Narong Woonsew, the prefectural government of Phuket, said on Wednesday, Tourists will come from low- and medium-risk countries in Europe and the United States. They will arrive in Thailand on Thai Airways International flights from London, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Paris and Zurich.

Before arrival

Before arrival, visitors must undergo a Covid-19 test, and the result must be negative, arrange for a Covid-19 insurance of at least $100,000, and book a hotel with a Security and Health Administration (SHA) Plus certificate.

Narong said tourists must stay in Phuket for at least 14 days before they can travel to other provinces.

During the first seven days, they could not change hotels. In the second week, they can change hotels twice.

On arrival

On the day of arrival, passengers will be tested for Covid-19 again at Phuket Airport. They will have to wait for the result in the hotel room. If the result is negative, they can go out.

They all must install and use the mobile tracking app MorChana.

after that

There are two more tests, on 6/7 and 12/13 days. After 14 days, they will conduct another test. If all the returned results are negative, tourists can travel to other provinces.

Narong said the same rules will apply to people returning to Thailand via Phuket.

Narong said Thais who plan to return to work in Phuket must first be vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19

The explosion of mass tourism has allowed many people to visit new places without learning about the local culture or language. Many tourists only meet locals when cleaning hotel rooms. 16 months of closure because of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the tourism industry to suffer. However, this huge industry that holds hundreds of millions of jobs is not going to collapse. It will return with the hope of changing in a sustainable direction, for the better, South China Morning Post identify. Karon Beach in Phuket (Thailand) is deserted on September 30, 2020. Photo: SCMP. Report of World Travel and Tourism Council in September 2020 identified four major changes in the future of tourism: travel demand, health and hygiene concerns, digitalization trends, and sustainability. In terms of demand, visitors will shift to prefer things that are familiar, predictable and reliable, which means local tourism is boosted. That will be evident in major countries with solid tourism foundations such as the US, European countries, Japan and China. International tourists will pay more attention to local characteristics instead of rushing to any place containing the combination of “blue sea, white sand, golden sunshine”. Airline packages will become obsolete. Health and hygiene concerns do not stop at temporary levels. Attending events, especially indoor and crowded ones, is challenging. The pandemic has made foreign travel dangerous, especially for developing countries with weak health infrastructures. The cumbersome administrative procedures to check visitors during the epidemic season will hinder this demand. The trend of digitalization in tourism will interfere and influence in two opposite directions. On the one hand, social networks will help plan trips without human contact and reduce dependence on travel agencies. On the other hand, the need for reliable sources of information can also strengthen the role of travel agencies. In addition, digitalization will also raise concerns about data privacy in international travel. Finally and most importantly, sustainability is effectively addressed. Mass tourism has caused great harm to the environment, “polluting” the experience and enjoyment of trips. The beaches of Bali (Indonesia) or Boracay (Philippines) are much less attractive when filled with plastic waste and untreated sewage. Crowding along the Great Wall at the Badaling section with thousands of other hikers or queuing to conquer Everest lowers the excitement of the experience. The Chinese crowd the Great Wall as fears of an epidemic fade. Photo: CNN. Business trips will be limited but more purposeful, as deep knowledge of foreign markets and different cultures remains key to the success of international businesses. This affects the airline industry, but it’s not bad news. In the future, the tourism industry will probably still hold 330 million jobs and serve 1.5 billion people a year or even more. However, visitors will pay more attention to the local environment and culture. Small groups of traveling friends will be formed to replace crowded groups like “broken bees”.

