Vietnam welcomes 1st tourists to resort island after 2 years

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has welcomed more than 200 foreign tourists to its largest island, the first to visit the Southeast Asian country after nearly two years of border closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fully vaccinated travelers from South Korea will spend their holidays in Phu Quoc hotel resorts without a mandatory 14-day quarantine. They are tested on arrival, and once the negative results are returned, they can join activities on the island including sightseeing, shopping and entertainment events. Everyone working in the tourism sector and virtually the entire island population have been vaccinated. In the last two years, Vietnam has allowed only several international flights a week with foreign experts, diplomats and returning Vietnamese nationals.