More tourism areas allow in domestic visitors with safeguards

Le Ngoc Tuong, deputy director of the Quang Nam's Department of Tourism, earlier this week announced a four-phase tourism reopening plan based on vaccine coverage and the pandemic situation.

In the first phase from later this month to next month, the province, home to UNESCO heritage site Hoi An, will allow the tourists from nearby localities with low and medium levels of Covid risk.

In the second phase from early December, with all tourism workers fully vaccinated, the province will also allow visitors from localities with high risk.

But tourists will need to book package tours with a designated travel agency.

In the third phase from early next year the requirement for booking package tours will go.

Subsequently Quang Nam will reopen its doors to fully immunized foreign tourists if it receives approval from the government.

The south-central province of Binh Thuan, home to beach resort town Mui Ne, reopened to domestic tourists last Sunday.

They 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.

Authorities in Kien Giang Province, home to Phu Quoc Island, will, from November 1, welcome back fully vaccinated domestic tourists from localities with low and medium Covid risk.

Visitors are encouraged to book tour packages and comply with pandemic prevention measures. They will be allowed to visit amusement and other tourist destinations in Phu Quoc, Ha Tien, Rach Gia, and Kien Hai.

A government directive on assessing the pandemic risk in a locality has two primary criteria: the rate of people aged 18 and more who have been vaccinated and the number of new cases per 100,000 people in a week.

Based on these, areas are classified as very high, high, medium, or low risk.

All 63 cities and provinces in the country have announced their risk levels. Quang Nam and Kien Giang are at medium while Binh Thuan is low.

With the pandemic more or less under control, some tourist hotspots eased social distancing requirements in October and resumed tourism.

Under its latest guidelines, the tourism ministry has exempted fully immunized domestic tourists from Covid tests except those with symptoms or coming from high-risk areas.