Phu Quoc Island District in the southern province of Kien Giang has just received the first group of foreign visitors after nearly two years of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A group of 204 tourists from the Republic of Korea landed on the island on November 20
A group of 204 tourists from the Republic of Korea landed on the island on November 20 on a four-day package tour which will be piloted until the end of this year.
Speaking at a welcome ceremony, Director General of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration Nguyen Trung Khanh described the event as an important milestone marking a new step in the efforts to restore the tourism industry.
The foreign visitors will be accommodated at an exclusive facility and follow a special programme to keep them away from the community and activities of other tourists. They were given Covid-19 testing upon arrival and will take the second test on the last day of their stay.
Phu Quoc is expected to welcome up to 400,000 visitors, both Vietnamese and foreign, from now to the end of this year.
The Vietnamese government has allowed five localities including Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Da Nang, and Quang Ninh to welcome back foreign tourists from November 1 after a long suspension due to Covid-19.
Under the ministry's pilot plan which was approved by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on November 2, foreign travellers coming to these five places are required to be fully vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with the last dose to be given at least 14 days and not more than 12 months from the time of entry.
The vaccination certificate must be issued by a competent authority in the country where the vaccine is administered. The vaccine must be approved for use by either the World Health Organisation, the US Centres for Disease Control, or the European Medicines Agency of the Ministry of Health.
They also need to test negative for Covid-19, using the RT-PCR method or rapid tests within 72 hours before their arrival.
In addition, they must have medical or travel insurance and participate in package tours offered by the travel agency.
