Vietnam travel vaccinations

Foreign tourists visit the Independence Palace in HCM City on August 8. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Strict visa policies and a shortage of human resources and infrastructure in the tourism sector have stymied recovery of the travel industry, and the target of five million international arrivals this year could be out of reach, industry players have warned. Domestic travel has seen a strong rebound whereas international tourism, with a target of five million arrivals this year, remains in a slump, said Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association. Domestic visitor numbers topped 71.1 million in just the first seven months of this year against a full-year target of 60 million, he said. In the same period there were only 733,000 international visitors, or 8% of pre-pandemic numbers, he told a two-day programme titled ‘Lien Ket Suc Manh Du Lich Vietnam Nam 2022’ (Power of Vietnam Tourism Linkages) that ended in Ho Chi Minh City on August 9. Though … [Read more...] about Vietnam mulls ways to boost inbound travel

Vung Boi - De Gi, an unspoiled destination in Phu Cat District around 40 km from Quy Nhon Town, has become the center of attention after some of the giant creatures were spotted off the beach earlier this month. The beach is famous for its clear, blue waters. Lensman Nguyen Phan Dung Nhan of Quy Nhon said he and his friends hired a boat to reach the area where the blue whales are. Diving expert and local tour guide Tommy Toan said that he spotted the whales a month ago. Initially he saw eight blue whales but now there are only two left, a male and a female. A blue whale has its mouth open while hunting for tiny, shrimp-like krill. Toan said he first encountered blue whales on July 26 when he was taking tourists to Hon Trau Islet, about 8 kilometers from the shore. According to folklore, whales are auspicious creatures because fishermen have a good harvest when … [Read more...] about Blue whales put on a show off lesser-known beach in central Vietnam

With the peak summer travel season drawing to a close, Vietnam’s international tourism segment still faces bottlenecks on its route to full recovery. Within the framework of a program early this week to discuss the current state of the Vietnamese tourism sector, representatives from businesses and organizations across the country voiced doubts that Vietnam will meet its goal of welcoming five million foreign tourists by the end of the year if regulations governing visa policies, infrastructure, and personnel are not relaxed. Incomplete recovery According to Cao Thi Tuyet Lan, sales manager at Viettours Incentives & Events Co. Ltd., foreign tourists still find it difficult to enter the country despite Vietnam having fully reopened its borders. “What's more, it is hard to apply for visas for business travelers who work with domestic enterprises," Lan said. “[The domestic partner] first has to register [the foreign partner] with the Immigration Department, then wait for a … [Read more...] about Vietnam still struggles to welcome back int’l tourists

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health’s Drug Administration has asked local pharmaceutical firms to focus on researching medicines and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of monkeypox. According to the Ministry of Health, monkeypox cases have been on the rise globally. Many countries have intensified research into new treatments. At present Tecovirimat, Brincidofvir, Cidofovir, and Probenecid, have been allowed for monkeypox treatment by the World Health Organisation. Monkeypox vaccines have been used in some nations. Monkeypox cases have been on the rise globally Under the Drug Administration of Vietnam’s instruction, local pharmaceutical companies need to seek sources for monkeypox medicine imports in necessary cases. The administration will create the most favourable conditions for granting licenses for the import and distribution of monkeypox medicine. The import of materials for medicine production will also be prioritised. The Ministry of Health has urged … [Read more...] about Vietnam to research monkeypox treatments

Vietnamese authorities have realized that the birthplace-omitted passports have troubled other countries’ immigration work. Vietnam’s Ministries of Public Security (MPS) and Foreign Affairs (MoFA) have been working on redesigned passports with some European countries due to the omission of birthplace in the paper. Vietnam's redesigned passport. Photo: Hoang Lam/Zing MoFA Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang informed at the press conference on August 11 following questions on the visa application rejected by Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic over the place of birth information. “The Consular Department of MoFA and the Immigration Department of MPS on August 8 worked with the embassies of Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic in Hanoi to discuss the temporary suspension of visa issuance by these countries to holders of the redesigned passport as the document does not explicitly display information about the place of birth,” Hang said in a statement. At the … [Read more...] about Vietnam works with some European countries for new passports

