Rejuvenating tourism with fresh experiences

Photo: Duc Thanh

The department will assess the situation and recommend the reopening of tourism to phase 4, allowing all tourism businesses to resume normal operations and welcome tourists in localities with good disease control.

“Green tourism products, safe travel routes, and safe entertainment need to be implemented in a proper and methodical manner. Units and destinations without ensuring safe conditions for pandemic prevention and control will not be allowed to operate,” he emphasised.

Tourism businesses have been preparing many unique and attractive products, and tourism stimulus programmes are ready on the basis of ensuring maximum safety for tourists and those operating in the tourism industry.

Phung Quang Thang, director of Hanoitourist, specifically highlighted caravan tours, meetings/conferences, autumn tours, homestay services, and safe hotel services as products set to open soon. In particular, a series of products for Hanoi with the highlight of a caravan tour to Duong Lam ancient village will bring visitors new experiences.

Hanoitourism is also preparing a series of autumn tours for visitors to discover and experience the specialties of this time of year in Hanoi well as many northern provinces.

Also being introduced is an Indochina architecture discovery tour for tourists who like to explore ancient French architecture such as the Vietnam National Museum of History and Hanoi Opera House.

“The caravan products explore the northwest, Nam Dinh, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh province, Sapa, Binh Lieu, Quang Hanh, and Hoang Su Phi in Ha Giang province. They were implemented in 2020 and will also be maintained to ensure safety. These tours are organised in small groups, travelling by private vehicle, lasting usually three days and two nights,” Thang said.

Bicycle tours around Hanoi, designed flexibly by the Hanoi Travel Association and Vgreen Sustainable Tourism Club, meanwhile help visitors discover the capital in new ways.

Some other businesses are also exploiting the advantages of Hanoi’s tourism to develop specific products, with a focus on culture.

Trinh My Nghe, director of ITC Travel, said that much work will have to be put in to truly reboot the tourism industry. “Without good products and professional tourism services, it will be difficult to attract customers,” Nghe said.

Currently, ITC Travel is coordinating with a number of tour operators to build a one-day exploration cultural tourism product. The city’s tourism sector is also focusing on improving the quality of cultural, heritage, craft villages, and ancient tourist destinations in order to improve service quality, build brands, and increase competitiveness for related companies.

Healthcare tourism and business meetings and conferences associated with hosting major events are also prioritised for development.

According to data from Hanoi Department of Tourism, around 70 per cent of the city’s population has received one COVID-19 vaccine and 13 per cent has received the second dose. Hanoi has been gradually loosening restrictions on distance and travel since the end of last month, allowing people to participate in outdoor sports activities and visit commercial centres from September 28.