Tourism businesses try to restart

The trend of tourism after social distancing is that people travel in small groups and private vehicles.

Many options

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just issued interim guidance on the implementation of the Government's Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 on “safely and flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling Covid-19” in cultural, sports and tourism activities.

According to this guideline, tourism business establishments are allowed to serve 100% of their capacity in areas at level 1 and 2 of the pandemic. Areas at level 3 of the pandemic only organize concentrated sightseeing activities at home and group tour programs for under 25 people. Accommodation and food service establishments operate at no more than 50% capacity at the same time.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of the General Department of Tourism (the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), said that localities have now started to develop many plans to bring domestic tourism back under the new normal.

Currently, some localities such as Vinh Phuc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau (Con Dao, Xuyen Moc, Chau Duc and Dat Do), Ho Chi Minh City (Can Gio district), Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, and Quang Ninh have reopened a number of activities. These include tourism activities for domestic tourists and tourists from provinces and cities that have controlled the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Da Nang Department of Tourism has come up with a plan to welcome international and domestic tourists in the "new normal" state, including: Phase 1, from October 20, welcome tourists who are city residents, official visitors to Da Nang; Phase 2, from November 2021, updating and adjusting service forms according to pandemic prevention regulations; Phase 3, tourism activities in the "new normal" situation under the direction of the Government and new guidelines of ministries, branches and localities.

Da Nang City also requested the Government to allow the implementation of the pilot plan to welcome international tourists, which is expected to be held in two phases. Specifically, the first phase, from November 2021 until the Government allows to restore international flight routes, welcomes international tourists and overseas Vietnamese traveling for commercial and official purposes, repatriate, visit relatives, to enter Da Nang.

In Phase 2, when the Government allows the restoration of international routes with conditions for pandemic prevention and control according to the regulations of the Government and Da Nang city.

Along with that, tourism businesses also started to serve domestic tourists. Tran Nguyen, Head of Sales Department of Sun World Group (Sun Group), said that as soon as Quang Ninh province allowed tourist areas and attractions to reopen, this company welcomed local tourists.

Currently, the Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh resort has opened to tourists from October 1, and the Queen cable car system is expected to open from the beginning of November 2021. Enterprises are ready to welcome foreign tourists as soon as Quang Ninh province and management agencies allow.

In Da Nang, there is a large resort system that meets the standards of tourist bubbles. Nguyen Van Tai, General Director of Vietsense Travel, said that since the third outbreak, Vietsense Travel has always maintained connections with customers, offering flexible tours on departure times. Currently, businesses are waiting for Da Nang City to allow tourists to return to be able to provide resort travel services for small groups, with a period of 3 days 2 nights, and 4 days 3 nights.

According to Duong Mai Lan, General Director of Ascend Travel - Thuan An Travel Service Joint Stock Company, since the end of August 2021, the company offers a scenario, if the pandemic is under control in October and November 2021, it will build tourism products and restart with airline and hotel partners to build new products.

Currently, customers like the form of experiential tourism, especially traveling in small groups, over short days and close distances, so the company's tourism products will focus on the Northwest and Northeast regions.

Trends change

In order to ensure safety, people's travel trends also change to match the "new normal" conditions. According to Nguyen Cong Hoan, Deputy General Director of Flamingo Group, General Director of Flamingo Redtours, the trend of tourism after social distancing is that people travel in small groups and private vehicles.

Specifically, with resort tourism, visitors can choose to take a vacation over 2 days with a travel time of about 2 hours by car, large resorts with full facilities will attract visitors.

The trend of tourism to explore nature, natural landscapes, and local tourists is also of interest to tourists. For example, the North takes the Northeast and Northwest routes such as Moc Chau, Ha Giang; Central Highlands go to the Central Highlands for wild sunflowers. In the South, focus is on the Mekong Delta with typical tours of the floating season.

With the tour price, according to Nguyen Cong Hoan, there will be no deep discount. Because tourism businesses have no room to reduce because they have been deployed from previous stimulus rounds. Not to mention, the business itself also incurs many costs related to pandemic prevention regulations such as: Covid-19 quick test fee, 50% reduction of operating capacity; pandemic prevention equipment. However, the business will provide additional utilities and service incentives to attract tourists. This is an opportunity for visitors to experience the best travel services.

Nguyen Van Tai said that when businesses restart their activities, there will be three types of tourism in development. Firstly, resorts with self-contained entertainment services will be for families and high-paying customers. Secondly, self-driving car caravans with small groups per vehicle to nearby tourist destinations are welcomed by people in the tourism industry and young people. Thirdly, self-contained eco-experience tourism with destinations such as garden houses (in the West) where families can rent their own eco-resort combined with planting trees and fishing.

Vietsense Travel targets customers with high paying capacity, using high-class services. In the next two years, the business will focus on the domestic tourism market and towards personalized and family products instead of corporate and tour groups as before.