Vietnam to reopen resort to foreign tourists to boost economy
Vietnam plans to reopen the resort island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists from next month, as the country looks at ways to revive an economy suffering from extended lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government said in a statement, issued late on Thursday that, the island, 10 km (6 miles) off the coast of Cambodia, is expected to open for a trial period of six months.
Vietnam, which is currently shut to all visitors apart from returning citizens and investors, had managed to contain the virus for much of the pandemic but in the past three months has faced a surge in infections driven by the Delta variant.
Vietnam’s tourism and culture minister, Nguyen Van Hung said, “The prolonged pandemic has seriously hurt the tourism industry.
“Fully vaccinated tourists with a negative COVID-19 test will be eligible to visit Phu Quoc, they could fly to the island on chartered or commercial flights.”
The tourism ministry said, Vietnam will fully vaccinate all residents on Phu Quoc before opening, adding that the island had not reported any community infections and had sufficient COVID-19 quarantine and treatment facilities.
Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh conceded this month that Vietnam was facing a lengthy battle against the coronavirus, which has infected over 570,000 people and killed 14,400, so could not just rely on lockdowns and quarantine.
The foreign ministry, Ho Chi Minh City said, the epicentre of the latest outbreak, has allowed restaurants to offer takeaway meals and shippers to operate more widely in a slight relaxation of a tough lockdown.
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