Central region in desperate need of tourism revival

After years of successful operations in Hội An, the beachfront Sea’lavie Boutique Resort & Spa on An Bàng beach now only employs 20 percent of its normal workforce, while room rates have been slashed by 50 percent.

In days gone by the resort was packed with tourists, but it was almost empty during the two COVID-19 lockdowns between April and July.

To make matters worse, the property suffered serious damage from torrential rains, floods, and winds that wreaked havoc in central Việt Nam in late 2020.

Travel agencies and hotels in Hội An saw some light at the end of the tunnel with 1,000 bookings from domestic tourists for the Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays in February, but then another wave of COVID-19 infections hit the country, dashing those hopes as domestic tourists stayed at home.