9:49:44 AM | 7/13/2020
As international routes have not been reopened, domestic tourism has become a key market for all inbound, outbound and domestic travel companies. Localities have simultaneously responded to the national stimulus program to attract domestic tourists.
Mr. Ngo Hoai Chung, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said, after being in lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam tourism has restarted. In order to restart tourism, the VNAT has cooperated with relevant agencies and businesses to organize various conferences to launch the domestic tourism stimulus program in response to the program initiated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. He said the program “Vietnamese people travel Vietnam, travel more, love the country more” introduced by the VNAT has strongly increased domestic tourists to 35 million in 2015 and 85 million in 2019. This confirms the very important role of the domestic tourism industry and the entire national economy. “Now, once again, domestic tourism has become a fulcrum for Vietnam tourism to recover,” he emphasized.
Defining that domestic tourism is a key drive of development after the Covid-19 outbreak, all localities have reopened tourist destinations and provided services to promote their own advantages in the stimulus program. At the forefront of this activity, the Vietnam Tourism Association has cooperated with Vietnam Airlines Corporation to introduce a national tourism stimulus program in 2020, implemented in two stages.
Can Tho City and the Mekong Delta debuted the national tourism stimulus program. This is also the starting point for restoring business operations of tourism firms across the country after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Particularly, the Phu Yen Tourism Association and the Gia Lai Tourism Association have signed a cooperation agreement to stimulate domestic tourism to unlock locally unique advantages and strengths in 2020.
At a conference on tourism stimulation in the Southeast region (based on the framework conference on Southeast tourism development connectivity organized by Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Tay Ninh Province in late June), representatives of the Southeast provinces and cities introduced their new destinations, tourism products and stimulus policies in 2020, investment attraction policies and local tourism development programs to strengthen information and connectivity among companies. Accordingly, nine travel businesses in Ho Chi Minh City signed cooperation agreements to develop tourism stimulus products with 20 local service providers who will have preferential policies on prices till the end of 2020 to build regionally linked quality tourism products with attractive prices to stimulate domestic tourism demand.
Vinh Long is focusing on the program “Vietnamese people travel Vietnam” in the province to strongly engage tourism businesses to stimulate domestic tourism demand, facilitating people to travel to places of interest in the province, in the region and throughout the country.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the conference to domestic tourism stimulus was officially launched in June 2020 and will last until the end of 2020 with nearly 260 tour programs and 280,000 preferential tickets, with discounts ranging 10-70%.
Like other localities across the country, Hanoi has introduced many action programs, touristic facilities and local businesses with many plans to stimulate domestic tourism. Accordingly, the Hanoi People's Committee has assigned the Department of Culture and Sports; the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion; and relevant agencies to stimulate tourism demand by organizing cultural festivals, introducing historical and cultural relics in Hanoi such as the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, Ngoc Son Temple, Thang Long Quartet, Huong Pagoda, Thay Pagoda, Ly Thai To Flower Garden and walking zones around Hoan Kiem Lake and its vicinity.
Vice President of UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club Truong Quoc Hung said, in response to the appeal, many businesses and destinations have actively launched stimulus programs to attract tourists. Tourism facilities have gradually built new tourism products, introduced promotion and discount packages, discounted room rates, admission tickets and tour expenses; boosted tourism marketing on websites, social networking channels to attract tourists.
By Giang Tu, Vietnam Business Forum