NEWS – EVENT

Europeans and North Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 are eagerly awaiting an opportunity to return to Vietnam, judging by enquiries for tour details, local travel firms say.

The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, home to resort town Sa Pa and Vietnam’s tallest mountain Fansipan, is one of five must-visit natural wonders in Southeast Asia, according to Forbes.

Businesses have sustained a new blow from the fourth recurrence of Covid-19.

The local tourism industry was looking forward to the approaching summer season and the accompanying demand for travel from domestic tourists but the fourth Covid-19 wave has washed away their hopes, according to Savills Hotels APAC.

The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly occurred when the Tet Lunar New Year was about to be begin across the country. This seriously jeopardized the travel of thousands of Vietnamese and subsequently affected the tourism industry which took an extremely hard hit.

Many hotel owners in HCMC have had to close down their hotels as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic although rents at the premises have been cut by up to 70%.

Vietnam defeated strong candidates such as Brazil, Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia to win the “World’s Leading Heritage Destination” award for the second straight year at the 27th World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2020, which was held virtually and televised live from Zaryahye Park in Moscow, Russia, on November 27.

HCMC's total tourism revenue this year is expected to reach some VND84 trillion, down over VND56 trillion year-on-year due to fears over Covid-19, according to data from the HCMC Department of Tourism.

More than three-quarters of tourism firms expect their revenue in the second quarter to fall more than 80 per cent from the same period last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite making poor impression with environment pollution, Vietnam’s economic hub HCMC has climbed to the world’s third best city for expats to live and work in next year.

The Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry.

The latest World Travel Awards has chosen Vietnam as “Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination” reaffirming the growing international reputation of Vietnamese cuisine.