Double-decker bus runs in downtown Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi will focus on serving domestic visitors with COVID-19 preventive rules remaining in place during the first stage of its tourism recovery roadmap from 2022 – 2023, recently released by the municipal People’s Committee.

According to the roadmap, the first stage runs throughout the first half of 2022. During the stage, the scale of all tourism activities must be decided based on the level of COVID-19 risk in certain areas. The city is viewing the domestic market as the main driver of growth and recovery.

All restrictions are expected to be lifted in the second phase in the third quarter of the year. Hanoi will welcome back foreign tourists in accordance with the government’s border reopening roadmap. The city plans to pay heed to major markets with relatively high vaccine coverage and effective virus control, once foreign tourists are allowed to re-enter Vietnam.

The local tourism department is requested to build uniform guidelines and regulations on tourism activities and implement measures to boost the sustainable development of the industry in Hanoi.

Hanoi tourism sees good recovery signs

The high number of tourists flocking to Hanoi in the Lunar New Year (Tet) holidays brought high hope for the capital city’s tourism sector in 2022.

In the seven days of the holiday, Hanoi welcomed over 105,000 visitors with all local tourist destinations and entertainment centres such as museums, parks, ecotourism sites and resorts recording rise in the quantity.

Bao Son Paradise Park, a complex of zoo, pool, amusement park, and aquarium, served nearly 20,000 visitors, while the Ba Vi National Park also received about 25,000 tourists.

In order to adapt to the new situation, Hanoi has allowed the reopening of museums, parks, ecotourism sites, resorts and cinemas, as well as relic sites. From February 16, Huong Pagoda, a popular spiritual tourist site, will open, which is expected to help promote festival tourism, one of the strengths of the city tourism in festive season during the first months of the year.

Amid the rising demand of tourists, many firms have geared up themselves with diverse products. Pham Van Bay, Vice Director of Vietravel’s Hanoi branch, said that the firm has built 1-3 day tours for visitors in Hanoi, while offering attractive promotion programmes to customers.

Nguyen Tien Dat, General Director of AZA Travel, held that the demand for travel will surge in March and April. Apart from destinations in Hanoi, tourists often choose nearby destinations such as Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam and northwestern mountainous sites such as Sa Pa, Moc Chau, Mai Chau and Ha Giang, or warm beaches in Phu Quoc, Phan Thiet, Vung Tau and Nha Trang. Dat asserted that this year, the tourism sector will recover and regain its growth speed.

The Hanoi Tourism Department has worked with relevant agencies, airlines and travel firms to prepare necessary conditions for the reopening, recovery and development of the tourism sector. In the first stage, local firms will focus on domestic visitors before turning to foreign tourists.

This year, Hanoi will focus on developing the domestic tourism market, taking it as the motivation for its recovery, while exploiting the international market in a certain roadmap.

In 2022, Hanoi expects 9-10 million visitors, including 1.2-2 million foreigners.

Source: VNA

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