Thai Airways International (THAI), Qatar Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Israeli airline El Al are among the first to increase flights to Phuket. This popular tourist island has been closed to international visitors for over a year. Phuket beach is empty because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Source: Reuters A representative of THAI said that direct flights to Phuket from Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Paris, London and Zurich will be launched from July to September this year. In addition, its subsidiary, THAI Smile, has scheduled 4 round-trip flights per week between Phuket and Hong Kong (China), starting from July 2. Singapore Airlines has added one more flight on its Singapore – Phuket route as of June 1, from two existing flights per week. Airlines in the Middle East have also shown interest in Thailand reopening to international tourism. Qatar Airways is also planning to add more flights to Phuket, starting July 1. Emirates will also start direct flights from Dubai to Phuket four times a week, starting July 2. Previously, the airline had resumed daily flights from Bangkok to Dubai since September last year. El Al will resume direct flights from Tel Aviv – Phuket from next month.

Mask ATMs at the information counters of the two terminals. According to NIA, 100% of passengers, officials and employees at NIA are required to wear masks and are constantly reminded through the radio system. In addition, mobile security forces, station security and order regularly monitor and check. In addition, the port provides masks at the information counter so that passengers can use them for free if needed. On a weekly basis, this largest airport in the North conducts disinfection spraying of passenger movement routes, check-in counters, security control aisles, aircraft exits, telescopic bridges; the entire incoming and outgoing inland areas; Disinfectant spray in the office area; enhanced hygiene of contact surfaces at passenger terminals. Aviation security staff measure the body temperature of passengers. Noi Bai aviation security forces are fully equipped with gloves, masks, and splash shields while working. In addition, the port is installing automatic touch-sensitive hand sanitizer points to minimize passenger contact. On the other hand, the port has activated the highest epidemic prevention mode when arranging workers to work according to the distance regime from May 7 to the end of June 2021. Employees are not allowed to come to the office when they have symptoms of fever, cough, difficulty breathing; sitting at a distance in common areas including in the car; honestly declare the places that have come from the epidemic area or have been in contact with people related to F0, F1, F2… Airline employees are also equipped with gloves, masks, and drop shields. With the camera system, Noi Bai Airport has effectively carried out the tracing of F0 cases through the port, employees with contact to localize, isolate, and at the same time, coordinate with airports across the country. forming a closely connected network, contributing to tracing and zoning in the fastest time. Step 1: Visit https://www.bluezone.gov.vn or download directly at App Store or CH Play. Step 2: Once downloaded, the application will ask for permission to use Bluetooth to record contact with other Bluezone installed users. If Bluetooth is not open, drag the status bar and turn on Bluetooth; or go to Settings, select Bluetooth and turn it on. Step 3: Once the installation is done, click Scan Around. If someone near you less than 2m has used Bluezone, the application will automatically identify these users and put them in the contact list.

The UK government is easing restrictions to revive the economy and travel. Source: Reuters Ms. Tracy Halliwell – Director of Tourism, Conferences and Events of London and Partners, said that London’s tourism industry has been hit very hard by the pandemic: “London is an international city, we depend heavily dependent on international visitors One in seven jobs in London are in the tourism and hospitality industry, so the sector has taken a huge hit.Most hotels have closed, shops are empty. guest”. From May 17, the British Government has relaxed the ban, allowing pubs, bars and restaurants to open indoors; while indoor entertainment activities such as cinemas, museums, children’s play areas continue to operate. According to the UK Government’s roadmap, all restrictions on social contact in the country will be lifted on June 21. According to Ms. Tracy Halliwell, the program “Let’s Do London” will introduce exciting events and activities in London this summer, such as cinemas with new works returning, art exhibitions on the road. streets and a series of food promotion campaigns. “The tourism and service industries have worked together and created new ways to keep our destinations safe and hygienic. We are changing for the better,” said Ms. Tracy Halliwell.

