Hanoi (VNA) ♌- As vaccination coverage is expanding, the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is showing signs of dying out. As a result, Vietnam’s tourism needs to quickly work out harmonious measures for the coming period of recovery.

A sad economic year for the tourism sector has come to an end after many tremors caused by successive outbreaks of COVID-19. Vietnam’s green economy in 2021 failed to recover as seen through the statistics of the yearly review, yet many experts still believe that in 2022, accelerations will be created with attention and assistance from the government. Although the pandemic is still spreading with new variants, there are grounds for us to hope the constantly expanding vaccination coverage has helped weaken the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The clock is ticking towards the day when the world can contain and roll back the pandemic, opening up chances for socio-economic recovery. That is why Vietnam’s tourism needs concerted solutions for the upcoming period of recovery.

A silver lining

Statistics by the General Statistics Department show that in 2021, the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam dropped by more than 99 percent compared to that in 2019. In the whole of 2021, foreign tourist arrivals to Vietnam are estimated at 157,300, representing a decrease of 95.9 percent compared to the previous year and 99.1 percent compared to that of 2019. Among the foreign arrivals, most of them are foreign experts and technicians working on projects in Vietnam. However, December was a silver lining for the year thanks to the pilot implementation of a road map to welcome foreign tourists, starting in November of last year. International commercial flights began to resume and the number of foreign tourists in December was estimated at 17,200, marking an increase of 14.2 percent over the previous month and 5.4 percent compared to a year earlier. Experts said that entering 2022, Vietnam’s economy will face various risks and challenges (slow economic recovery, inflation, natural disasters, climate change, etc.) intertwined with chances.

Comprehensive, concerted solutions

To weather these difficulties in a timely manner following the long stagnation, experts hope that in 2022, the whole tourism sector will proactively make use of every chance and potential in the new normal to create a vigorous springboard for recovery. Chairman of the Quang Binh Travel Association Tran Xuan Cuong said that it is necessary to identify strategic and core products for the period, so as to create acceleration. Firms should focus on services for families or small groups, mostly in marine tourism.

Meanwhile, experts of the Tourism Advisory Board maintain that firms should build niche products for the elderly, golf tourism, etc, so as to create the most suitable products for each section of the market.

However, to create a strong push, Vietnam’s tourism needs more practical and concerted support policies from the government. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Thanh Thong said his ministry is coordinating with the relevant authorities to build a programme on economic recovery and development after the COVID-19 pandemic, as a springboard for the economy. Various groups of solutions and policies concerning the tourism sector are expected.

Besides ongoing support in terms of tax, fees, credit, etc, there will be additional ones such as COVID-19 insurance and RT-PCR tests, and the digitalisation of tourists’ health conditions and itinerary.

🌃 With support and attention from the government, the tourism sector has grounds to hope that 2022 is a dawn that prevails over the darkness./.