Tourism council calls for exempting COVID-19 test for foreign travelers

The board urged the government to treat foreign and domestic tourists alike. Domestic tourists are exempt from quarantine and testing requirements and are only required to test if they have symptoms of COVID-19.

Besides, visitors aged under 12 should be treated like their parents, it said. If adults have a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate, accompanying children should not need to be tested, it said.

Foreign tourists testing positive after entry could be isolated at their place of accommodation like domestic visitors, it recommended.

Luong Hoai Nam, a member of the council, said Vietnam should adopt open tourism policies to attract foreign visitors and compete with neighboring countries after reopening.

"No foreign tourist will be ready to return to the country if we impose strict restrictions. This is a mistake that makes many other destinations in the world less attractive, which Vietnam should avoid," he emphasized.

Earlier the Ministry of Health had recommended that foreign tourists should self-isolate for three days after entry and test two to three times during this period. 

For unvaccinated children under 12 should be seven days with daily tests.

Pham Ha, CEO of Lux Group, said he was disappointed with the health ministry's responses because Vietnam was already slow in reopening international tourism compared with regional countries, and "we are losing out recovery opportunities with such inconsistent regulations..."

According to Tran Trong Kien, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board, COVID-19 has brought destruction that has never happened in nearly 50 years. In 2020, Vietnam's tourism revenue decreased by more than 60 percent, the number of visitors decreased by more than 40 percent. 

In the first nine months of 2021, there was no tourism activity. It is estimated that about 80 percent of tourism businesses have stopped operating, 50 percent of hotels have had to close, and about 2 million people have lost their jobs in the past 2 years.

Source: VnExpress