HCM City’s tourism firms need Gov’t relief to survive
The government’s relief and credit packages are now vital to help Ho Chi Minh City’s travel companies survive the coronavirus crisis, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa has said.
Foreign tourists in Ho Chi Minh City (Source: cafebiz.vn)
HCM City (VNA) - The government’s relief and credit packages are nowvital to help Ho Chi Minh City’s travel companies survive the coronaviruscrisis, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi AnhHoa has said.
Thedomestic tourism sector, which had only recently started to recover, hassuffered another setback with the return of coronavirus, Hoa said.
Around70 percent of travel firms resumed operations in May thinking the COVID-19pandemic was under control, she said.
Thedomestic travel market had started to recover with a city tourism stimulusprogramme that runs from June until the end of the year.
Butthen more than 35,000 bookings for tour packages, free and easy tours,hotels, air tickets, and travel services were cancelled due to COVID-19concerns, resulting in a loss of revenues of 21 billion VND (906,000 USD),according to a report by the department.
Nearly90 percent of travel agencies in the city have temporarily shut doors with most of their staff being told to goon unpaid leave, according to the report.
Around90 percent of staff at three- to five-star hotels have been told to take unpaidleave or laid off. At others hotels, the rate is more than 80 percent.
Hoasaid the current economic uncertainty makes the Government’s reliefpackages imperative for travel companies to survive.
Butmost find it extremely difficult to borrow under the programmes from banks orbenefit from tax breaks, she admitted.
Lessthan 10 tour guides in the city have managed to get financial support from theGovernment’s social security package of 62 trillion VND (2.66 billion USD) forpeople directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
Thereare 5,864 licensed tour guides in the city, including 3,544 who speak foreignlanguages./.
The HCM City Department of Tourism has estimated that the city’s tourism industry suffered losses worth close to 10 trillion VND (426.2 million USD) in the first quarter of this year due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many popular tourist attractions across Vietnam have seen a gradual increase in domestic tourists on being re-opened after nearly two months hibernating due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourism authorities in the Mekong Delta are stepping up efforts to attract domestic visitors, with a focus on regaining trust so that they feel safe about going to tourist destinations and lodgings there.
Ho Chi Minh City is carry out a range of promotion programmes aiming to increase the number of tourists to the city which saw a 54.7-percent drop in the first half of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 16th edition of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival is set to take place from July 16 to 19, the municipal Department of Tourism and the HCM City Tourism Association announced on July 8.
The first and only direct service connecting the two countries at the moment is set to operate three times per week using the modern wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Mu Cang Chai is home to nearly 83,000 hectares of forest, including almost 60,000 hectares of unspoiled natural woodland. Recognising this potential, local authorities have embraced a holistic strategy that protects biodiversity while promoting tourism.
Phu Quoc ranks among the top 10 leading tourist islands in Asia. As the largest island in Vietnam, it boasts stunning natural beauty, with expansive coral reefs resting beneath the sea and a number of beautiful, poetic beaches such as Sao, Truong, and Khem, known for their fine white sand and crystal-clear waters.
Vietnam's national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are among the exhibitors, promoting key destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phu Quoc, as well as distinctive tourism products.
Alexander Musikhin, Vice President of ATOR and CEO of the Intourist travel agency, highlighted Vietnam as a top destination offering a unique blend of beach holidays and cultural excursions.
According to Seoul’s Tourism Industry Department, approximately 20,000 Vietnamese visitors travel to the city each year for medical treatment. Vietnam consistently ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of medical tourists to Seoul.
An analysis of accommodation search data based on check-in dates for June and July revealed that Nha Trang surpassed all other destinations in popularity among Korean users.
The programme is organised by the Khanh Hoa provincial Youth Union and the “Khanh Hoa people speak English” Project, and aims to promote the culture, history, cuisine and other tourism products of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa to international visitors.
VNAT Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh called visa a golden ticket to pulling in crowds, but he is clear that it needs coordinated efforts across multiple sectors to keep the momentum going in this fast-moving global travel scene.
As a tourism hub, Hanoi is now actively developing strategies to attract Muslim travellers. In recent years, the city has seen a notable uptick in visitors from countries with large Muslim populations.
When tourists witness firsthand the passion and care of farmers, they’re willing to pay higher prices because they see the genuine worth behind every product.
During the first five months, China continued to be Vietnam's largest source market of tourists, followed by the RoK, China’s Taiwan, the US, and Japan.
After more than three months of operation, the popularity of the free tours in Bac Ninh province shows no signs of cooling down. Many tourists return every week in hopes of experiencing all the tours and visiting every destination.
Typical products of Phu Tho are being showcased at the Lao Cai International Travel Mart 2025, held in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai from June 5-8.
Featuring 130 stalls and delegations from 120 travel agencies representing more than ten countries and territories, the event is expected to provide a platform for establishing partnerships and attracting more visitors to Lao Cai in the future.
Kicking off the festival on the evening of June 7 will be the grand music concert titled “Nha Trang Say Hi”, featuring popular artists from the trending show “Anh Trai Say Hi”. The event will be broadcast live nationwide and conclude with a fireworks display over Nha Trang Bay.
Data from Booking.com reveals that during the peak summer vacation in June and July, beach trips continue to be a top priority for Vietnamese travellers.
The northern midland province of Phu Tho has carried out all-round measures to improve tourism infrastructure, services, and offerings, elevating visitor experience and reinforcing the province’s unique cultural identity.
Hanoi has directed lodging providers and tourist destinations to bolster preparations in staffing, service quality, security, and sanitation. Community-based lodging platforms such as Airbnb are also being promoted strongly to expand housing supply during the holiday period.
Foreign tourists in Ho Chi Minh City (Source: cafebiz.vn) 
