Hanoi (VNA) - ⛦Airlines have created a lever to increase the number of domestic tourists with a range of tourism stimulus programmes and ticket discounts.

Two months after the “Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam” campaign was launched, domestic tourism has recovered thanks to Vietnamese airlines.

Stimulating the domestic market

The tourism sector is projected to suffer from big losses this year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and border closure to international tourists. However, the switch to the domestic market together with the efforts of various ministries, sectors, localities and businesses, has brought in fruitful results. Statistics of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) showed that two months of the “Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam” campaign was launched, domestic tourism recovered significantly. Occupancy rates surged 50-60 percent on weekdays and 80-90 percent on weekends. Domestic holidaymakers reached 7 million in June, recording a 2.3-fold increase compared to the previous month. US-based Skift travel new site noted that Vietnam’s tourism sector has risen higher after the pandemic, surpassing Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Bloomberg News said that Vietnam has escaped the COVID-19 tourism trap, becoming a special case in the whole world for re-opening the domestic market and quick recovery. Reuters also ran an article stating that Vietnam and New Zealand are among the two countries that successfully brought COVID-19 under control but Vietnam is doing better in tourism recovery. If New Zealand expected the return of foreign visitors, Vietnam worked quickly in rolling out stimulus programmes for domestic ones, it continued.  

Aviation sector creates lever to increase tourists

Regarding the recovery of Vietnam’s tourism, it is inevitable to mention the role of the aviation sector. Vietnamese airlines have created a lever which contributes to a surge in the number of domestic tourists with a range of tourism stimulus programmes and ticket discounts. Budget carrier Vietjet Air alone has signed various tourism promotion agreements with localities such as Hanoi, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa. It also joined hands with Facebook to launch a stimulus programme. The airline and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism also signed a memorandum of understanding on tourism promotions for the 2019-2021 and actively joined in the current “Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam” campaign. Travelling by air is common in Vietnam, Reuters noted. As a result, Vietnamese airlines have opened new air routes and a host of promotions to bolster tourism. Aviation Voice news site affirmed that Vietnam’s tourism sector has recovered, owing to efforts of the Government, domestic airlines and the tourism sector itself in introducing stimulus packages. It added that ticket discounts of carriers like Vietjet Air have attracted a large number of holidaymakers, which helped them recover to full capacity in the domestic routes. Based on the situation of the market and reports of travel companies, domestic tourist arrivals are projected to go up in the remaining months of 2020. If more incentives are to be introduced in the post-pandemic period, airlines will further contribute to the recovery of the tourism sector and economic growth this year. The COVID-19 pandemic brought down the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam to close to 3.7 million in the first half of 2020, a 57 percent decline year-on-year. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, domestic tourists also fell in number, by nearly 50 percent, to 23 million. Average occupancy at lodging facilities was about 20 percent. Tourism revenue was estimated to have tumbled 48 percent year-on-year to 176.8 trillion VND (7.6 billion USD). To give the sector a much-needed boost, at the beginning of May, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched the “Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam” campaign, which has been very much welcomed by localities and companies around the country./.