A corner of Sam Son Beach is seen empty on the first day after the social distancing regulations were lifted. (Photo: VNA)Thanh Hoa (VNS/VNA) – Visitorsto the central province of Thanh Hoa can now visit touristdestinations in the province, which have re-opened since last weekend, accordingto the decision of the Chairmanof provincial People’s Committee.
However,groups of tourists are not allowed to exceed ten people and must abide bymeasures of epidemic prevention and social distancing regulations.
Alongwith other tourist destinations in Thanh Hoa province, Lam Kinh Historical Site, locatedin Tho Xuan district,temporarily stopped receiving visitors since mid-March to prevent the spread ofCOVID-19.
Duringthe closure, the management board of the special national site regularlyimplemented environmental sanitation and improved the surrounding landscapelike planting, pruning and trimming trees and flowers.
Afterover a month, the destination is now ready to welcome tourists again.
“LamKinh Historical Site is a special national relic, so the protection of itslandscape and ecological environment has always been paid special attention,”said Vu Dinh Sy, head of the site’s management board.
“Afterre-opening the tourist destination, besides offering reception and guidance totourists, the management board will continue to strengthen disease preventionand control measures, particularly supervising and reminding tourists to followepidemic prevention in public places like wearing masks, protecting thesurrounding environment, maintaining social distancing and avoidingovercrowding in one place. We will take advantage of the opportunity that theepidemic has been controlled to foster and develop tourism activities of Lam KinhHistorical Site,” he added.
Le Hoai Anh and her family from Thanh Hoa city were among the first tourists to thehistorical site. Their recent visit to the destination offered them a freshexperience.
“Iused to visit the site during Tet(Lunar) New Year and festivals when it was thronged with visitors.
"However,I felt much more peaceful this time, having the chance to get immersed innature and visit many other places in Lam Kinh Historical Site that I had notbeen to before,” Anh said.
“Itmight be the most exciting moment for our family after days of staying homefollowing social distancing regulations.”
Likewise,many accommodations and restaurants in Sam Son beach in Sam Son cityhave been preparing necessary conditions to welcome guests when the socialdistancing regulations were eased.
Asrecorded last weekend, Sam Son beach had barely any customers while therestaurants and hotels along the beach started to resume operation throughcleaning and sanitising activities. Measures to prevent and control theepidemic will still be tightened like requesting health checks and compulsoryhealth declarations from all tourists staying in hotels in the area.
Accordingto Vice Chairman of the People’s Committeeof Sam Son city Bui Quoc Dat, thecity is urgently completing tourism management plans to welcome tourists backafter the social distancing period.
“Thecity has temporarily suspended several checkpoints on major roads and Highway47 and demanded local accommodation facilities to strictly implement thehealth declarations for all tourists to the city.
“Meanwhile,the specialised forces will constantly inspect and supervise epidemic controland prevention at tourist sites and resorts. If any tourism businessesviolate the rules, they will be fined according to the regulations onepidemic control and prevention,” he added.
Accordingto the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vuong Thi Hai Yen, the top priority of Thanh Hoa province’s tourism sector is the safety oftourists and the community in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Inthe spirit of not underestimating the disease and strictly implementing theprevention and control measures, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourismof the province will provide specific instructions to local tourism businessesin preparing to welcome tourists back, such as not organising tours to theepidemic hot spots, not receiving tourists from the epidemic area or groups ofmore than 10 people”
Shealso noted that the local tourism enterprises had to follow the safe tourismcriteria, in addition to taking the initiative in preventing and fighting theepidemic with measures recommended by the Ministry of Health.
Similarly,two famous tourist attractions in the southern province of An Giang – SamMountain and Cam Mountain National TourismSites – have also opened their doors to tourists.
Accordingto Tran Quoc Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Chau Doc City People’s Committee, tourists can now visit Sam Mountain Tourism Site from 9amon April 28. Earlier, the site had to close its doors since March 25 and wouldre-open when the epidemic is under control.
Meanwhile,Cam Mountain Tourism Site in Tinh Bien districtwill re-open its doors on April 29 after one month of closure, as revealed bythe provincial Trade and Investment Promotion Centre.
However,tourists entering the site must strictly follow regulations on COVID-19prevention like wearing masks, washing hands with soap or disinfectant solutionand keeping a distance of at least two metres from others.
Earlier thisweek, many tourism destinations in other provinces also re-opened to receivetourists ahead of the upcoming national holiday that falls on April 30,reunification day and May 1, International Labour Day. The lists of opening attractions include thenational heritage site Ghenh Da Dia (The Cliff of Stone Plates) in Phu Yen province, Phong Nha-Ke Bang NationalPark in Quang Binh province, My Son Sanctuaryin Quang Nam province, Da Lat NightMarket in Lam Dong province, together with beaches in Da Nang, Binh Dinh and Kien Giang. However, only domestic touristsand expatriates in Vietnam willbe allowed in most sites.
Onthe other hand, the relics and tourism sites in Hanoi have not re-opened yet butare preparing to welcome tourists back soon, like the Temple ofLiterature, Hoa Lo Prison and Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
Accordingto Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Centre for Scientific andCultural Activities of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam, the sanitisation activities are stillbeing conducted daily within the Temple of Literature, complying with theregulations on epidemic prevention and control to ensure visitors’ safety onre-opening.
Nguyen Thanh Quang, Vice Director of Thang Long- Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre, revealedthat Thang Long Imperial Citadel willwelcome its first tourists after the social distancing period on the upcomingnational holiday.
Meanwhile,the Hanoi City Tour bus route will also resume operation on this occasion,first serving domestic tourists./.
VNA
