Travel vietnam december january

/ April 27, 2020

Covid-19 to deal stronger-than-expected blow to Vietnam’s aviation industry

The Hanoitimes - The volume of passengers in 2020 would plunge 46% to 43 million passengers compared to 2019, according to the Ministry of Transport. The Vietnamese aviation market would suffer more damages than any estimations made so far due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Transport. An airplane of Jetstar Pacific. Photo: Vietnam Airlines The ministry has said in a report sent to the prime minister that from April 1 to 23, the number of air travelers was only equivalent to 1-2% of the total before the pandemic. Most of the airplanes are grounded. Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines Corporation (VNA) announced its consolidated revenue in the first quarter decreased by 26% year-on-year. The Airports Corporation of Vietnam, which manages 21 airports across the country, also saw a decline of 24% in revenue . Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), which provides navigation services to Vietnamese and foreign airlines, saw its revenue drop 60% in the January-March quarter. The volume of passengers in 2020 would plunge 46% to 43 million passengers compared to 2019, worse than any forecast scenarios, said the ministry. Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) estimated in the most optimistic scenario where the pandemic is contained in April, the number of air passengers would fall 15.4% year-on-year to 67 million. In a second scenario with the pandemic being controlled before June, total passengers of the market are predicted at 61.2 million, down 22.6% year-on-year. With the unexpected losses, the ministry has proposed many solutions to support the aviation industry, including the resumption of the flight routes and the increase of frequency of domestic flights from April 23. The ministry kept requesting the prime minister to provide financial and tax support policies for local transport businesses. …

/ May 22, 2020

Promoting Vietnam as a safe place to welcome foreign tourists

The Hanoitimes - Vietnam’s tourism sector is preparing to welcome back foreign tourists. The tourism sector will submit a schedule for re-starting inbound tourism in the coming time. Vietnam’s tourism sector is expected to resume welcoming inbound travelers sooner than many other countries in the region will do thanks to the success in containing the pandemic. “Vietnam is a safe place” would be the new slogan, said businesses and insiders at the recent conference on post-Covid-19 solutions for the tourism industry. En cave, Quang Binh province. Photo: Vic (Facebook) At the conference titled “Solutions promoting domestic tourism and recover international tourists” held on May 21, Steve Wolstenholme, CEO of Hoi An South Development (Hoiana), suggested that Vietnam needs to communicate the message “Vietnam is a safe place” and has to safeguard those who work in the industry. Sharing the same idea, Vice President of Lodgis Hospitality Holdings Vietnam Craig Douglas added that Vietnam needs to take the opportunity to promote itself as a safe tourism corridor to attract tourists. Kenneth Atkinson, vice president of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), underlined that Vietnam could learn from experiences of Australia, New Zealand and Thailand on creating specific resorts meeting anti-pandemic safety standards to accommodate international tourists. Safety is of utmost priority for the tourism industry when it is re-opened to tourists, Nguyen Le Phuc, deputy general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), affirmed at the conference. The conference entitled "Solutions promoting domestic tourism and recover international tourists” on May 21. “To achieve this target, the industry could apply technology for controlling the pandemic. At this time, the VNAT is implementing a communication plan on safe tourist destinations to lure tourists,” Phuc added. “Travel businesses are encouraged to devise …

/ June 2, 2020

Vietnam repatriates first citizens from Australia, New Zealand

The Hanoitimes - Both Australia and New Zealand are easing restrictions except border controls. Vietnam on June 2 repatriated 344 citizens from Australia and New Zealand, the first repatriation flight from those two countries amid strict travel rules there due to coronavirus. Passengers on the flight. Photo: Vietnam Airlines The flight by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines picked up passengers in Sydney and Auckland and landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. The passengers are those of priority like children under 18, the elderly, those with pre-existing diseases, pregnant women, workers having expired visa, student without dormitories, and stranded visitors. All passengers required to wear personal protection equipment. Photo: Vietnam Airlines Australia has become one of the main destinations for Vietnamese students and visitors. Due to rising coronavirus infections, Australia has limited travel options. It is up to each state and territory to decide when and how far they will relax restrictions. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s government will consider a move to lift all Covid-19 restrictions except border controls. As of June 2, Australia reported 7,221 coronavirus cases while New Zealand has 1,504 infections. Under the request by Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad and Vietnam Airlines continue to bring citizens home depending on the citizens' demand, the pandemic evolution, and the country’s quarantine capacity. So far, the country has repatriated more than 5,000 citizens from different parts of the world. Until now, Vietnam has not allowed international flights and keeps borders closed to foreign visitors, except for diplomatic staff, skilled workers, and experts. …