Vietnam officially opened all regular international flights on 15 February after nearly two years of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The demand for workers is increasing in the tourism sector as Vietnam prepares for full tourism reopening from March 15. However, it’s very difficult to recruit workers at this time.

The tourism industry now has a golden opportunity as the Government has agreed on reopening. However, it needs to prepare well or it will miss the opportunity.

Vietnam expects to receive this year 10-30 percent of the number of travelers in 2019. The tourism industry will fully recover by 2024.

The local tourism industry has a golden opportunity to reopen for international tourists on March 15, after a two-year border closure due to the pandemic.

They hope to welcome a sizable number of international tourists this summer.

A number of travel firms in HCMC have resumed outbound tours after the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) announced the removal of restrictions on air passenger transport.

The Ministry of Transport has asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to coordinate with airlines to deal with the airline tickets that are so overpriced in peak periods during Tet holidays.

Foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese returning home can take regular commercial flights from now to March 15 when Vietnam fully reopens tourism activities, instead of charter flights as previously.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to complete plans on tourism resumption and devise a policy on visas for foreign tourists.

The Vietnamese Government has granted approval to a proposal put forward by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to reopen the country’s borders to international travel on March 15.

A meeting was held on February 15 to discuss the plan to reopen tourism activities in the context of safe, flexible adaptation to and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam in the chair.

An array of historical and cultural sites across Hanoi, including Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) and Hoa Lo Prison (Maison Centrale) will reopen to visitors as of February 15.

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 local authorities.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has proposed the Government resumes pre-pandemic waivers of visas for tourists from 24 countries when the country restarts international tourism.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has recently tasked the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to work with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to promptly announce a new roadmap on reopening of tourism market.

About 6.2 million people traveled during the nine-day Tet holiday, according to VNAT. But most were independent tourists who did not buy tours from travel firms.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked relevant agencies to prepare for the full reopening of the tourism sector at the earliest possibility, probably on March 30 and no later than April 30.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung has just submitted a proposed plan to the Government for reopening international tourism in safe and effective manner.

After several provinces welcomed back foreign tourists on a trial basis in late November 2021, Vietnam has seen 8,500 foreign arrivals as of January 23.