with COVID”. He noted that it is important for restrictions and safety policies, as well as administrative procedures to be consistent and stable across all localities for a long period, which would allow enterprises to design their business plans

Fleets of 500 ships and 245 member companies are facing financial difficulties amid the pandemic, with ship owners resorting to borrowing money from usurers to cover ship maintenance and protection fees of at least 200 million VND a month

Tourism businesses in Vietnam still find it difficult to resume operations despite many policies launched to support the industry. Many find difficulty in accessing support packages due to complicated administrative procedures, even though they are eligible. Additionally, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to design additional support for tourism businesses and workers including an extension of the tax and fee remission period and loosening eligibility requirements to receive the support. VNAT has also proposed excursion fee exemption at tourist attractions, as well as a 50% Personal Income Tax reduction for transportation, accommodations, eatery services, and tourist agents and a preferential interest rate of 3% for 30 unsecured month-month loans

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corporation (SABECO) will cooperate in organising long-term activities and development of platforms for promoting Vietnam’s tourism and culture

13.4 million passengers travelled by air in the first 10 months of 2021, 22.5% of 2019 levels. There were 2.1 million passengers between May and mid-Nov during the 4th wave of infections, 5.8% of 2019 levels

Ministry of Transport has proposed resuming regular international flights to the government, following a meeting with Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, and Pacific Airlines. The airlines have asked for the lifting of quarantine rules for fully vaccinated travellers or those who have recovered from COVID-19, and have been tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to departure. Ministry of Health will draft the guidelines on relaxing the quarantine rules, which is expected to be released soon. Ministry of Foreign Affairs is promoting the mutual recognition of vaccine passports to partners, while Ministry of Public Security is developing an app (IGOVN) to integrate with immigration management

Hanoi districts to suspend or restrict non-essential services including F&B establishments and events with large gatherings based on COVID-19 risk level in their communes and wards. The districts are also asked to set up support groups to monitor COVID-19 patients treated at home

HCMC to reopen school for 1st, 9th, and 12th grade students as part of a two-week pilot program starting Dec 13, while 5-year-old kindergarteners can go back to school on 20 Dec. Schools are expected to reopen fully for all-level students on 3 Jan

Cruise ship owners are troubled as there are no passengers during the pandemic, yet they have to pay at least 200 million VND per month for mooring fees. Sai Gon Port authorities have offered a 50% reduction, but owners said the fees are still a burden

Lux Group, which specialised in 5-star yachts, have received increased booking requests since beginning of Nov. CEO of Lux Group said that self-contained tourism can boost yacht businesses as “the door-to-door transfer process and closed experience on the yacht help ensure safety and reduce contact”

Institute for Tourism Development Research reported that demand for staycations have been increasing, with many looking for luxury options. Traveloka and iVIVU.com record significant increase in hotel bookings since measures were relaxed on 1 Oct

Vietnam sees 2.5 million domestic tourists in Nov, 3 times higher compared to the 750,000 in Oct: • Visitors to Lao Cai quadrupled to 55,450 with tourism revenue reaching $10.4 million USD. Visitors were mostly from Hanoi • Visitors to Hanoi increased 60-fold to 300,000 with tourism revenue reaching 844 billion VND. Hanoi’s camping sites have been crowded over the past weeks with luxury resorts full on weekends • Visitors to Khanh Hoa doubled to 28,500 • Visitors to Phu Quoc Island increased 14-fold to nearly 300,000

300,000 domestic tourists visited Hanoi in Nov, down 57% YoY with the revenue down 51% to nearly $40 million USD. Around 3.2 million people have visited Hanoi in the first 11 months of 2021, down 60% YoY

HCMC sees rise in COVID-19 deaths, reaching 60-70 daily in the past week

Dong Giang Heaven Gate eco-tour site under the FGV Group, the Hoi An Memories, Tan Thanh fishing village, Thien Minh Group, Silk Group, and Phu Ninh Lake eco-tour have agreed to collaborate in rebuilding the tourism industry by offering combined tour programmes introducing their culture and nature-based key products to domestic and international tourists visiting Quang Nam

