Kien Giang (VNA) – Phu Quoc island in the MekongDelta province of Kien Giang now stands ready to welcome tourists with the resumptionof business and entertainment activities.

So far, 17 accommodation facilities, including those run byVinpearl, CEO Group, Sun Group, MIK Group, the Shell and Mercury, along withmajor travel firms such as Saigontourist, Viettravel Phu Quoc and Jonhs ToursPhu Quoc as well as seven entertainment centres have joined “COVID-19 Vaccine Passport” programme.

A representative from four-star Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort saidthat all the staff of the facility have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19and received skill training on ensuring safety for visitors and dealing witharising problems related to the pandemic.

Bui Quoc Thai, Director of the Department of Tourism of KienGiang, said that the pilot plan to welcome back international tourists to Phu Quoc isdivided into two phases.

In the first phase from November 20, 2021 to March 20, 2022,the island aims to serve about 5,000 visitors each month, he said, adding that thereis no limitation on the number of passengers. The destination will receive foreigntourists from countries with high level of pandemic safety such as those inEurope, the Middle East, Northeast and Southeast Asia, and Northern America.

International tourists can enter Phu Quoc via charter flights and visitdestinations that they registered before arriving. They have to show theirCOVID-19 vaccination certificate with the second shot injected within 14 daysbut not more than 12 months until the entry date, said Thai. He saidtourists should also give their negative RT-PCR testing result againstSARS-CoV-2 that is valid within 72 hours before the departing time.

Thai said that all tourism and entertainment facilities in the island are ready to serve visitors who will also enjoy various promotion programmes frombusinesses participating in the “Vaccine Passport Programme”.

Phu Quoc is among five localities that implement the pilot scheme to welcomeinternational tourists. The remaining destinations are Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, DaNang and Quang Ninh.

Meanwhile, Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province ofLam Dong has become bustling again with a large number of visitors.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism onNovember 2 reported that in three days from October 29-31, the localitywelcomed 2,606 visitors who stay for nearly two days on average.

In recent days, checkpoints in entrances to Lam Dong from HoChi Minh City and southeastern localities reported more than 2,100 vehiclesentering the province, showing good signs in tourism recovery./.