Chairman of the Corporation Chamnan Srisawat told the page ttgasia : “The current wave of Covid-19 infections may affect the final decision. But when we have been suffering from a pandemic for 15 months now, only mass tourism can save us.” Officials in Phuket have placed tight restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and are speeding up vaccinations to achieve herd immunity by the end of next month. Phuket is now close to the goal of vaccination against Covid-19 for 70% of its residents so that it can open its doors to foreign tourists. Locals say they are ready to welcome tourists on July 1 as planned. In 2019, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million visitors, generating about $60 billion in revenue. Photo: livingnomads.com The tourist island of Phuket is expected to reopen and welcome international visitors from July. Thus, Phuket will be the first locality of Thailand to reopen, followed by 10 other destinations in October. Under this plan, travelers in low-risk countries who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to fly directly to Phuket without the need for a 14-day quarantine. It is forecasted that in 2021, Phuket will only welcome about 500,000 visitors, much less than the 6.7 million arrivals in the first months of 2020. Before the Covid-19 epidemic, 2019, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million. visitors, generating about 60 billion USD in revenue. Currently in Phuket there are about 70,000 accommodation rooms. Mr. Chamnan Srisawat expects about 1 million room nights sold in July, bringing in about 40 billion baht ($1.28 billion) to the hotel and service industry. Mr. Chamnan Srisawat added: “In preparation for the reopening of Phuket, we have discussed with major suppliers and travel agents. They are all ready to help.” Phuket is an attractive destination of the Thai tourism industry. Photo: The Thaiger TCT’s proposal has been submitted to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Ministry of Tourism & Sports of Thailand, then submitted to the Government of this country for approval in June. If the campaign is “one USD, one night” As a result of Phuket’s success, the Thai government and private sector could expand the program to other destinations such as Koh Samui, Pattaya and Bangkok.

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.

Phuket province is rushing to vaccinate against Covid-19 to prepare to open tourism on July 1. (Photo: Phuket News) The Thai government has officially given the green light to the plan to reopen the tourist island of Phuket to foreign tourists who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 from July 1. However, visitors to Phuket will have to stay on the island for at least 14 days before they can leave for other provinces. Under the chairmanship of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the meeting of the Center for Handling the Thai Economic Situation (Cesa) on June 4 reviewed and officially approved the reopening plan. Phuket tourism is submitted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of Thailand. Accordingly, from July 1, Phuket will become the first province in Thailand to welcome back foreign tourists and exempt those who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. According to Thailand’s Minister of Sports and Tourism Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, this tourism opening program called “Phuket Tourism Sandbox” will be seen as a model for the opening up of Thailand’s entire tourism industry. However, in the approved plan, foreign tourists coming to Phuket will have to stay on the island for 14 days, a week longer than previously planned, before they can continue their journey to other destinations. in Thailand. Mr. Phiphat said officials attending the meeting also agreed to reopen to tourism for Bangkok, Cha-am district of Phetchaburi province, Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Pattaya city of Chon Buri province. , Chiang Mai and Buri Ram provinces from October 1. However, at this meeting, CESA has not approved the plan to reopen Krabi and Koh Samui to international visitors from July because the agency wants to evaluate the results of the reopening of Phuket within the next two months. According to Mr. Phiphat, the main reason why these 10 provinces were selected to participate in the pilot tourism opening program in the fourth quarter of this year is because these provinces bring a huge source of income from tourism. In 2019, the total tourism income of these provinces reached 1.5 trillion baht (equivalent to 48 billion USD). There are already a number of Israeli tourists scheduled to arrive in Phuket on July 7, while visitors from the US will fly to the tourist island two days later. Mr. Phiphat also expressed confidence that at least 70% of Phuket residents and 100% of local tourism staff will be fully vaccinated before the time the island opens. As of June 2, about 60% of the 466,587 residents of Phuket have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, of which 98,795 have been fully vaccinated.

Sword Lake is the most special highlight in the heart of Hanoi TripAdvisor has just announced the award chosen by customers (Travelers’ Choice 2021 – Best of the Best), in which Hanoi and Hoi An are two tourist destinations of Vietnam in the list of 10 famous destinations. can’t miss” in Asia in 2021. The awards announced by TripAdvisor are voted on by millions of website visitors around the world, with categories such as best hotels, favorite destinations, favorite leisure activities. … The reviews are based on TripAdvisor travelers’ votes of places they visited in 2020, as well as places travelers wish to visit when tourism opens. In the list of top 10 Asian destinations in 2021 voted by Tripadvisor, Hanoi is in second place, and Hoi An is in fourth place. At the top of this list is Bali (Indonesia). In the top 10 “can’t-miss” destinations in Asia, there are also Bangkok (Thailand), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Phuket (Thailand), New Delhi (India), Jaipur (India), Kathmandu (India). Nepal), Beijing (China). Hanoi and Hoi An have been repeatedly rated by TripAdvisor as one of the 25 most sought-after destinations by world tourists. Earlier this year, the travel site TripAdvisor also announced a list of the top 10 destinations in the world, in which Hanoi ranked 6th in the category of the most attractive destinations in the world.

