Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Thanh Hong said that the department had submitted a draft plan to welcome foreigners from potential and safe markets such as Northeast Asia, Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Oceania.

The pilot programme will be implemented in three phases. The first phase starts from November only for those who use combo packages and visit several selected destinations such as Hoi An cncient city My Son Sanctuary and Hoiana Complex.

The second phase starting from January 2022 expects to welcome more arrivals through chartered and regular commercial flights. After completing a seven-day tour in the first destination, tourists can visit several destinations in Da Nang city, and Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa and Quang Ninh provinces.

In the third phase, full re-opening will be decided based on the pandemic's developments and the results of the two previous phases.

Foreigners and overseas Vietnamese must have a certificate of full vaccination recognised by Vietnam’s authorities.

Travellers are also required to have a certificate proving they are negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP within 72 hours prior to departure. They must have travel insurance that covers COVID-19 with a minimum liability of US$50,000, and must purchase a tour package from a travel agency.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is temporarily recognising 'vaccine passports' of 72 countries and territories, and is in discussions with nearly 80 others on mutual recognition for the 'vaccine passport'.