With community transmissions resurfacing, many travellers nationwide have canceled tours to coronavirus-hit travel destinations, including Da Nang. In a supportive manner, the city-based travel companies have shown their willingness in helping their customers cancel, change, or postpone the tours they had booked previously.

Tourists who still stay in Da Nang are strictly comply with the COVID-19 precautions. A guest make an electronic medical declaration at the À lacarte Hotel on April 28. Photo: NHAT HA

Without foreign tourists due to border closures and flight suspension, travel companies had been banking on domestic tourism to survive as the summer holiday season approaches, but the new COVID-19 wave has dashed their hopes. They have seen the en-mass cancellation of Da Nang tours planned for the end of May, June and July, the peak months of the summer travel season.

As soon as a locally transmitted COVID-19 case was detected in the city early May 2021, Ms. Tran Bich Ngoc, the Director of a 3-star hotel on Pham Van Dong Street, Son Tra District suspended the hotel’s operation.

She said that rooms booked for May and June by the hotel’s guests nationwide have all been cancelled. The hotel has released refund policies in favour of some clients as per their wishes and still encouraged others to reschedule their tours set to depart in the next months.

According to Mr. Ho Thanh Tu, the Director of VIET Adventure Travel Co., Ltd., although the incentive programmes and tours were sold out, the new virus resurgence resulted in cancellations.

This travel firm has proactively guided its customers to postpone tours to reduce financial damage to both sides amid the complicated developments of COVID-19. However, a problem raised here is that air tickets have been deposited by the company and purchased in advance to reserve the seats, which causes difficulties in getting refund.

Currently, airlines have different polices on ticket change and refund for travellers with confirmed seats and departure date due to the complexity of the latest COVID-19 outbreak, but with some conditions attached.

“Customers often want to get refund for their tour cancellations, but this depends a lot on airlines and road transportation service providers which are facing many financial difficulties, so we do hope for sympathy from our customers”, said Mr. Le Tan Thanh Tung, Deputy General Director of Vitours.

Vitours, for the time being, mainly deals with booked-in-May tours postponed to December. Those who booked tours for the following months must still wait for announcements from airlines.

Accordingly, Mr. Tung suggested that the competent authorities meet representatives of the airlines to come up with the common rate of refund.

According to Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association Cao Tri Dung, amidst the complex virus wave, his agency doesnot encourage its member businesses to welcome guests.

Many businesses operating in this non-smoke industry have suffered heavy damage and still worse, on the brink of closing down and going bankrupt. Therefore, more than ever, tourism businesses are now looking forward to seeing the complete containment of the virus as soon as possible.

According to the municipal Department of Tourism, there are an estimated 1,900 long-term visitors who are living in apartments, and close to 700 short-term ones who are visiting Da Nang for business trips.

Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh said that most serviced accommodation establishments in the city have offered appropriate policies to their clients such as allowing them to reserve rooms until the end of August 31 or December 31.

Some reservations can be canceled and then refunded by accommodation facilities as per clients’ expectations.

Reporting by NHAT HA - Translating by A.T