Hanoi is ranked 2nd in the list of top 10 “can’t-miss” destinations in Asia in 2021 voted by Tripadvisor. In the list of top 10 Asian destinations in 2021 voted by Tripadvisor, Hanoi capital is in second place, and Hoi An city (Quang Nam) is in fourth place. Bali (Indonesia), in addition to the top 10 “must-miss” destinations in Asia, there are destinations such as Bangkok (Thailand), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Phuket (Thailand), New Delhi (India) India), Jaipur (India), Kathmandu (Nepal), Beijing (China). Hoi An city (Quang Nam) ranks 4th in this list. Previously, the cities of Hanoi and Hoi An were repeatedly rated by TripAdvisor as one of the 25 most sought-after destinations by world tourists. At the beginning of January 2021, the travel site TripAdvisor also announced a list of the top 10 destinations in the world, in which the capital Hanoi ranked 6th in the category “World’s most attractive destination”. Writing about Hanoi, TripAdvisor page describes: “This thousand-year-old city is a harmonious combination of traditional and modern features. Hanoi still preserves and preserves the old quarter and architectural monuments well. dating back to the colonial period, while developing many modern buildings, in addition, this city also has a system of lakes, parks and more than 600 very attractive temples, pagodas and shrines, which can be easily explored by taxi”. The list of top 10 Asian destinations in 2021 has just been announced by Tripadvisor. The awards announced by TripAdvisor are voted on by millions of website visitors around the world with many categories such as: Best hotel, favorite destination, favorite entertainment activity … The reviews are based on TripAdvisor travelers’ votes of the places they visited in 2020, as well as the places travelers wish to visit when tourism opens.

Tourists arrive at Phuket International Airport, Thailand. Documentary photo: AFP/VNA Phuket Tourism Association President Phumkit Raktaengam said on May 24 that 94,000 people working in the province’s tourism industry will be vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, all people with household registration in the province are also subject to vaccination. Phuket has about 400,000 registered local residents. The island employs about 500,000 Thai and foreign workers in tourism and other businesses. Phuket’s vaccination program is expected to cover 70% of the population by the end of June so that it can reopen to foreign visitors in July. The resort island of Phuket will be the first Thai locality to reopen, followed by 10 other destinations in October. However, the Thai government only expects to welcome 500,000 foreign visitors this year. – a fraction of the 6.7 million visitors to the Southeast Asian country in 2020 and nearly 40 million in 2019. According to a forecast by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the tourism industry, which accounted for one-fifth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, may have to It took 5 years, until 2026, to fully recover. Regarding the COVID-19 situation in Thailand, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in Thailand has surpassed 800, with 30 people recorded not dying on May 24. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand has recorded a total of 806 deaths out of a total of 132,213 people with COVID-19. The third COVID-19 outbreak since early April has accounted for nearly 80 percent of COVID-19 cases in Thailand and nearly 90 percent of all deaths so far. In recent days, Thailand has detected many COVID-19 outbreaks among construction workers in the capital Bangkok. Authorities last week also found 36 cases of a more contagious strain of the B.1.617.2 virus in construction workers’ quarters in Bangkok. On May 24, Thai officials confirmed a new COVID-19 outbreak at the construction site of an elevated tram line in Nonthaburi province bordering Bangkok. Test samples of 900 workers were taken on May 22 and confirmed results on May 24 showed that 519 workers were positive for COVID-19. Thai authorities say that most of the workers at the site are immigrants and will be quarantined at the site, while the Thai workers will be taken to a makeshift hospital. This construction site has been ordered to close since the evening of May 24.

