Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang will be the first destination to welcome foreign tourists under a trial vaccine passport program that will be expanded later to other famous hotspots like the towns of Ha Long, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Da Lat, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The ministry said it would create favorable conditions for domestic and international tourists with vaccination certificates in line with international recognition standards to travel to these destinations. It would also work with relevant agencies to push ahead mass vaccination for residents and tourism workers to reach herd immunity.
Vietnam’s authorities are working to soon implement a ‘vaccine passport’ program and adjust entry and exit regulations to facilitate foreign entries into the country, following the first flight applying the model, bringing fully vaccinated arrivals from Japan, said the deputy foreign ministry spokesperson Doan Khac Viet.
Also read: Vietnam welcomes the first 300 fully vaccinated international arrivals
Earlier this week, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had ordered a pilot program to attract international tourists to the southern island of Phu Quoc from now until the end of the year, expecting 2-3 million arrivals.
Phu Quoc island plans to trial a six-month vaccine passport program from October, and hopes to receive 40,000 foreign tourists during the period.
Vietnam’s Phu Quoc is home to the world’s longest sea cable car route. @Shutterstock
Vietnam recorded a 79 percent decline year-on-year in the number of foreign visitors in 2020 due to travel restrictions amid the pandemic. The nation welcomed just 3.83 million foreign visitors against a record 18 million in 2019, according to official data.
The country has closed national borders and canceled all international flights since March, 202o. Only Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts and highly-skilled workers are allowed in with stringent conditions, according to VNExpress.