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

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.

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.

As international flights still cannot fully resume, the tourism industry is hoping for an increase in domestic travel.

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.

Large cities in Vietnam, especially tourism sites, are rushing to develop a night-time economy with the aim of becoming ‘sleepless cities’.

It is still unclear when Vietnam will reactivate international flights and reopen its market to foreign travelers, but agencies and travel firms all are making hectic preparations.

Some restaurants and hotels owned by Saigontourist have begun selling food online, while iVIVU, the online hotel room booking platform, has started selling combo lunch and Hue Smile local specialties.

Bamboo Airways, Vietnam’s newest airline, has announced it will reduce the frequency of domestic flights amid the critical time of COVID-19 fight as directed by the Government and Ministry of Transport.

Many retail models and entertainment services in large cities have not been successful when trying to develop a night economy.

A group of pickpockets operating at tourist destinations throughout Vietnam have been increasingly targeting foreign travelers, negatively affecting the image of the country as a tourism destination.

In many cities and provinces, local authorities are moving ahead with plans to develop night entertainment services, such as walking streets and night markets to attract travelers and develop local economies.

Problems have arisen after a hot development period of homestay service over the past few years. Many homestays have shut down, while existing homestays have kicked off unhealthy competition by slashing rents.

The high growth of accommodations, especially 1-3 star hotels, has caused a hotel oversupply in Da Nang.

Nepal on May 21 imposed a ban on transactions with Chinese e-wallets Alipay and WeChat Pay in the country. What about Vietnam?

More European travellers are choosing thematic tours to learn about culture, ecosystems and religions in Vietnam.

Circular 06/2017 released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stipulates that from January 1, 2019, the managers of domestic and international travel firms must have associate or higher-level degrees in a travel major.

Most travelers choosing homestays and short-term rentals like novelty and often change tourism destinations, and do not return to the same rental.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s great efforts to satisfy travelers have brought more foreign tourists to the country.

Experts and travel firms have conflicting views about the survey which found that 93.5 percent of travellers found their visit ‘satisfactory’ or ‘very satisfactory’, and less than 1 percent ‘unsatisfactory’.