Cyprus requires travelers to have a negative Covid-19 test valid 72 hours prior to departure to the country. (Photo: AP) The world’s tourism-driven economy destinations are racing to open their borders and revive economies ravaged by the pandemic. The large-scale deployment of Covid-19 vaccination has given many places new confidence to welcome tourists back. But the moment is still really difficult. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the global tourism industry lost nearly $4.5 trillion and lost 62 million jobs last year. The world aviation industry alone lost $126 billion last year and will lose another $48 billion this year. However, inconsistent regulations to reopen international travel globally could make it difficult for anyone planning to travel this summer. For example, in Cyprus there are restrictions on places considered higher risk, requiring arriving passengers to take a negative PCR test for Covid-19 valid 72 hours before departure and to do so. new test upon arrival. Travelers must also self-isolate until they receive their Covid-19 test results. Europe Europe is opening up gradually. Last week, the ambassadors of the European Union (EU) agreed to allow visitors who have had a full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, one of the vaccines licensed by the European Medicines Agency or come from places located in the UK. on the EU safety list. But this is a non-binding mechanism, each country can still apply its own rules and it is not clear exactly when this mechanism will come into effect. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday announced that from the 24th, the country will allow fully vaccinated tourists from the UK and Japan to enter. Visitors from other countries will be welcome back to Spain from June 7. Restaurants and hotels in Greece are preparing to welcome international guests back (Photo: AP) Tourists have started showing up in Greece after authorities this month decided to accept vaccination and test certificates from the EU and 21 other countries. On the Greek island of Naxos, business owners have begun pulling furniture out of storage, cleaning stores and reopening once-stuck seaside pubs. “People here are very optimistic and in fact there have been a lot of bookings in the last two weeks,” said Naxos Mayor Dimitris Lianos, optimistic that visitors will return significantly even by the end of the year. Croatia has also reopened – one of the few places in Europe that Americans can visit this summer. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have announced direct flights from New York to Dubrovnik this summer. Asia The Covid-19 epidemic is breaking out again in many parts of Asia, causing some countries and territories to pause cautious reopening steps. Hong Kong (China) and Singapore have postponed the “travel bubble” without quarantine for the second time after a new outbreak. Both Singapore and Hong Kong (China) have extended the mandatory quarantine period for many unvaccinated travelers. China has set up Covid-19 control points at toll booths, airports and train stations in Liaoning province, where new cases arose this month – travelers must present test results latest negative for Covid-19. Thailand may have to postpone its plan to welcome international visitors to Phuket this July (Photo: TheBangkokPost) Thailand, which closed its borders to control the outbreak for most of last year, is slowly starting to allow some foreign visitors to enter in the fall under tight control. However, the strong outbreak from the end of March until now has shown no sign of abating, prompting the country to re-impose strong measures such as closing entertainment venues and banning outdoor dining. The Phuket provincial government announced that the plan to reopen to international tourists who have been fully vaccinated from July 1 may not be able to go as planned if the daily number of Covid-19 cases does not exist. down to single digits. Middle East and Africa At the height of the pandemic last year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) closed its borders and closed its airports to tourists. The capital, Abu Dhabi, still has strict measures including mandatory quarantine even for fully vaccinated citizens returning from certain countries. But the UAE’s largest city, Dubai, has been open to tourists since July last year with a few more restrictive regulations. Dubai – home to the world’s busiest airport for international travel – is drawing visitors from Europe to its beaches, bars, hotel pools, restaurants, cinemas, parks. leisure and spa. However, Dubai still applies social distancing regulations and requires mask wearing. Egypt is trying to attract more foreign tourists Meanwhile, the largest Gulf state Saudi Arabia does not allow tourists to enter the country. Saudi nationals from this month have been allowed to travel abroad if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recovered from Covid-19. Egypt is trying to attract more foreign tourists even as it faces a new wave of disease outbreaks. The country does not impose new restrictions on beaches, cafes and restaurants in hotels catering to tourists. Egypt even lowered the price of the tourist visa fee, although it still requires a negative test result for Covid-19 before entering. Latin America and the Caribbean The Caribbean region is largely dependent on tourism. In the last year, visitors to the area have dropped by two-thirds to levels not seen since the 1980s. Bermuda has been one of the hardest hit, with an 84% drop in arrivals. Some islands, including Bonaire, Martinique and Montserrat, remain closed to most countries. Elsewhere, return travelers are limited with epidemic prevention regulations including electronic trace management. Several islands, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, created “bubble resorts” to attract tourists. Cruise lines are planning to bring tourists from the US to Caribbean ports this summer. Mexico remains open to international visitors (Image: AP) Mexico does not apply no-fly regulations, does not require travelers to be tested or quarantined upon arrival in the country. Therefore, although the number of visitors decreased, it remained stable, especially in coastal destinations. But, this has increased the rate of Covid-19 infection, forcing authorities in some places to impose restrictions in public places. USA and Canada The US currently still bans most travelers from Europe, China, India, Brazil and elsewhere. Guests, including US citizens traveling on international flights, must have a negative Covid-19 test before boarding the flight. The US State Department continues to advise citizens not to make unnecessary trips abroad. The border between the US and Canada remains closed to non-essential travel until June 21. In the US, domestic aviation has returned to near 2019 levels, but the smokeless industry is slowly showing patience with restrictive regulations. “As we’re seeing vaccination rates increase and Covid-19 incidence decline, from an economic standpoint, reopening,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of the American Travel Association. International travel is extremely important.”