Tourists in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working with domestic ministries, agencies and foreign partners to facilitate travel of Vietnamese and foreign citizens, said Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang . At the ministry’s regular press conference in Hanoi on August 11, Hang said amid the complicated and uncertain developments of the COVID-19 pandemic with new, more virulent and transmissible variants as well as the emergence of new epidemics like monkeypox, several countries are yet to open their doors and continue limiting travel, some of which are major tourism markets of Vietnam. As the global economy continues to struggle from the pandemic, international tourism has not yet fully recovered, and Vietnam is not an exception. Following the Prime Minister’s directions to accelerate the tourism recovery in the new situation, Hang said Vietnam has promoted the mutual recognition of 'vaccine passports' and the … [Read more...] about Vietnam facilitates travel of Vietnamese, foreign citizens

An antiviral drug for monkeypox treatment (Photo: AFP/VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Facing complex developments of the monkeypox outbreak in the world, the Health Ministry’s Drug Administration has asked pharmaceutical and material producers to increase the import of and proactively develop monkeypox medication . In a document sent on August 10, the agency requested the companies keep up with the development of monkeypox medication and vaccine in the world, access drug material supply sources, and import materials into Vietnam to serve drug development and production. It also asked drug and material importers to proactively liaise with foreign manufacturers to access supply sources and survey demand among domestic health establishments. The agency said it will give maximum priority to licensing the circulation and importation of monkeypox medication and drug materials in line with regulations. Shortly after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak … [Read more...] about Pharma companies told to proactively develop monkeypox medication

A scene of the MV featuring Ninh Binh's Trang An complex. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam looks stunning in a music video “ Waiting for You – 5 , 000 Years ” newly released by Republic of Korean singer and composer Joseph Kwon to mark the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries (December 22, 1992 – 2022). A press conference took place in Hanoi on August 10 to launch the new MV with Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu in attendance. Sieu said he appreciates Kwon for his love for Vietnam’s nature, people and culture, stressing his brilliant MV makes the beauty of Vietnamese tourist destinations shine through and expecting the MV will promote Vietnam’s landscapes globally. According to Kwon, for almost two months, he and his production team have travelled to numerous popular destinations across Vietnam, from Hanoi, Cuc Phuong National Park and Trang An (Ninh Binh), Tam Chuc (Ha Nam), … [Read more...] about RoK singer shows love for Vietnamese destinations in new MV

Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - As tourism continues to revive, the hotel and tourism industry is suffering from challenges in recruiting qualified human resources post pandemic, industry players warned. Speaking at a seminar on August 9 in HCM City, Dr Nguyen Anh Tuan, director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, said there was a lack of high-quality staff in the industry. Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association , said that human resources were a weak point for the industry even before the pandemic. “Efficient, hard-working, and resourceful human resources are the backbone of any successful business. It is even more so in the case of the hotel industry.” Successful hotel operations are sustained by customer-oriented and hard-working employees who have adequate competencies, he added. A large number of hotels and resorts stopped operation during the two-year pandemic, and coming back could prove challenging, he … [Read more...] about High-quality human resources key to sustainable tourism industry

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) recently met with the embassies of Germany, the Czech Republic and Spain and asked them to coordinate with Vietnam to tackle difficulties regarding granting visas in the new version of Vietnam’s passports, according to the MoFA. At the MoFA’s regular press meeting on August 11, spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang updated the media on some countries’ refusals to recognise the new version of the passports since they don’t contain information about place of birth. She said under the Prime Minister’s direction, the MoFA’s Consular Department and the MPS’s Immigration Department had a working session on August 9 with the embassies of Germany , the Czech Republic and Spain in Hanoi to discuss the countries’ suspension of issuing visas on new Vietnamese passport s due to the absence of this … [Read more...] about Ministries work to smooth out problems with new version of Vietnamese passport