HANOI— Vietnam plans to reopen Phu Quoc beach island to foreign tourists next month, authorities said, as the nation looks for ways to revive the economy from suffering from extended lockdowns due to the coronavirus cases.
According to the Vietnamese government, Phu Quoc, which is 10 km (6 miles) off the coast of Cambodia, is expected to open for trial in six months.
Vietnam, which currently shuts visitors and returning citizens and investors, managed to curb the virus but in the past three months, the nation has faced a surge of new infections due to the highly infectious Delta variant. Vietnam’s Tourism and Culture Minister Nguyen Van Hung said the pandemic has hurt the tourism industry.
According to a statement, fully vaccinated tourists who tested negative from swab test are eligible to enter Phu Quoc. Vietnam’s foreign arrivals sunk from 18 million in 2019, its tourism revenue was $31 billion or 12 percent of its gross domestic product, to 3.8 million last year.
Vietnam will vaccinate all residents on Phu Quoc before reopening, adding that the island has not reported any community infections and had enough COVID-19 quarantine and treatment facilities.
Thailand, its neighboring country, has partially opened to foreign tourists, including the island of Phuket where 70 percent of the population were required to be vaccinated.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh mentioned that Vietnam has recorded over 570,000 infected people and death toll of 14,400. Meanwhile, the foreign ministry on Thursday said Ho Chi Minh City, the epicenter of the latest outbreaks, has opened restaurants for dine out and allowed shippers to operate in a slight relaxation of tough restriction.