Club Med recently analyzed a series of criteria to find the most suitable places for those who choose this lifestyle. Specifically, the study assessed cost of living, safety, average internet speeds, weekend exploration options, number of leisure activities, and quality of place to work. After scoring the criteria, many Asian cities appeared in the top 10 destinations for nomadic living and working. Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam ranked second, after Phuket (Thailand). In third place is Krabi – another destination of Thailand very famous for its blue sea, golden sunshine and many entertainment activities. Ho Chi Minh City is the ideal place to live and work. According to Euronews page, Ho Chi Minh City is the dream destination of those who choose a nomadic lifestyle, with a score of 274/320, highly appreciated for its moderate cost of living, pleasant climate with temperatures. maintained at 34 degrees Celsius and high speed internet. The city also has a high happiness score (4.5/5) and good places to work (4/5). Research shows that Phuket (Thailand) is the most attractive place in the world for nomads, with a total score of 290/320. With a living cost of around 950 EUR/month, those who live and work here have many options to enjoy life, with 251 relaxing experiences and 750 activities to explore. Phuket is also highly rated for safety, with a score of 4/5.

This scene seems to clearly illustrate the devastation of the Covid-19 epidemic on the tourism industry of the Golden Temple, especially on an island famous for its never-sleeping nightlife, which once attracted about 15 million. visitors per year, according to New York Times. Just a few weeks ago, Phuket seemed ready for a comeback. After a year away from foreign tourists, the Thai government decided to allow vaccinated visitors to Phuket in July without going through quarantine. This is part of a project called the Phuket Sandbox. However, the land of the Golden Temple is facing the worst outbreak of Covid-19 since the pandemic began, partly due to the rich people coming to Phuket, Bangkok to party without adhering to the social gap. Due to the epidemic, Phuket’s beaches are deserted even at the time of year attracting tourists. The number of new daily reported infections increased from 26 on 1 April to more than 2,000 just three weeks later. In early December 2020, Thailand had only 4,000 cases of Covid-19. For months, Thailand’s strict quarantine, blockade and mandatory masking measures have helped limit the spread of the epidemic despite having a significant impact on the economy. But in the latest outbreak, the country’s government responded slowly. In Phuket alone, it was not until April 22, when cases of SARS-CoV-2 were recorded at a record high, did the local government begin to request Covid-19 screening for those arriving on the island. On April 18, the Thai tourism minister admitted that Phuket reopening on July 1 seems unlikely because it will depend on the anti-epidemic situation in Thailand. Bleak In preparation for Phuket Sandbox, the Thai government has provided a variety of vaccines to the island, in hopes of gaining public immunity by the summer. As of mid-April, more than 20% of Phuket’s residents have been vaccinated. However, the picture is still very bleak. Usually at this time of year, the golden sands of Patong Beach will be overflowing with foreign tourists. But now, they are almost abandoned, where some local residents line up for Covid-19 tests. On the way, reptiles can freely move around without fear of being hit by traffic. The absence of international tourists makes life difficult for local residents in Phuket. In mid-April, the Songkran festival is seen as a rehearsal for Phuket’s revival. Instead of foreign visitors, hotels try to attract wealthy locals who, if not for the pandemic, would have gone to Hokkaido (Japan) for a vacation or to shop in Paris (France). However, rather than preparing for a comeback as a tourist paradise, the Songkran festival seems to have spoiled the island’s chances of reopening in July. At the festival in Patong and other beaches in April, thousands of wealthy Thais party, wear bikinis more than masks. To them, Covid-19 is just a virus that can infect vegetable vendors or manual labor, not the upper class. However, subsequent viral test results showed how wrong their thinking was. Many local workers had to line up to receive food assistance due to loss of jobs during the epidemic. The outbreak of the epidemic after months of economic difficulties is also causing the majority of Phuket’s residents to suffer. Just watching a 3-year-old elephant nibble on a cane nearby, Jaturaphit Jandarot lay slowly swinging in a hammock, with nothing else to do. Before the pandemic, he and other elephant managers on the outskirts of Patong used to bring in more than 100 tourists a day, mostly from China. “I am delighted to know they will open Phuket to foreign tourists. Thais do not ride elephants, “Jandarot said. But no matter what the tourism situation, the elephants still need to be fed. . “Of course, we want to welcome people to Phuket, but when they do not defend themselves and bring Covid-19 here, I am somewhat angry,” said Huda Panan, a primary school teacher. Being a taxi driver, unemployed for a year. At one point, mosques in Phuket distributed food to the local people. The long line of people quickly ran out of food. “We can wait a little longer to improve Phuket situation, but not too long,” said Panan.