Five accommodations in Danang have been approved to admit foreign tourists under the vaccine passport trial program: Vinpearl Condotel Riverfront Danang, Vinpearl Resort and Spa, Vinpearl Luxury Resort, Risemount Resort Danang, and Muong Thanh Luxury Da Nang Hotel. Three tourist attractions, Sun World Ba Na Hills, Marble Mountains and Cham Sculpture Museum are also approved while 7 travel companies are awaiting approval to provide tour services. Danang aims to welcome over 11,000 visitors in Dec

New rules from Health Ministry states: • “Low-risk group” COVID-19 patients (under age 49, fully vaccinated, and have no underlying diseases) can isolate at home. They will be taken care of by mobile task forces and provided with medicine • "Medium-risk group" (aged 50-64, fully vaccinated, and no chronic diseases, and those aged 3 months-49 that have yet to be fully vaccinated) should be admitted to district-level Covid-19 quarantine facilities if they show symptoms of fever, coughing, a sore throat and breathing difficulties. In case facilities are full, they could be isolated at home with strict monitoring from local health authorities • "High-risk group" (over age 65 and fully vaccinated, people with chronic diseases and fully vaccinated, those aged 50-64 that suffer no chronic disease but have yet to be fully vaccinated, pregnant women, women that have just given birth, and babies under 3 months) must be treated at hospitals equipped with medical oxygen systems and anti-inflammatory drugs for respiratory failure • "Very-high risk group" (over 65 with chronic diseases or yet to be fully vaccinated) must be admitted to hospitals designated for severe patients with easy access to ICU

978 foreign tourists have visited Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa and Kien Giang since mid-Nov reopening

Vietnam recorded 14,508 new cases, including 2 imported cases

HCMC Travel Fair to be held online on the websites of the fair, the department at www.visithcmc.vn, e-commerce site Shopee, and Traveloka app from 4-25 Dec, featuring over 100 travel and tourism businesses and tourism sectors from 27 localities offering discounted domestic travel products

Tourism stakeholders highlight the importance of local media for the tourism sector during the pandemic. The media has been essential for domestic tourism, including providing information on safety measures, promoting tourism products, and providing up-to-date information on domestic tourism. Editor-in-Chief of Nguoi Lam Bao newspaper stated: “Media should be involved in the process to develop tourism, prevent and fight the pandemic, through which promote economic activities in the new context”

Open forum to find solutions for Vietnam’s tourism sustainable recovery was held in Hanoi and virtually connected to 26 localities on 30 Nov. Participants reported COVID-19 impact on tourism, support policies for tourism workers, and proposed solutions such as building new tourism products in the new normal

Vietnam recorded 13,966 new cases, the highest daily numbers since 1 Oct reopening. HCMC recorded the most cases at 1,497, followed by Can Tho with 981, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau with 860

Minister of Transport has approved the increase of the max number of flights on the Hanoi-Danang, Hanoi-HCMC, and Danang-HCMC routes to 16 return trips per day from 1-14 Dec, to be increased to 20 from 15 Dec. Other routes will operate at 9 flights per day. The increase is expected to meet demands during New Year and Tet holidays

Binh Dinh aims to be the sixth destination in Vietnam that is open to international tourists and might welcome foreign tourists on package tours by Jan 2022, which will be supported by Bamboo Airways. Director of Binh Dinh’s Department of Tourism stated that they will continue “to research and focus on the East Asian, Southeast Asian, and US market” and will prioritise “safety and flexibly adapting according to the Government’s policy” when welcoming international guests. Binh Dinh aims to welcome 80,000-100,000 domestic visitors in 2022 with expectations to welcome over 100,000 international visitors in the second half of 2022. The province only received 77,000 visitors in 2021 compared to around 200,000 annually before the pandemic

Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has approved Health Ministry’s proposal to suspend flights to and from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Mozambique, as well as halting the issuing of visas for said countries

HCMC named Asia’s leading destination for MICE at the annual World MICE Awards, while Sheraton Grand Danang resort won Asia’s Best Incentive Hotel and Vietnam Airlines won Asia’s Best MICE Airline

