HÀ NỘI  – The Department of Tourism of Quảng Ninh has completed a draft plan called “Green-lane tourism” to revive the COVID-19-stricken sector in the northern coastal province.

Director of the department Phạm Ngọc Thuy said it was important to provide tourists with information about where is safe to travel to, regarding the COVID-19 situation.

“Green-lane tourism” will offer holidaymakers safe services and make them feel comfortable and relaxed when experiencing tourism services, Thuy explained, adding that joining the scheme will also be a way for businesses to promote their services and provide their staff with a COVID-19 free working environment.

The department has tightened its set of 35 compulsory and optional requirements for COVID-19 safety. Accordingly, the department has required tourism service providers to give away face masks to tourists and check the temperature of visitors and input suppliers. Restaurants are encouraged to install table partitions to limit direct contact among diners.

Quảng Ninh has adopted a new tourism stimulus policy, which plans to slash admission charges to popular destinations, such as Hạ Long Bay, Quảng Ninh Museum and Yen Tử Complex of Monuments and Landscapes, by half in the first half of 2022 to lure holidaymakers.

This weekend, the province will welcome its first group of foreign visitors, from the Republic of Korea, under Viet Nam’s pilot programme for vaccinated travellers.

Since tourism activities resumed in late September, Quảng Ninh has welcomed around 800,000 visitors. The province is pinning high hopes on tourism this year as it expects to receive some 9.5 million domestic tourists and 1.5 million foreigners.  — VNS