The province people's committee has approved a trial three-phase vaccine passport program for tourists from Europe, the U.S., Northeast and Southeast Asia, and Australia, which have high vaccination rates and controlled Covid-19 quite well, the government news portal reported.

In the first phase of the program until January, visitors are required to book a tour with approved travel agencies, arrive in Hue by charter flights and stay at sequestered resorts.

A group of South Korean tourists are scheduled to arrive later this month and stay at the Angsana Lang Co Resort in Phu Loc District.

In the second phase, starting February, visitors can also come by cruise ships and visit more destinations such as the Bach Ma National Park and heritage sites.

In the final phase all restrictions will go depending on the situation.

Visitors need to furnish certificates showing they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid, and tested negative within 72 hours before departure.

They are also required to have medical or travel insurance including coverage for Covid-19 treatment worth at least $50,000 and install the IGOVN and PC-Covid health declaration applications on their phones while in Vietnam.

Hue, the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, is home to royal tombs, ancient palaces and pagodas that attract millions of foreign visitors every year.

In around four weeks since reopening to international tourism in mid-November, Vietnam has received over 1,000 foreign tourists who visited Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa and Kien Giang provinces.

By the end of this month the tourism industry expects the number to rise to 15,000.