Vietnam officially reopens to tourism under the new normal conditions. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this is the right time to attract international tourists.
Up to now, Vietnam has hit 80 percent of population vaccinated against COVID-19 with the 3rd dose, ensuring herd immunity. Missing this moment, the attractiveness of Vietnam’s tourism to international visitors might be decreased since many neighboring countries in the region have planned to open their borders in advance.
Especially, the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) is going to take place in Vietnam next month. The opening of international tourism activities will be a contributing factor in increasing the attraction for tourists from countries in the ASEAN region.
Previously, considering the proposal of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the reopening tourism activities in parallel with ensuring safety and efficiency under new normal conditions, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam assigned the Ministry of Health to urgently amend regulations and requirements for tourists to suit the new situation according to the spirit of guidance in Resolution 25/NQ-CP dated March 7, 2022; send to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism before March 15 to summarize, complete and announce the plan to reopen tourism activities under new normal conditions in the spirit of “safe, flexible adaption and effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic”.
The Deputy Prime Minister also requested the ministries, branches and localities, according to their assigned functions, tasks and competence, to actively coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in organizing tourism activities along with ensuring safety, efficiency and convenient for visitors.
One of the main tasks assigned by the Government to the Ministry of Health in Resolution 25/NQ-CP is to preside and coordinate with ministries, branches and localities in urgently finalizing the draft Decree detailing a number of articles of Resolution No. 12/2021/UBTVQH15 dated December 30, 2021 of the National Assembly Standing Committee on implementing some mechanisms and policies in the health sector to serve the preventing and controlling COVID-19 epidemic; submit to the Government for consideration and promulgation in March 2022; promptly receive vaccines and implement vaccinations for children from 5 to under 12 years old; focus on researching and advising on the 4th dose of COVID-19 vaccine, ensuring rationality, safety and effectiveness.
The Government also assigned the Ministry of Health to review and re-evaluate standard services as well as regulations on managing medical staff who execute SARS-CoV-2 tests and people who have close contacts with testers to promptly implement adjustments due to the practical situation; accurately assess the epidemic spread, refer to international experiences, from which to take appropriate and effective measures to progress to normalization, considering COVID-19 as a common endemic disease; immediately amend the regulations and requirements for tourists to suit the new situation according to the unified content at the meeting on February 15, 2022 and the direction of the Prime Minister at Information Newspaper No. 43 / TB-VPCP on February 16, 2022.
