Ho Chi Minh City reopens inter-regional tours

In early October, many tour operators in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) have launched tours to the city’s landmarks as well as to Can Gio and Cu Chi.

Ho Chi Minh City reopens inter-regional tours -0
Cable cars to Ba Den Mountain. Photo by To quoc.

The Municipal Department of Tourism of HCMC on October 18 allowed Saco Tourism Company to launch a one-day tour to the Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh for 100 tourists. This was the first tour to a place outside HCMC since the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Truong Quang Hung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tay Ninh province and representatives of the Management Board of the Ba Den Mountain tourism site warmly welcomed the first tourists, from HCMC to the site. Mr. Hung said that HCMC has been the first locality reopening tours to Tay Ninh province.

Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the Municipal Department of Tourism of HCMC, said that the tour to Tay Ninh is part of the city’s plan to restore the city’s tourism industry in the new normal period.

The city will work with other provinces and cities to develop inter-regional safe routes and safe tourist destinations by requesting tourism operators, tourist vehicle drivers, tourist guides as well as tourists to seriously observe anti-COVID regulations.

To date, over 95 percent of HCMC’s adult population have received one COVID-19 vaccine shot, including 80% fully vaccinated.

Many other provinces still hesitate to reopen tourist sites and restart tourism activities. Additionally, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has not yet issued common regulations for tourism activities so different localities are applying their own regulations different from each other.

Do Tuan Anh, Director of VietMark Travel Agency, proposed that the “green card” in tourism should be accepted by all localities throughout the country.

It is impossible and difficult for travel businesses to reopen their operation and offer tourism products and services if differences between localities in health regulations still exist.

He also said that inter-regional tours should be allowed to be reopened as domestic airlines have restarted their operation.

By DT

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