Quang Ninh to welcome foreign visitors back in January

Quang Ninh has issued guidelines for safely serving international tourists as the northern coastal province is set to welcome the first group of foreign visitors in January 2022 after months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province is among five destinations in Vietnam, including Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Quang Nam and Da Nang, re-opening to foreign tourists under a pilot scheme. It plans to give priority to promising markets, such as China, Japan, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Quang Ninh has issued a temporary set of safety standards for tourists, providing 24 compulsory and 11 recommended criteria. Member companies of the Quang Ninh Tourism Association have also set their own safety guidelines which specifically require guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with two doses and test negative with the virus.

Director of Vietfood Travel Hanoi Pham Duy Nghia said at a tourism seminar recently held by the province that his firm plans to arrange a charter flight to fly international tourists directly to Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh. From there, the tourists can embark on package tours lasting up to seven days and six nights to Ha Long city and its iconic Ha Long Bay.

Le Trong Thanh, Deputy General Director of Tung Lam Development JSC – the service provider at Yen Tu Complex of Monuments and Landscapes in Quang Ninh’s Uong Bi, said the company has been focusing on training its staff on COVID-19 safety rules.

Tourists are no longer in favour of travelling with a large group like before the pandemic, said Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu, so tourism authorities are promoting small-group and family holiday tours. "Less-touch" travel with sustainable use of natural resources is the current trends, he added.