Domestic tourists excited to return to Mui Ne

Tran Thi Thao Trang and three family members drove their car to the resort town for a three-day stay at Pandanus Mui Ne Resort on Sunday morning.

They were tested at the resort for coronavirus and all tested negative.

Trang and her family were among 145 tourists to visit Mui Ne, a south central town famous for its beaches, fishing villages and water sports.

She said when she heard a few days ago that Binh Thuan had reopened, she booked a room at the resort since all her family members, except for her one-year-old son, had got two Covid shots.

"After nearly six months of being stuck in Saigon ... now that I can come here to relax, I feel refreshed."

Tran Thi Thao Trang's family from HCMC arrive at Pandanus Mui Ne Resort in Phan Thiet Town, October 24, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Viet Quoc

Do Thi My Hanh, deputy director of Pandanus Mui Ne Resort, said all the resort's employees are fully vaccinated and have been working hard to clean rooms and prepare to welcome back the first guests.

"The resort has 257 rooms that can accommodate more than 600 guests, but on Sunday we only took in 40 guests to comply with pandemic prevention measures. Despite the relatively small numbers, all the staff were excited that tourism activities had resumed."

Also on Sunday 105 people from HCMC arrived at the Centara Mirage Resort next to Mui Ne fishing village.

Nguyen Van Khoa, chairman of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association, said local tourist operators would focus on visitors from HCMC and southeastern provinces.

If the pandemic situation is better controlled, Binh Thuan would welcome visitors from Russia and Northeast Asian countries in the first quarter of next year, he said.

Most tourist facilities in Binh Thuan remained closed during the last five months as nearby localities HCMC and Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces became Covid hotspots.

To visit Mui Ne, tourists need to be fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid. Those aged under 18 must furnish a negative Covid test certificate obtained within 48 hours before arrival.