Almost no restaurant is full, many employees stand at the door, trying to invite passersby. In the evening, only very few bars have guests to relax. “We maintain operations in the hope that some miracle will happen, for example, seeing a long line of customers waiting to open. Before the pandemic, there were always foreigners coming to my restaurant to eat burgers, everyone people still have to wait in line. Now it’s not like that anymore, every day, as long as there are about 20 customers, I feel lucky,” said a shop owner. Itaewon neighborhood is empty of tourists because of the epidemic. Photo: Korea Herald. A similar situation occurs in Myeong-dong, a popular destination for people who love to shop, eat, and have fun. Most of the restaurants operate moderately with a small number of customers. Because of their reliance on foreign tourists, the streets of Seoul are going through an unprecedentedly difficult time. The pandemic has limited international travel for many months, and the source of visitors from locals has also decreased a lot because of social distancing and blockade rules. The Seoul Metropolitan Government predicts that the number of foreign tourists has decreased by 86%, from 13.9 million in 2019 to just 1.92 million in 2020. “These neighborhoods popular with foreigners have been hit very hard. We get a lot of phone calls asking for help from people doing business here,” said an official from the tourism department of the city government. The famous entertainment areas in Seoul rely heavily on foreign tourists. Photo: Seoulpubcrawl. More than a year after the pandemic broke out, the rate of vacant real estate in busy neighborhoods also skyrocketed because many businesses went bankrupt. According to the Korea Real Estate Commission, more than a third of the total store space in Myeong-dong is vacant, or 38.4%. This rate stands at 22.6% in Itaewon and 13.1% in Hongdae. Experts say that unless the pandemic ends, this trend is sure to continue. In an effort to revitalize these areas, starting in May, the Seoul city government offers coupons and gift cards for a number of special tourist attractions, including Itaewon and Myeong-dong. A city government official in the tourism policy department said Seoul is also preparing many support measures to attract more local tourists to these entertainment districts. At Itaewon, some signs of positive change gradually appeared. According to shop owners, although business is not as good as before, the number of visitors seems to have increased as they turn to attracting locals. “Things are starting to get better compared to the same period last year. Hope to see Itaewon bounce back to its glory years,” said Maeng Ki-hoon, head of the merchants association in Itaewon.

The number of visitors to Da Nang this year is quite small. (Photo: Danang Viewers) On holidays, but the number of people coming to the 29-3 Park to have fun is quite small. Most people gather near the lake to cool off, fish, walk,… (Photo: Nhat Trinh) Da Nang people and tourists are aware of disease prevention: People limit going out, everyone who has to go out wears masks, shops and cafes are empty compared to the holidays… Going to the park to play but still not leaving the familiar mask. (Photo: Nhat Trinh) In front of the game areas in the park, there are instructions on epidemic prevention. (Photo: Nhat Trinh) Interestingly, on major roads such as Dien Bien Phu, Le Duan, Truong Chinh… the number of people and vehicles in traffic is not crowded, so the street is even… more open than on normal days. Dien Bien Phu Street, in front of the park gate 29-3 on the afternoon of May 1. (Photo: Nhat Trinh) Le Do Street usually has to move little by little, now the road is clear and clear. (Photo: Nhat Trinh) Most people participating in traffic or visiting tourist attractions seriously obey the wearing of masks. (Photo: Nhat Trinh) Visitors to sightseeing places all comply with regulations on wearing masks and keeping a safe distance. (Photo: Danang Viewers) One of the reasons why Da Nang this year is less crowded than usual is that the city has decided to stop all cultural and artistic activities during the holidays to strengthen the prevention of the COVID-19 epidemic. Official letter requesting to suspend all mass gathering activities throughout the City. In particular, the event that made the fans regret the most was The Rap Show . Rap program brings together famous Vietnamese rappers such as Wowy, Binz, De Choat, Tlinh, Hieuthuhai, G.Ducky, MCK… and runner-up – rapper Lona Kieu Loan. However, instead of taking place on the evening of April 30 as scheduled, the program had to be postponed. The Rap Show also had to be postponed, making the fans extremely regretful. Similar to Da Nang, Hoi An is also empty on this holiday. Most tourists at this time are concerned about the disease problem, so most people limit their movement outside much. Empty street in Hoi An. (Photo: Nam Duyen) Restaurants in Hoi An are empty. (Photo: Nam Duyen) The ferry pier is gloomy. (Photo: Nam Duyen)

