Vietnam eyes full reopening to tourists from next month
[HANOI] Vietnam's tourism ministry on Tuesday (Feb 15) proposed a full reopening of the country to foreign visitors and a lifting of nearly all travel restrictions from March 15, 3 months earlier than planned.
The proposal, which will be submitted to the prime minister for approval, follows similar reopening steps taken by other South-east Asian countries like Thailand and the Philippines, where the Omicron Covid-19 variant has caused a recent spike in new infections, but fewer hospitalisations and deaths than previous variants.
The proposal includes maintaining a one-day quarantine requirement for visitors plus requiring negative Covid-19 tests before departure and on arrival.
Vietnam announced a record 31,814 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, adding to the more than 2.54 million infections so far.
It has recorded about 39,000 deaths overall.
It imposed among the world's strictest border controls 2 years ago as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Asean Business
Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies.
It saw some initial success in keeping the virus out, but the policy dealt a blow to its burgeoning tourism sector, which accounted for about 10 per cent of gross domestic product in 2019.
Foreign arrivals fell to 157,000 last year, compared with 18 million in 2019.
Vietnam has since November allowed foreign tourists to visit designated places under a vaccine passport programme and had originally aimed to fully reopen the industry from June.
Nearly 77 per cent of its 98 million population has been vaccinated, according to official data, one of the region's highest rates. REUTERS
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Asean
Indonesia central bank says no outright RRR cut as it expands loan incentive scheme
Indonesia inflation drops to 2.84% in May, lower than expected
Freeport Indonesia says yet to receive copper concentrate export permit extension
Philippines and Vietnam’s robust Q1 growth leaves Thailand in the dust
Sembcorp Development adds three industrial parks to its Vietnam portfolio
Vietnam’s Vinfast plans six dealerships in Philippine foray