A programme calling on Vietnamese citizens to travel to domestic tourism attractions has been launched by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as part of efforts to stimulate domestic tourism as social distancing measures are eased.
Tourists swimming at Hon Chong Beach in Nha Trang City on May 4. — VNA/VNS Photo Tien Minh
The main tasks of the Vietnamese People Travel in Viet Nam programme include promoting communication activities and attractive tourism destinations among domestic tourists; reopening tourism sites, ensuring safety for tourists and the conditions to welcome them back.
In addition, the tourism sector is urged to introduce quality tourism product and service packages at reasonable prices, along with incentives and commitments of service providers.
According to the plan, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will coordinate with localities and stakeholders to launch the programme in a number of key tourist areas. At the same time, the ministry will also coordinate with localities, businesses and airlines to build attractive stimulus packages to attract domestic tourists.
Local tourism management agencies will offer advice to the provincial People’s Committees in launching the programme. They will also be required to provide extensive information about the re-opening of tourist attractions, the safety and conditions to welcome back the tourists, in addition to developing regulations on ensuring the safety for tourism activities, tourists, local labourers and communities.
The expense for the implementation of the programme is extracted from the programmes of tourism promotion and development conducted by localities and businesses. The Vietnamese People Travel in Viet Nam programme will be extended from June 1 to December 31, 2020.
According to Nguyen Tien Dat, the director of AZA Travel Company, domestic tourism is the only resort for Vietnamese airlines and travel agencies when both outbound and inbound travel is far from recovering.
Vietnamese people used to travel abroad but now is a golden time to encourage them to travel to domestic destinations, Dat added.
At the online conference between the Prime Minister and tourism businesses on May 9, Viettravel General Director Nguyen Quoc Ky said that it was necessary to focus on the domestic tourism market to attract domestic tourists and maintain personnel for the tourism industry. At the same time, tourism businesses and organisations should be encouraged to respond to the stimulus programme to jointly restore the market.