The Hanoi People's Committee has issued a plan aimed at reopening tourism activities and welcoming back international guests in line with the new normal conditions as the country strives to move past the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hanoi aims to welcome 12 million to 14 million visitors by 2023 (Photo: congthuong.vn)
According to Nguyen Manh Quyen, vice chairman of the municipal People's Committee, Hanoi aims to promote its image as a safe and attractive destination, especially as it is playing host to the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) in May.
The capital will actively strive to attract tourists in key markets that have competently controlled the spread of COVID-19, including the European Union, ASEAN, India, the Republic Korea, Japan, China, Australia, the United States, and Canada. It will seek to expand to other markets on the actual situation.
The city will also actively co-ordinate with Vietnamese diplomatic missions and trade offices abroad, as well as international organisations, to strengthen investment, trade, and tourism promotion activities.
Simultaneously, Hanoi will co-operate alongside other key localities across the country in order to develop tourism programmes to attract a greater number of international tourists.
Quyen requested local tour operators to actively develop COVID-19 prevention and control plans, establish a quick response team to promptly address new problems which may arise, and prepare medical facilities to serve foreign guests infected by the virus.
To meet the demand of international tourists, Hanoi will primarily focus on improving the overall quality of destinations and creating high-quality tourism products. It will ask districts that have tourism potential to build community tourism models towards green tourism, as well as tourist destinations associated with local heritage-relics or craft villages.
Hanoi will also develop night tourism products and design new pedestrian zones around the old fortress citadel in Son Tay, Thien Quang Lake, and in Hai Ba Trung district.
The capital city welcomed 2.8 million domestic tourists during the first quarter, up 45.3% year on year. It plans to receive nine to 10 million visitors, including 1.2 to two million international visitors, this year.
By 2023, Hanoi aims to welcome 12 million to 14 million visitors, including 2.5 million to 3.5 million international visitors.