The most famous resort island in the Golden Temple has its own international airport. So tourists can freely roam the island without risking spreading the virus to other parts of Thailand, according to Reuters . “If we can build immunity to 70-80% of the island’s population, we can accept vaccinated foreign tourists without quarantine,” said Piyapong Choowong, deputy governor. Phuket, says. In addition to health workers, government cabinet members and the elderly, Thailand also prioritizes Phuket’s people to get vaccinated over other localities, emphasizing the central role tourism plays in the country’s economy. Phuket aims to complete the Covid-19 vaccination for the majority of its population by July 1. Before the pandemic, foreign visitors contributed 11-12% of Thailand’s GDP. However, the country’s tourism industry has lost 1.45 million jobs since the outbreak. In 2020, only 6.7 million foreign tourists come to Thailand, spending about 11 billion USD, down from 40 million visitors and 61 billion USD in 2019. In the third quarter of this year, the government of the Golden Temple expects at least 100,000 tourists to return to Phuket. As the global vaccination program progresses, the number is expected to be 6.5 million visitors in the fourth quarter and spend $ 11 billion. “It is a challenge but if it succeeds, it will contribute to the country’s GDP to some extent. We do not expect visitors to come massively like a dam break but hope there will be many generous visitors,” said Yuthasak Supasorn , Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said. He said tourists from Europe, the United Arab Emirates and the US will return to Thailand first. Thailand’s most famous resort island hopes to soon return the tourism industry to normal thanks to the early vaccination program. During the outbreak, strict 14-day quarantine requirements for foreign tourists helped Thailand limit the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections to about 29,100 cases and 95 deaths. However, it is this plan that also makes many tourists afraid to come here to travel. Long-term tourist attraction programs that test negative for SARS-CoV-2 have largely failed, even with innovative measures such as “golf isolation”. Songklod Wongchai, an analyst at Finansia Syrus, believes Thailand can quickly revive its tourism industry. This expert gave an example of the Maldives, the island nation whose hotel booking rate rebounded to 70-80% despite cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. “Increased demand could come back faster than expected. I think the ‘land of smiles’ will soon start to smile again, ”Wongchai said.

The beaches in Phuket are empty of foreign tourists. (Photo: Bangkok Post Office) The Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand said that the number of Covid-19 cases per day has increased to more than 2,000 and is not sure how the pandemic will break out, so the previous goal is to attract 6.5 million foreign tourists in 2021 are difficult to achieve. The Thai government currently expects international arrivals by 2021 to be only 3 million to 4 million visitors. Meanwhile, local tourists are predicted to make about 100 million -120 million trips this year, down from 160 million in the previous forecast. However, Thai officials will continue to plan to attract international tourists who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, through a pilot project in the tourist city of Phuket from July 2021. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will help distribute Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of Phuket’s residents in preparation for international tourists. Regarding the Covid-19 situation in Thailand, today (April 24), health officials of this country recorded a record high number of new cases in the day, with 2,839 cases and 8 more deaths. To date, this Southeast Asian country has recorded a total of 53,022 cases of Covid-19, of which 129 died and 22,327 are under treatment./.

