Hanoi (VNA) - As the resurgenceof COVID-19 in Vietnam has been basically brought under control, the tourismsector in the capital city of Hanoi has been swiftly making plans to attractvisitors again and gradually return to previous levels of growth.

This time of year is Hanoi’s peak for tourism,with surging numbers of both domestic and foreign travellers.

This year, though, the situation is different.

The capital attracted just 6.29 million visitorsin the first eight months of this year, tumbling 67.3 percent year-on-year,with international arrivals down 75.6 percent to just 1.02 million. Suchfigures have resulted in a large number of local travel companies suspendingoperations while many hotels have shut their doors.

With this latest outbreak being contained, industryinsiders now look forward to improved business performance.

There are only two weeks left before Hanoibegins a wide range of large-scale activities to celebrate 1,010 years since itwas established as Vietnam’s capital, called Thang Long at the time, such as acultural week, a street festival, a craft village festival, a traditional boatrace, a culinary festival, a calligraphy exhibition, and a dragon dancefestival.

This represents an opportunity to promote localtourism after its long hiatus.

Many relic sites, places of interests, andentertainment venues have had their landscapes improved and new services openedto meet visitors’ demand.

At the Temple of Literature - a must-seedestination for every visitor to Hanoi, its centre for cultural and scientificactivities is creating new mementos and introducing new methods of heritageeducation to inspire young visitors, while also developing night tourism by installinglighting to introduce the institution’s history.

Le Xuan Kieu, director of the centre forcultural and scientific activities, said various activities will be held at thespecial national relic site to celebrate the 1,010th anniversary of Thang Long -Hanoi, adding that he hopes it will welcome many returning visitors.

Local entertainment venues are also revamping themselvesto attract local visitors, who are believed to be the best target in plans to recoverthe tourism sector at this point in time.

Of these, Bao Son Paradise Park offers all-intickets on Sundays, giving tourists entry to everywhere on site and allowingthem to play 22 games an unlimited number of times. Its restaurants andaccommodation services have also returned to normal, while most of its artisticperformances are open and free.

Local travel companies are also moving to encouragecustomers to travel again, as all flight, train, and road routes to the centralcity of Da Nang, a major tourism centre and where the second COVID-19 outbreak started,have been resumed and many localities have reopened places of interest.

Nguyen Cong Hoan, General Director of theFlamingo Redtours JSC, said that, this time around, low prices are not the mostattractive factor, as travellers are seeking unique products that offer manydifferent experiences.

Instead of promoting all of its tours, the companyhas selected the most outstanding autumn destinations for itineraries, such as thenorthwestern region with its blooming buckwheat flowers, the Central Highlandswith its wild sunflowers, and the Mekong Delta region and its flood season.

It has also developed customised tours to suitthe needs of particular groups of travellers, he noted, adding that the companyexpects that by proactively introducing new products it can seize theopportunities a new tourism season presents.

Meanwhile, the Thuan An - Ascend Travel ServicesJSC has restarted tours to northwestern destinations like Sa Pa and Ha Giang alongwith coastal and maritime localities such as Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Phu QuocIsland, and Con Dao Island.

The company’s director Duong Mai Lan said toursare currently being offered at very good prices, as localities and airlines areboth carrying out travel demand stimulus packages aimed at attracting visitors.

According to the Hanoi Tourism Department, thesuccessful containment of the second outbreak of COVID-19 has provided an opportunityfor the local tourism sector to revive and thrive.

It has worked with the Hanoi Tourism Association,travel clubs, airlines, hotels, and destinations to discuss tourism developmentsolutions in the new context. It has asked tourism service providers and placesof interest to diversify products, introduce travel demand stimulus policies,and reorganise their activities to improve efficiency./.