Hanoi (VNA) – Although the domestic tourismis bouncing back, travel agencies still emphasise the need to open border fortourists from certain countries to reboot the industry.

A representative from the Ho Chi Minh City TourismAssociation said the implementation of “COVID-19 vaccine passport” would make astep forward in tourism recovery.

Tour operators have suggested piloting the reopeningin easy-to-control and remote areas, launching charter flights to take touriststo certain sites while limiting travelling to various destinations, and administeringCOVID-19 vaccines to employees there.

Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, Deputy Director General ofVietravel, said while the Government is weighing on the matter, Vietnam needsto promote its image as a safe destination that is ready to welcomeinternational holidaymakers back.

McKinsey & Company, a global management consultingfirm, said Vietnam’s tourism sector relies heavily on international travel,which plunged last year. International flights dropped 80 percent in October2020 from the same time period a year earlier.

The sharp drop in foreign travelers has had an outsizeimpact on tourism expenditures—and Vietnam’s overall economy—because they spendsignificantly more than their local counterparts.

In 2019, a year in which the tourism industryaccounted for 12 percent of the country’s GDP, international travelers made uponly 17 percent of overall tourists in Vietnam, yet accounted for more thanhalf of all tourism spending - averaging 673 USD per traveler compared with 61USD spent on average by domestic travelers.

According to the firm, the majority of Vietnam’sinternational tourists come from Asia, with those from China, Japan, theRepublic of Korea (RoK), and Taiwan accounting for around 80 percent ofVietnam’s foreign tourism spending.

Vietnam’s strong economic ties with these countriescould lead to a relatively fast tourism-industry recovery compared with otherkey tourist destinations in Europe and North America, it said.

Domestic tourism has shown clear signs of recovery. TranTrong Kien, Chairman of the National Tourism Advisory Board, cited a latestsurvey as saying that more than 83 percent of Vietnamese said they are ready totravel in the next seven months, especially during the summer holiday, and morethan 72 percent chose air travel. 

To ensure a safe trip for guests, travel companiesaffirm that they are implementing anti-pandemic regulations of the Ministry ofHealth for the tourism sector./.