|
Support Online
 
Advanced Search
More Information
FAQ Categories
Payment
|
 |
Flu virus fears hammer tourism industry In the past week, business at Vietnamese travel firms has suffered as news spreads that the H1N1 is becoming epidemic in ‘Hope of August’ may be dashed
The Ministry of Health and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism have not issued any advisory guidance on flu-related travel limitation At ‘The He Tre’ (Young Generation) Travel Agency, a deputy director, Dung, said his firm did not anticipate the seriousness of the flu epidemic. Dung said that the flu scare plus bad weather have sharply reduced the number of travellers between Though Vietnamese travel firms have scrambled to take advantage of a Vietnam Airlines discounted domestic tickets promotion, buying tickets for resale to customers, Dung said, the flu scare causes the travel firms to worry about the business outlook over the next month. A deputy director of Vietnamtour in According to a deputy director at HaiVeNu Travel, if clients have already booked tours, they will still travel. Those who are really worried about the flu may change the departure time. Alarmingly, the number of clients booking new tours has decreased significantly. Agents say the combination of global economic recession and swine flu have significantly reduced the number of travelers from Vietnam’s top markets (the US, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, China, Malaysia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, France, Singapore and Canada). There were 278,000 foreigners to Vietnam in July, 16 percent less than in July 2008. Vietnam has greeted 2,172 million tourists in the last seven months, a decrease of 18.7 percent over the same period of 2008. Traveling in the flu period: protect yourself The Ministry of Health and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism have not issued any advisory guidance on flu-related travel limitation. Precautions are a matter of travellers’ individual discretion. Dung of The He Moi said that travelers should not be too worried about the flu pandemic. He advises travellers to wear protective masks at airports or crowded places, avoid close contact with local residents and report to the tour guides if they have any signs of sickness. Dung said that while foreign travel to Vietnam is ‘dead,’ domestic tourism can save the day. He has asked Vietnam Airlines to keep selling air tickets at preferential prices to travel firms until the end of the year. Since June, Vietnam Airlines has been providing free masks to prevent transmission of H1N1 flu virus on all its international flights from HCM City. All ground staff serving international flights departing from HCM City also wear protective masks. Vietnam’s national carrier is keeping a close watch over the spread of the flu pandemic in Hanoi and other localities to make well-reasoned decisions. Ngoc Ha - VietnamBridge Other news for Friday 07 August, 2009
View all news for Friday 07 August, 2009 on one page News for Thursday 06 August, 2009
View all news for Thursday 06 August, 2009 on one page Recent News
|
|
