Following recent permission made by the Da Nang administration, some tourism service activities are now allowed to reopen with stringent conditions attached. This is considered a good signal for the tourism industry amid the effective control over the COVID-19 wave. Despite difficulties in tempting tourists back in the post-COVID period, the gradual reopening of services is highly expected to restore travel activities soon.

Tourist sites have taken advantage of the time during the pandemic-triggered operation suspension to beautify the landscape in parallel with enhancing service quality to bring new experience to visitors every day. Here is an attractive scene of the Sun World Ba Na Hills resort with the planting of thousands of flowers. Photo: THU HA.

Ready to welcome guests back

According to Chairman of Sun Group in Central Viet Nam Nguyen Van Binh, depending on the developments of the pandemic as well as the permission granted by the authorities and the actual needs of the tourism market, all tourist sites and hotels under the group will map out plans to gradually open their doors to ensure safety for both their staff and visitors.

In fact, at the beginning of reopening, there would be difficulties facing tourism businesses on their way to resume operations. In reality, contact-intensive services key to the tourism and travel sectors are disproportionately affected by the pandemic and will continue to struggle until people feel safe to travel en masse again.

Travellers may be more hesitant than before to take trips Da Nang which has experienced 4 coronavirus waves. Meanwhile, due to the economic impact of the pandemic, the majority of tourists may limit their pocket expenditures on trips.

Sun Group's destinations in Da Nang, however, have taken advantage of the time during the pandemic-triggered operation suspension to beautify the landscape in parallel with enhancing service quality in a bid to bring new experience to visitors every day.

For example, at the Sun World Ba Na Hills resort, one of the must-visit tourist sites in Da Nang, more than 12,000 roses, 10,000 sunflowers and thousands of marigolds have been planted. At the same time, the ‘Sun Waterfall’ with golden statues has taken its shape, eying to be a new attractive tourism icon in Da Nang in the near future.

In a similar vein, the Ba Na Hills Golf Club is ready to welcome guests back following the deployment of re-landscape, grass improvement and staff training with the desire to bring new experience moments to golfers.

Similarly, local museums have all developed plans to meet the pandemic prevention requirements whilst welcoming visitors back.

Nguyen Van Hien, Head of the Authority of the Marble Mountain Tourist Area, said that the staff have been assigned to be on duty to maintain the elevator, do environmental cleanup and preserve the natural landscape so as to ensure its mage as a clean and safe relic site.

The tourism industry is striving to reopen service and activities. The staff of the Marble Mountains Tourist Area are seen cleaning the elevator area, ready to welcome guests back. Photo: THU HA.

Re-opening schemes depending on tourist confidence restoration 

In his point of view, Chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association Cao Tri Dung said that tourism businesses are very hopeful about the policy of re-opening the economy as well as tourism activities in the city.

The Association is, for the time beng, working with the municipal Department of Tourism to take cautious strides to resume activities based on the progress of tourist confidence recovery as well as build up roadmap so that when the tourist market recovers, the service system is always in a state of readiness at a high level, thus meeting the demands of guests as well as pandemic prevention requirements.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Binh, the Deputy Director of the city's Department of Tourism has developed plans to restore the tourism industry appropriate in the period of “coexist living with the pandemic”.

To ensure that the tasks are suitable to the actual situation and effectively affect the tourism recovery process, the Department of Tourism is coordinating with other relevant agencies to adjust on 10 groups of solutions. Focus will be on developing a plan to welcome back domestic and international tourists in the new normal state under an appropriate roadmap. 

Besides, a draft plan to tempt domestic tourists back in different phases has been developed.

In detail, from October 2021 onwards, importance will be attached to attracting  Da Nang tourists in the form of satiation, with the launch of the “Da Nang people experience Da Nang tourism’ programme featuring promotions on service packages at some attractions, resorts and dining areas across the city.

Also, preparations in terms of resources will be taken to be ready for welcoming arrivals from other localities.

From November 2021 onwards, heed will be paid to welcoming official diplomatic guests under the "green stream" priority scheme from such northern localities as Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh.

From December 2021, the city will offer tours/combos, sightseeing, tourism and entertainment activities to domestic tourists hailing from other provinces and cities across the country.

From January 1, 2022, all tourist service establishments active in accommodation, food and beverage, sightseeing, entertainment and other services across the city will be able to resume their operations.

Reporting by THU HA – Translating by ANH THU