It can be said that the next ceremony of April 30 and May 1 will be the time of “slamming” for many Vietnamese. This is clearly shown through the numbers.

According to statistics of many major travel companies, the number of tourists booking tours has reached 50-60% and short-term tours still dominate with destinations such as Sa Pa, Ha Long, Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Da Lat, Con Dao …

Sa Pa Tourism Association said that since the beginning of April 2021, rooms at accommodation establishments for 4 days of 30/4 holidays and 1/5 in Sa Pa have reached about 80%. Many establishments run out of rooms completely on this occasion.

Similarly, Vietravel has sold about 80% of its tour plans for the holidays of April 30 and May 1.

The epidemic COVID-19 is being well controlled, so the tourist spots are almost overloaded on the weekends. Meanwhile, many resorts, homsestay, 3-4 star hotels in Da Lat, Vung Tau, Phan Thiet … announced their room out at the holidays of April 30 and May 1. The airlines also announced “burned” air tickets this holiday.

It can be said that April 30 and May 1 are the first long break, opening the domestic tourism summer and also a golden opportunity for the tourism industry to recover and take off after more than a year of hardships for COVID- 19.

In the summer of 2021, the golden time of domestic tourism is because Vietnam has well controlled the epidemic and the demand for tourism has been compressed for more than a year, waiting for a “boom” moment. If before COVID-19, the domestic tourism market had to share a lot of money to choose to travel abroad, now, this 90 million population market is almost a piece of domestic tourism.

Facing such a great opportunity, the domestic tourism industry needs to make the most of the new difficult opportunity to retain this large number of tourists in the long run. For a long time, some tourist resorts have been doing business in a “snatch” style, only worrying about the immediate benefits, worrying about withdrawing money from visitors without regard to service attitude and service quality. For a long time, a number of tourist spots that are used to welcoming Western tourists have a lot of money and have a “chaste” attitude towards domestic tourists.

If we keep the same way, it is difficult to take advantage and keep the upcoming golden opportunity. It should be understood that at least in the year period, the tourism industry will inevitably still have to rely largely on domestic tourists.

Whether the program “Vietnamese to travel to Vietnam” has been maintained for a long time, creating a habit for domestic tourists or not, it all depends on the stakeholders involved in the tourism industry. If not, as long as the pandemic ends in many countries, a large number of Vietnamese tourists will pull suitcases to travel abroad. There are places where the natural scenery cannot be as beautiful as Vietnam, but the travel service is sure to satisfy them more.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese tourism industry still has to find ways to welcome international tourists while ensuring not to “catch” even the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Countries that depend on tourism have many good ways such as travel corridors, flexible isolation, vaccine passports …

Thailand and Indonesia both give priority to the COVID-19 vaccination for people in the two tourist islands Phuket and Bali, aiming to open to international visitors soon this July. Indonesia will prepare a tourist corridor, establish a “green zone” in Bali for tourists to come and stay, considering a direct flight connecting Bali with well-controlled countries. Meanwhile, the tourism industry in Phuket wants to inject the majority of the island’s population to welcome all international tourists who have vaccinated. Visitors will not have to quarantine or go anywhere as long as they do not leave the island within a week.

Tourism bubbles have been formed as between Taiwan (China) and Palau, Australia and Singapore …

The European Union (EU) member countries have agreed to formally implement the ‘vaccine passport’ initiative towards reopening the tourism industry in the summer of 2021.

In Vietnam, Da Nang is the leading city in this regard. The city tourism industry has selected about 10 leading travel companies to prepare for the welcome guests when the policy of “vaccine passport” from the government.

Facing a precious golden opportunity, the Vietnamese tourism industry is both happy and worried. Glad for the opportunity to revive, worried about how to perform the dual task: well serving the sudden increase in tourists; ensure disease prevention.

Because just one case of COVID-19 in the community in a certain tourist city is a golden opportunity to slip out of hand again, as happened in Danang last year.