However, the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic during the holiday season caused a lot of service cancellations for tourist accommodation establishments. According to information from the Hanoi Department of Tourism, it is estimated that about 25 – 30% of the number of pre-booked rooms have been cancelled. Many tourist areas and attractions have canceled a number of programs, events and festivals with large crowds, of which Duong Lam ancient village has postponed the organization of exhibitions, country markets and exhibitions on the occasion of April 30. – May 1, Bao Son Paradise Park postponed the Ocean Festival event. Most destinations in Hanoi have basically well implemented measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic. Source: Hoa Lo Prison Relic During the days from April 26 to May 2, the Hanoi Department of Tourism inspected the observance of legal regulations in tourism activities and strengthened the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic in some areas. accommodation facilities and tourist attractions concentrated in the city, such as the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam, Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Thang Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Center, Vietnam Military Museum South, the ruins of Hoa Lo Prison, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple… Through inspection, on the occasion of April 30 and May 1 this year, the number of visitors and tourists at these places was relatively empty. Most destinations have basically well implemented measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic, strengthen the organization of welcoming tourists, ensure security and order, traffic safety, food safety and hygiene. products, environmental sanitation. However, many places still have some limitations, which have been reminded and strictly enforced by the inspection team, such as the area inside the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long still has the status of tourists. remove the mask; The area inside and around Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ngoc Son Temple lacks staff to remind visitors to wear masks and disinfect hands. It is estimated that in April 2021, Hanoi welcomes about 850 thousand domestic visitors, an increase of 24% compared to March 2021; total revenue from domestic tourists is estimated at 2.37 trillion VND. In the first four months of 2021, domestic tourists to Hanoi were estimated at 2.78 million arrivals, down 27.2% over the same period in 2020; total revenue from domestic tourists was estimated at VND 7.78 trillion, down approximately 50% over the same period last year.

Illustration. From the beginning of May 2021 up to now, due to the large-scale outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, Ninh Binh province has announced to suspend the reception of guests at tourist sites and attractions in the province to prevent the epidemic. So 100% of boat drivers here become unemployed. Since the return of the Covid-19 epidemic, foreign tourists have not come to Vietnam for tourism, and domestic visitors have decreased. Most of the laborers working as boat drivers at Trang An eco-tourism area and Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourist area (Ninh Binh) sometimes only get one trip a month. That situation made the boatmen “cry” because their income decreased due to the absence of passengers. A boatman at Trang An boat station said that since the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex came into operation, it has brought jobs and stable income for thousands of locals living around the heritage area. Trang An has long been a famous tourist destination of Ninh Binh, recognized by Unesco as a natural heritage and a world cultural heritage. The scenery here is made up of winding rivers flowing through limestone mountains, creating countless magical and mysterious natural caves that attract visitors. To explore Trang An, visitors will be sitting on a boat to admire the surrounding mountain nature. If in the past, there were cases in this tourist area, the whole family worked as a boat driver. Average income is 400,000-600,000 VND/day. Although the work is hard, in return for the high income, the family’s economy is getting better and better. Employees feel more secure, more attached to the job. But in the past two years, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, tourists have dropped sharply, so income is not enough to cover life. In particular, from the beginning of May, the resort temporarily stopped accepting guests, making the life of the already difficult ferrymen even more difficult. They have to find another job to earn their daily income. Similar to Trang An eco-tourism area, Tam Coc – Bich Dong is a familiar destination that tourists definitely cannot ignore when coming to Ninh Binh. Visiting Tam Coc, visitors will be sitting on a boat, down the poetic Ngo Dong river watching the overlapping mountains and iridescent golden rice fields. Ms. Chu Thi Mo, who works as a ferry driver in Tam Coc, confided: Before, there were 6 to 8 trips a month with many tourists, 200,000 VND each. On holidays and Tet, the number of trips increases much more. But since the Covid-19 epidemic, the absence of customers is considered a loss of revenue. Strictly following the direction of the province, to temporarily close to carry out epidemic prevention work, it is estimated that at Trang An eco-tourism area and Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourist area (Ninh Binh), thousands of boatmen have to quit. Without customers, these people have to turn to other occupations to earn a living. According to statistics, at Trang An eco-tourism area and Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourist area, there are more than 3,000 people working as boat drivers. Most of them are locals. The boatmen here range in age from 18 to 60 years old. A longtime boat driver shared: “Without guests, many people are not interested in boating. They will look for jobs in garment companies, leather shoes, stone handicrafts, etc. to earn extra income. However, these companies only hire young people, and older people will not be recruited.” Thus, there will be a large number of people working as boatmen who “don’t know where to go”. According to a representative of Xuan Truong construction company, which invests and manages the two tourist resorts above, in order to reduce difficulties for workers, in 2020, the business has supported more than 3,000 ferry workers here every year. person 3 months salary. Currently, the enterprise is planning to continue to support these workers to help them overcome the immediate difficulties.