Vietnam welcomes first foreign tourists after two years of border closures

This was the first group of foreign tourists visiting Vietnam after nearly two years since the country closed its borders and canceled all international flights in March last year due to the pandemic.

The passengers, citizens of Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, the U.S., and the U.K., boarded a Vietnam Airlines flight departing from Incheon Airport.

They came to Vietnam for tourism activities and visiting relatives.

Upon their arrival, they were required to make health declaration and transferred to New World Hoiana Resort in Duy Xuyen District in Quang Nam Province that borders Da Nang to stay there for seven nights.

While staying at the resort, they can enjoy beaches, use services at two restaurants and a casino. They can visit UNESCO heritage sites Hoi An ancient town and My Son Sanctuary and other attractions.

After completing the tour package, some tourists will fly home while others stay in Vietnam to visit relatives.

Quang Nam is scheduled to welcome another 300 international passengers on two flights on November 18 and 25.

To be eligible for visiting Vietnam, all tourists 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 from South Korea.

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

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

209 South Korean tourists are expected to arrive in Kien Giang's Phu Quoc Island on Saturday.