Quang Ninh to welcome foreign tourists with vaccine passport next month

By Hoang Phong December 22, 2021 | 04:40 pm PT

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province is seen from above. Photo by Shutterstock/Jimmy Tran

Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam is scheduled to welcome a group of South Korean tourists on January 7 under a vaccine passport trial program.

This would be the first foreign tourists visiting the province, home to world heritage site Ha Long Bay, since the country partially reopened its borders to tourists last month, the government's portal reported.

The South Korean tourists would arrive by a charter flight and land at Van Don International Airport. They would visit the Tuan Chau International Tourist Area, known for its high-end entertainment complexes, and enjoy an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay.

Quang Ninh is one of five localities to get the green light from the government to welcome back fully immunized tourists from November onwards, alongside Kien Giang, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa and Da Nang.

All foreign guests need to furnish certificates showing they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid and tested negative for the novel coronavirus within 72 hours before departure.

They are required to install the IGOVN and PC-Covid health declaration applications on their smartphones while in Vietnam.

Since the country reopened to foreign tourists in mid-November, over 1,100 visitors had landed on charter flights as of Dec. 6. The tourism industry is expecting to receive 15,000 visitors this month.