Travel firms have been advised to focus on the domestic market for the immediate time. However, they also need to draw up new strategies and new programs to conquer this group of travelers.

In recent talks with VietNamNet, Dr. Nguyen Duc Kien - Head of Economic Advisory Group to the Prime Minister - said the pandemic battle and mass media communications have to be adjusted to support economic development.

While many travel firms and hotels have gone bankrupt or are idle, others have been thriving thanks to new business strategies and creative products.

For travel firms to survive the pandemic, they have had to undergo restructuring.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic cast a long shadow over the tourism industry in 2020, causing it to fall short of ambitious targets set for the year.

The tourism industry has never before fallen into such a difficult situation. Many travel firms have had to shut down, while tour guides have had to take temporary jobs while waiting for opportunities to return.

While the number of tourists flocking to Sa Pa is increasing, tourism activities and services lack diversity.

After a record-high growth rate in January, Vietnam’s tourism industry has fallen into a crisis caused by Covid-19.

Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Vietnam would welcome 21 million international visitors annually, with total revenues exceeding US$60 billion.

Over the past eight months, hotel room tariffs have plunged and hotel room occupancy rates have remained low, forcing several hoteliers to divest capital with many financially weak hotels in the local market being put up for sale.

Safety of tours and people’s financial capability are the decisive factors affecting people’s travel plans from now to the end of the year, a survey has found. Travelers are choosing short tours and going in small groups.

In the first campaign launched months ago, it was difficult to stimulate demand, but now the situation is far worse.

Vietnam should not look forward to receiving foreign travelers soon after it reopens international air routes, but it needs to prepare well to get them back.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told the Ministry of Transport to continue to plan the resumption of more international flights, but in a “controlled” manner.

In many cases, parties in the tourism supply chain broke their promises to reduce prices, and as a result, travel firms could not provide tours at reasonable fees and travelers felt they were not respected.

Vietnam’s current account surplus could narrow to 3.7 per cent in 2020 from 4.9 per cent last year due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Fitch Solutions.

The hotel market has been in a state of hibernation since the beginning of the year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 90%-95% of travel companies in HCM City have suspended operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government’s relief and credit packages are now vital to help HCM City travel firms survive the coronavirus crisis, a top official in the city Department of Tourism has said.

Supermodel Jessica Minh Anh will promote Vietnamese tourism by presenting the country as a friendly and safe destination through reality shows to be produced from now to next year.