As Vietnam joins the rest of the world in social distancing to combat COVID-19, the country’s tourism board is reaching out with a themed resource kit, a sort of virtual Vietnam for travelers. Targeting tourists who’ve had to cancel or cut short trips to Vietnam, or are unable to travel this year, the ‘Stay At Home‘ kit, created by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) together with the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB)is a nice  way  to  keep  the country  top  of  mind.

The kit features 360-degree interactive tours of Vietnam’s renowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites, easy recipes for popular Vietnamese dishes such as banh mi and bun cha, colouring pages celebrating classic Vietnam moments, and suggestions for cultural explorations in books, music and art. The tourism board is also inviting future travellers to explore its ‘My Vietnam‘ series: a collection of insightful videos and personal interviews with locals across the country.

While the country’s borders have been officially closed since March 22, the tourism board hopes the ‘Stay at Home’ kit will offer a piece of Vietnam to those outside, until the country is ready to welcome visitors again. Tourism leaders said the country’s fast action and effective prevention system place Vietnam in a strong position to receive travellers again soon.

Further help for travelers

Vietnam has also recently set up an English-language tourism helpline for travelers remaining in the country. The call centre can provide assistance at (+84) 378 173371 during business hours on topics such as visas, accommodation, food services, and more. New policies, closures and statistics related to the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam are also updated daily on the national tourism website.