Vietnam’s resort island Phu Quoc welcomes first group of international tourists

After a nearly two-year border shutdown, Vietnam’s Phu Quoc resort island welcomed more than 200 international tourists from South Korea on Saturday. The fully vaccinated travellers are able to enjoy the Southeast Asian island without undergoing a 14-day quarantine. The fully vaccinated tourists can also take part in activities such as sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment events by showing their vaccine certificate.

The chairperson for the country’s Administration of Tourism, Nguyen Trung Khanh, welcomed the travellers at the airport. He told the Associated Press…

“The initiative is part of Vietnam’s attempts to revitalize the tourism business while gradually reopening and strengthening the economy in a new normal setting.”

According to the Health Ministry, all service facility employees and 99% of Phu Quoc’s adult citizens have been fully vaccinated against the virus, and the island is planning to vaccinate residents aged 12 to 17 next month.

Vietnam is the most recent Asian country to begin welcoming fully vaccinated travellers, as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia have already opened up limited destinations to tourists in early November. Last Thursday, Vietnam welcomed 29 visitors who travelled on a charter flight from South Korea to Da Nang Airport in Quang Nam province under the vaccine passport programme.

SOURCE: AP