Vietnam welcomed over 15,000 foreign tourists in Nov, up 42.4% MoM. Foreign tourist arrivals totaled 140,100 in the first 11 months of 2021, down 96.3% YoY. Visitors mostly arrive by air at 68.9%, down 96.9% YoY; followed by road at 30.7%, down 92.9%; and by sea at 0.4%, down 99.7%

Hanoi recorded 429 new COVID-19 cases, its highest number of daily cases since the pandemic started

Around 100 have booked a 5D3N tour package for Phu Quoc Island offered by a Korean travel agency

Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed to encourage the resumption of transport between the two countries, relaunch Vietnam Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air flights, and promote self-driving tourism

Finance Ministry seeks government approval to lower jet fuel tax by 50% for 2022, compared with current 30% cut, in order to revive the airline industry which suffered $705.78 million USD loss in 2020. Jet fuel tax will be at $0.0662 USD per litre after the cut

Stricter safety measures has been imposed in several regions including: • Urgent document issued by Thua Thien-Hue Provincial Party Committee requiring its localities to address negligence in controlling the pandemic, and to recognise units and individuals who excel in their job • Tam Ky City in Quang Nam Province has shut down bars, pubs, karaoke venues, beauty parlours, cinemas, gyms, internet and gaming cafés, and in-person classes for 14 days • HCMC has proposed six major strategies including: increasing vaccination rate, enhancing capacity in monitoring, forecasting and handling outbreaks, at-home treatment for COVID-19 patient, promoting 5K measures, and strengthening and improving the capacity of the healthcare system

Mekong Delta region sees spike in COVID-19 cases with approx 4,000 cases per day, causing overload in field hospitals

12,450 new cases have been recorded, the highest daily figure in over two and a half months. HCMC topped the list with 1,582 new cases

Vietnam may reopen international routes in early Dec, with 15 countries on the proposed list: China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, France, Germany, Russia, Australia and the United Kingdom. Travellers must be fully vaccinated or ​​possess a certificate of recovery from COVID-19, tested negative 72 hours before arrival, and self-quarantine for 7 days upon arrival. Government will consider adding other countries allowed to enter Vietnam in Q2 2022

Long An to focus on eco-tourism and to invest in new technologies to create competitive tourism products. Three major tourist attractions in the Dong Thap Muoi region: Lang Sen Wetland Reserve, Tan Lap Floating Village Eco-Tourism Area, and Dong Thap Muoi Centre for Research, Conservation, and Development for Medicinal Herbs will be the main focus of the tourism development project to 2030. In Jan-Sep 2021, Long An had welcomed 270,000 local visitors, down 43% YoY, with tourism revenue at around $6.2 million USD, down 50% YoY. 350,000 more local visitors expected to visit by the end of the year, with revenue estimated at 180 billion VND, down 58% YoY. Long An Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has recommended policies that would support travel firms such as rent reduction or exemption, lower value-added taxes on tourism activities, environmental taxes reduction for travel firms and lower taxes for tourism business households in 2021

System of relics in Thua Thien-Hue comprising 4 sites commemorating President Ho Chi Minh was recognized as a special national relic site. The province aims to "promote the value of President Ho Chi Minh's relic in Thua Thien - Hue for tourism development”

Deputy Chairman of the Kien Giang People’s Committee believes Phu Quoc could welcome up to 400,000 foreign and domestic visitors by year-end

First international tourists under the vaccine passport pilot programme have arrived in Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Phu Quoc. Visitors from the US, France, the UK, Germany, and South Korea underwent a 7-day tour in Quang Nam, while 204 tourists from South Korea stayed 4 days at an exclusive facility in Phu Quoc. This “ice-breaking” move is expected to show the government’s pandemic prevention and control, and to become learning opportunities for other destinations in welcoming international guests in the future

Golf tourism seen as an advantage for Vietnam’s tourism industry post-pandemic, with Vietnam named World’s and Asia’s Best Golf Destination at the 2021 World Golf Award

