Mr. Nguyen Khanh Tung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho city, said: “The difficulties, which the tourism industry is now facing, are promoting tourism and attracting tourists, while still ensuring safety. Tourist satisfaction is an important factor, thus we need to reassure tourists and make them believe in a safe tourist destination. Therefore, Can Tho authorities endeavor to develop a safe travel map”.

However, according to some travel agencies, hotels, and restaurants, tours booked in August and September all are requested to cancel. Although many methods have been made like delaying the tour or changing the travel schedule, the results are negative. Tour cancellation is still going on. According to the Department of Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City, there are about 35,000 tours canceled and postponed. Meanwhile, in the Mekong Delta city and provinces, tour and service cancellation exceed 60%. Mr. Le Thanh Phong, Permanent Vice Chairman of Mekong Delta Tourism Association, said: “The Mekong Delta is still a safe tourist destination and we must strive to preserve this. This is an opportunity as well as a challenge for regional tourism, it is therefore necessary to propose appropriate action programs to adapt COVID-19 with safety as a prerequisite”.

“We are still traveling during this time. However, what important is the self-awareness and responsibility to protect yourself and the community. Moreover, we will choose a safe destination where the pandemic is under control, learn about the measures for anti-epidemic and tourist protection there, and regularly use recommended apps from the Ministry of Health of Vietnam”, some tourists shared thoughts on traveling during this time. A manager of a resort in Can Tho said that the number of visitors to his spot is still stable, reaching more than 70% of the number of rooms. This is because Can Tho is a safe destination and has very active infection prevention and control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourists can still travel during this time but with caution. They must choose destinations that have no COVID-19 community infection case, learn the disease prevention and control measures, and be able to handle negative situations of the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of accommodation establishments, tourists must learn about the customer protection policy, customer service before deciding on where to stay. Hotels are regularly disinfected, but for maximum safety, visitors should request a room with nobody staying for 3 days. Besides, visitors are also self-conscious in protecting themselves and everyone when coming to public places by always wearing a mask keeping at least 1m from other people.

The manager of a travel agency in Can Tho said: “We are in a very difficult situation since a series of tours are canceled. Moreover, we have to compensate for a lot of contractual damages and solve many arising problems. We need supports from both the customers and the local authorities. For example, instead of canceling the tour, visitors can choose to change their schedule or delay the trip for a better time. Besides, we also want to have supportive policies as well as financial assistance, especially in terms of tax, to overcome difficulties in this period”.

The tourism industry is now struggling. Although there are no official statistics, it can be seen that many travel companies, especially small ones, have to temporarily suspend operations. It is hard to predict when the pandemic will be over, so there should be supportive policies from the government and local authorities for travel businesses.