Called the Land of the Ascending Dragon, Vietnam has all the makings of a popular destination - stunning coastline, historical avenues and great local food. And for Indians, with Vietnam’s low prices, it was a sureshot hit. But for two years now, the country has been reeling under the pandemic, with strict restrictions in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.
However, on 16th March, Vietnam announced scrapping of the quarantine requirement for all international travellers, hoping to revive its tourism sector. The country’s Ministry of Health issued a statement stating that the only requirement for visitors now will be providing proof of a negative COVID test report.
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Vietnam had already been inching towards resumption of travel in the past few months,and has vaccinated 98% of its population. Visitors had been allowed back into the country at resorts, under bubble arrangements late last year. Vietnam has also announced resumption of 15-days visa-free travel for travellers from 13 nations. These include Germany, Sweden, Russia, Britain, Japan, Norway, Belarus, Finland, Spain, Denmark, France, South Korea, and Italy.
According to a news report published in Channel News Asia, the country’s tourism sector stood at US$ 32 billion a year before the pandemic hit. In spite of almost 200,000 Covid-19 cases still being reported per day in the country, Vietnam’s health ministry has assured it is safe to travel, owing to low hospitalisation and death rates.
