HCMC wants to allow foreign tourists without quarantine from December

The city Department of Tourism has drafted a plan for a three-phase vaccine passport program for tourists from Europe, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Australia, North America, and the Middle East from later this year instead of early next year as previously planned.

In the first phase starting December, tourists who are required to book a tour package with approved travel agencies will arrive by flight or cruise ships and stay at designated hotels and resorts.

In the second phase from January, tourists can visit Kien Giang, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Quang Ninh after completing a seven-day itinerary in HCMC.

In the third phase, the schedule for which has not been disclosed, the city will fully reopen to international tourism.

Earlier tourism authorities had said this year the focus would be on reviving domestic tourism and the city would only consider receiving foreign tourists from next year.

The city received over 8.6 million foreign visitors in 2019.

In the first nine months of this year it received 7.7 million domestic tourists.

Quang Nam, Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, and Quang Ninh provinces and Da Nang City have got approval from the government to allow in foreign tourists from November as part of a roadmap to gradually resume international tourism.

The government closed the borders and canceled all international flights in March last year.

Since then only Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts and skilled workers have been allowed in with stringent conditions.