Leaders of Thua Thien-Hue, Danang and Quang Nam sign cooperation agreements under the witness of businesspeople at the event held in Hue City on May 30 - PHOTO: NHAN TAM

“Cooperation is a vital issue for tourism recovery,” said Phan Ngoc Tho, Chairman of Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee, adding that according to the forecast from now until the end of 2020, domestic tourists will account for 95% of total visitors in Vietnam.

From this forecast as well as recent surveys and assessments, many solutions have been proposed, focusing on how to stimulate domestic tourism demand, to make domestic tourism compensate for the serious decrease in international tourist arrivals, to reduce losses for businesses and to create jobs.

Sharing the same view, Le Trung Chinh, Vice Chairman of Danang People’s Committee, said the “Three localities - One destination” idea is expected to create a strong effect, providing travelers with many attractive and high quality tourism products and services at reasonable prices.

“To make the cooperation come into effect, I propose that the three local tourism associations as well as business should pay attention to the quality of services and upgrade tourism products to suit the needs of travelers apart from re-training tourism human resources and improving tourist sites”, Chinh said.

Meanwhile, Tran Van Tan, Vice Chairman of Quang Nam People's Committee, said last year the three central localities welcomed a combined 20 million tourists, including 10 million international arrivals. Therefore, the gradual recovery of this market is very important. A good cooperation between the three localities will pave the way for the recovery.

At the function, Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Director of Thua Thien-Hue Tourism Department, released some information about the cooperation. 

Accordingly, leaders of the three localities create the most favorable policies to effectively implement the tourism stimulation program with the message “Safe, hospitable Thua Thien-Hue, Danang and Quang Nam destinations.” The three localities are together committed to being a safe and hospitable tourist destination that meets the criteria of safety for tourists, having good incentive policies for travelers and businesses.

Also at the event, representatives of the three local tourism associations signed cooperation agreements with each other, as well as with a number of large companies such as Vietravel, VietjetAir, Sun Group, and Muong Thanh among others to offer stimulus packages.

Mekong Delta provinces discuss post-Covid-19 tourism strategy

To boost domestic tourism after the coronavirus pandemic ends, a program to offer promotional tourism products and enhance the quality of services provided in the Mekong Delta will take place from June 1 to December this year, as part of the joint efforts of 13 provinces in the delta.

The program was announced at a conference to discuss major steps to be taken to fuel the recovery of tourism held by the Mekong Delta Tourism Association on May 29 in Can Tho City.

At the event, representatives of travel units in the 13 provinces approved a list of 100 tourism service providers and operators of lodging facilities who have pledged to offer discounts of 5-20% under the program to boost tourism.

Tran Huu Hiep, vice president of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, said that the program is aimed at attracting local tourists from other localities to visit the delta, eventually paving the way for further measures to be undertaken to restore the international segment.

He noted that the association would continue to encourage more tour operators to join the program and enhance tourism between localities, travel firms and tourism organizations.

It will prioritize cooperation with HCMC and select Can Tho, Kien Giang and Bac Lieu as major areas to execute the program. It will also call on reputed travel businesses to participate.

Nguyen Khanh Tung, director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Can Tho, stated that the Mekong Delta city has worked out a long-term plan to initiate the recovery of tourism in coordination with HCMC.

Tung also suggested organizing various tours—Hanoi-Can Tho-Kien Giang-Phu Quoc, Hanoi-Can Tho-Con Dao and Can Tho-Hau Giang—in cooperation with other localities outside the delta.

The director remarked that a high-speed boat service connecting Can Tho with Con Dao in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and tour services on the Victoria Mekong yacht between Can Tho and Chau Doc will be launched on July 1, in addition to new travel services set to be rolled out in early May at community tourism and ecotourism sites.

As for travel businesses, Le Dinh Minh Thy, director of Vietravel’s Mekong Delta branch, said her company intends to offer safe tourism activities preferred by visitors such as island and beach tours or tours to the airy countryside in the delta.

Vietravel will also team up with localities to offer interprovincial or tailor-made tours to families and young travelers. The firm will boost tourism by keeping tour prices unchanged and enhancing the quality of services.

According to Dang Minh Viet, head representative of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines in Can Tho, the carrier resumed services on domestic routes linking Can Tho with Hanoi and Danang from April 17 and offers attractive airfares. It will reopen more domestic routes from June 2 to encourage local tourists to travel. SGT