39,126 new cases has been detected in Vietnam, with 28,000 of them coming from Binh Duong quarantine zones

Khanh Hoa to welcome 9,351 foreign visitors from South Korea, Russia, the Philippines, Japan, and Cambodia through 48 flights by 31 Dec. Khanh Hoa’s second phase to receive foreign tourists scheduled for Jan-Mar ‘22

Highway connected to Noi Bai – Lao Cai Expressway, linking Hanoi and Sa Pa, set to open to traffic in the first half of 2022

The Private Sector Development Committee has proposed a loan program for 2022-2023 for hotels, airlines and tourism companies, as well as tax waivers

Tourism companies and booking platforms see a rise in demand following the reopening of 5 destinations in Vietnam, with booking platform iVIVu seeing increase in sales to 10% of pre-pandemic levels. However, demands predicted to be low in the next 3-6 months due to the resurgence of COVID-19 in Singapore, the U.S., Russia, and several European countries

HCMC People’s Committee has proposed welcoming foreign tourists starting Dec. If approved by the PM, closed package tour programs by qualified international travel agencies will be allowed in Dec. Travellers must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days and less than 12 months prior to departure or recovered from COVID-19, tested negative max 72 hours before departure, and own health or tourism insurance cards. HCMC expected to fully reopen to international tourism market in Apr ‘22, with authorities proposing to reopen flight routes between HCMC and San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, and Frankfurt

19 out of 20 localities with highest COVID-19 cases are in Southern Vietnam (the other being Hanoi). Surge of cases have caused Southern Vietnam provinces to tighten COVID-19 restrictions: • Tay Ninh recorded 3,774 new cases between 14-21 Nov. Non-essential services like bars, dance clubs, Internet cafes, karaoke and massage parlors suspended starting 22 Nov. F&B establishments can host up to 20 people at a time, alcohol sale is prohibited, and social distancing must be kept. Sports, exercises, weddings, funerals and religious activities can be held with up to only 20 people, unless approved by local authorities. • Lam Dong recorded 518 new cases between 14-21 Nov. Rising cases mostly due to people returning from areas with COVID outbreaks. Lam Dong People's Committee requires its officials and workers to be tested every three days and those returning from COVID-hit areas to test negative within 72 hours starting 21 Nov. • Binh Thuan recorded 3,482 new cases between 14-21 Nov. Non-essential services suspended and only takeaway food is allowed. Residents urged to stay home between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., cannot travel to or from areas with very high risk, and can only go to the market with approval papers from authorities. • Bac Lieu recorded 2,389 new cases between 14-21 Nov. Activities and events with over 10 people either indoors or outdoors suspended except for offices, medical facilities and COVID-19 testing locations. Residents banned from going out between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Government employees are not allowed to leave the province without approval, and cannot attend social events except for weddings and funerals confined within the family. Restaurants can operate between 4 a.m. and 7 p.m but can only provide takeaways. Local authorities plan to provide food stamps or other methods to enable residents to go shopping. Non-essential services are suspended. COVID-19 checkpoints erected in areas with "complicated" coronavirus situations. • Vinh Long recorded around 300 new cases between 12-21 Nov, mostly in hospitals. Restaurants can only provide takeaways, and entertainment activities are suspended

Hanoi is seeing a “staggeringly high” rate of virus transmission from close contacts, twice that recorded at the end of Oct

Restaurants in HCMC permitted to open until 10 pm on a trial phase until the end of Nov, with establishments in low and medium risk areas allowed to serve alcoholic drinks

HCMC administration ordered bars, discos, spas, massage parlors, and karaoke shops to close until further notice, barely two days after the Chairman signed a decision allowing said services to resume operation

Two river bus routes connecting District 7 with downtown District 1 have been proposed for HCMC to help revive the economy following the fourth COVID-19 wave. A private company will invest and operate the routes for five years, with expenses nearing $11.5 million USD

Vietnam Airlines has been voted one of the Vietnam Best Brands in YouGov’s 2021 rankings, coming in at 2nd place

