Removing COVID-19 testing requirement a fillip for outbound tourism

Visitors look into outbound tour options from leading travel operators at the 18th HCM City Tourism Festival. VNA/VNS Photo by Mỹ Phương

HCM CITY — Travel operators are strongly promoting international travel this summer after Việt Nam dropped the COVID-19 test requirement for arrivals.

Trần Đoàn Thế Duy, general director of Vietravel Tourism Company, told the Người Lao Động (Labourer) Newspaper that cancellation of the COVID-19 test requirement for foreign arrivals had opened up a great opportunity for Việt Nam’s tourism industry.

He said his company had signed agreements with the Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Korea Tourism Organisation to develop tours with preferential prices for Vietnamese tourists.

Vietravel is selling tours to countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The most favoured destinations are Singapore and Thailand. Tours to Indonesia, Korea, Europe, the US and South Africa are also catching attention.

The TST Tourist Service and Trading Company announced new and diverse tourism products for summer at the 18th HCM City Tourism Festival held May 17-19, including outbound tours to Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

All the tours will depart in June.

Nguyễn Minh Mẫn, the company’s director of communications and marketing said outbound tours were a draw at the event.

Most visitors were interested in tours to Thailand and Singapore because entry requirements in these countries were open, he said adding that another destination of interest was Japan as the country had announced it was going to open up for international travellers.

Trần Thế Dũng, general director of the Fiditour – Vietluxtour Company, said local travel agencies were targeting countries with no COVID-19 test requirements for their outbound tours.

Fiditour – Vietluxtour will offer different outbound tours departing in June and July to various destinations including Thailand, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Europe, Australia and Maldives. All the tours will cover new attractions and services at reasonable prices, according to the company. — VNS