Panorama Destination Vietnam: our journey to the New Normal
For most of 2020 and early 2021, Vietnam remained virtually free of Covid-19. This was because the country was quick to impose border restrictions and quarantines, deploying intensive contact tracing teams where needed and imposing localised lockdowns to keep the virus at bay.
With consistently low cases and a speedy response to new infections, the country was ranked in the top three out of almost 100 countries graded by the official Lowy Institute Covid Performance Index, which assessed the overall success and efficiency of each nation’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, Vietnam was one of only a handful of countries worldwide to register economic growth (2.9%).
However, the emergence of the Delta virus in May 2021 pushed the country’s capabilities to their limit. The government issued strict stay-at-home orders in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The situation then improved, and the country fully reopened its tourism infrastructure from 15 March 2022.
On 27 April 2022 Vietnam scrapped the need for medical declarations from foreign entrants. Then, on 15 May, the nation officially ended its requirement for PCR tests prior to departure, meaning travellers could finally enter without testing.
The Panorama Destination Vietnam office has been put into ‘hibernation’ until further notice, but is expected to resume operations in the near future. We are working closely with local officials and international governing bodies to ensure the safety of Panorama Destination clients returning to Vietnam in the months ahead.
We have already introduced a set of health and safety protocols based on a dedicated Covid-19 policy and continue to work alongside other DMCs in Southeast Asia, to ensure safe and standardised services for all returning visitors.