Vietnam Airlines’ pilot flight with international tourists from Seoul to Danang arrived on 17 Nov. They will stay for 7 days in Quang Nam province, and will stay at the Hoiana Complex Resort. Quang Nam is scheduled to receive 100 international visitors on 18 Nov and 200 more on 25 Nov

Agritourism development to be included in the 2021-2025 National Target Programme on new-style rural area building, with 365 destinations in Vietnam deemed to have high potential for tourism development. Agritourism is expected to create jobs, improve income for rural people, and help speed up rural economic structure shifting, whilst preserving traditional culture values and protecting the environment

Vietnam’s daily cases have returned to their highest level for 8 weeks on Tue, with 10,250

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) launched “Live Fully in Vietnam”, a campaign aimed at international tourists

Kien Giang travel firm is partnering with a South Korean firm and proposes to bring 5,000 South Koreans to Phu Quoc island via charter flights from 20 Nov to 31 Mar ‘22 under the two-phase vaccine passport trial program. Tourists will depart from Incheon Airport and stay at least 3 nights in Phu Quoc

The northern province of Ninh Binh began welcoming local visitors on 15 Nov, though tourism sites remained quiet on the first day. The province will step up promotion and organise online tours to attract more visitors. Director of the provincial Department of Tourism stated that the opening will be done step by step, starting with local holiday-makers. Based on the situation, reopening will continue with visitors from other localities who take package tours, followed by tourists from outside Ninh Binh

The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre launched a programme offering tours to ‘green’ (safe) zones, welcoming local holiday-makers and visitors from other localities from 15 Nov to the end of 2021

12 more Hanoi hotels assigned as quarantine facilities, in addition to the 23 previously appointed hotels

Hai Duong province has begun the self-monitoring at home program for people with close contacts to COVID-19 patients. The houses of those quarantined under this program must have at least two rooms, with at least one separated from the family’s common living area

Decision signed by HCMC Chairman stated: • "Non-essential" businesses, including bars, cinemas, night clubs, spas, massage parlors, and karaoke parlors, can fully reopen in low-risk areas of HCMC, operate at half capacity in medium-risk areas, at 25% capacity in high-risk areas, and cannot resume operations in very high risk areas. All staff, customers and participants must be fully vaccinated with two doses or have recovered from Covid-19 within six months. • Bike ride-hailing services can operate at half capacity. • Street vendors can work in low-risk areas. Those working in medium-risk areas have to be fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19. They cannot work in high-risk areas

Agoda research has shown that: • 60% of Vietnamese respondents expect travel to resume in the next six months. • 52% of respondents aged 45-54 were optimistic about restriction-free travel within Asia compared to 38% among people aged 25-34. • 54% of respondents over age 55 were optimistic about global restriction-free travel, followed by people aged 45-54 at 45%. • 11% expected international visitors to be allowed to travel to Vietnam only after two years, though the government has announced that it would begin welcoming international visitors to certain destinations in Nov. • 27% believed full border reopening is likely by the end of 2021. • 20% expected border reopening to happen around Jun ‘22, while 19% expected it to be around Mar-Apr ‘22. • 20% did not expect inbound travel to resume fully until 80% of Vietnamese are vaccinated. • Hanoi respondents expect international visitation to be 7-11 months away • 20% of HCMC respondents expect international visitation to be 4-6 months away, while another 20% expect 7-11 month

Khanh Hoa Province declared COVID-19 risk as medium. Bars, dance clubs, karaoke and massage parlors to resume operations and entertainment businesses allowed to operate at half capacity. Conferences, seminars, cultural and art events, festivals, weddings, and religious activities allowed with up to 100 people at a time

2 charter flights to Hoi An will arrive on 17 and 18 Nov, with over 400 Americans. They will land at Chu Lai Airport, and stay at Hoiana Major Integrated Resort in Duy Xuyen District for 7 days. They will be permitted to visit Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary and some other attractions

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has said that Vietnamese airlines will operate 26 flights in Nov to transport international tourists to Kien Giang, Da Nang and Khanh Hoa. Vietnam Airlines will operate one flight on 17 Nov to Danang, Vietjet Air 250 pax from South Korea to Phu Quoc on 20 Nov, who will stay at the Vinpearl Resort & Spa Phu Quoc for a 3-day package. 24 other flights will operate to these three locations, with tourists from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand

2 charter flights to Nha Trang are the first to transport tourists into Vietnam since the borders closed. 429 arrived on 11 Nov from Seoul and Tokyo, and will stay at the Vinpearl Resort & Spa Long Beach

Hoi An will reopen its tourism activities from 15 Nov

Ba Ria-Vung Tau will develop 17 ecotourism routes from 2021-2030 under a new tourism development project at Con Dao National Park

Danang Tourism Promotion Centre has launched a virtual tours platform, “A virtual vacation in Danang”. In 2021’s Phase 1, it features the Marble Mountains, Da Nang beach, Son Tra Peninsula, Han River and Sun World Ba Na Hills. Phase 2 will see more destinations being added

An online survey by VNExpress has shown that 96% of tourism companies have suspended operations, with 85% seeing revenue drop by at least 50%, and 54% unsure of how long the situation will last. Their main challenges are paying salaries, bank loans, rents, utilities and insurance

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has reported that 9,294 tour guides have received total cash assistance of $1.5 million USD as of end Oct, and received applications from 10,762 tour guides. Those areas with large numbers of tour guides receiving assistance include Danang, Hanoi and HCMC

HCMC and Cuu Long have signed a tourism promotion agreement

Booking.com research has shown that: • 82% of Vietnamese travellers feel more hopeful about travelling again when it is safe • 29% are planning a solo trip • 87% of Vietnamese respondents said that local food is a decision factor for choosing a destination • 63% are seeking more rural, off the beaten path experiences

Kien Giang has reported that the number of domestic visitors to Phu Quoc has increased, with around 2,000 air passengers per day arriving, and 400 travelling by water

The Ministry of Transport has proposed a 3-stage resumption plan for international flights: 1. Phase 1 (Q1 2022) – Vietnamese nationals and international travellers from 15 territories can enter Vietnam without special permissions: China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, France, Germany, Russia, UK and Australia They would need to enter with a package which combined flights and quarantine fees, or under the pilot program for international travellers. There would be 4 flights weekly, with around 12,000 pax per week. Fully vaccinated pax would need to undergo a 7-day quarantine, unvaccinated 14 days. 2. Phase 2 (Q2 2022) – pax with vaccine passports could skip quarantine, and airlines would be permitted to restart routes according to demand, with 7 return flights per week per airline. Those with vaccine passports would need to self-isolate at home for 3-7 days 3. Phase 3 (Q3 2022) – regular commercial flights could be restarted

HCMC may reopen schools from 10 Dec

The Vietnam Railway Corporation will start selling its train tickets for the Tet period from 20 Jan-13 Feb from 15 Nov

The hospitality sector has seen -3.18% growth in Q3 2021. Vietnam’s overall unemployment rate in Q3 2021 was 3.98% vs Q3 2020’s 2.73%

HCMC has restarted its waterway tours to Can Gio district

The Deputy Minister of Tourism has signed a decision for guidelines on permitting international visitors. They will not be permitted to leave their group during the trip, and their tour must last at least 7 days. After 7 days, they will need to register with travel agents who will aid them in making further arrangements to extend their stay, and take an RT-PCR test if they wish to travel to other destinations. They must also have travel insurance worth at least $50,000 USD

17 hotels and 7 entertainment centres will join the “COVID-19 Vaccination Passport” scheme in Phu Quoc

HCMC wants to welcome international vaccinated tourists without quarantine from Dec, with a 3-phase plan, earlier than previously proposed: 1. Dec: tourists must book a tour package with approved travel agencies, and arrive by flight or cruise ship, staying in designated hotels and resorts 2. Jan onwards: tourists can visit Kien Giang, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Quang Ninh after 7 days in HCMC 3. TBA: city to fully reopen to international tourists

Indonesia is looking at establishing Vaccine Travel Lanes with 6 ASEAN countries: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore