Tourists visiting Hue encounter a rainy day.

Safety comes first.

Towards the end of September, several tourists shared memorable experiences of traveling to Hue during a storm. Thanh Huy (a tourist from Hanoi) shared: “On the first day in Hue, I couldn't leave the hotel because of the torrential rain and flooding in many places. Since I had already booked several services, I couldn't cancel the trip.” His initial plans were significantly affected by the unexpected natural disaster, but considering it an objective reason and prioritizing safety, he only viewed it as a memorable experience. “Tourism companies still have support policies. No one wants a storm, so I happily accepted it and redirected my experiences to something more suitable,” Huy shared.

In reality, there are still tourists who "defy" the weather and prefer adventurous experiences, especially independent travelers. Some tourists, having booked services in advance and unable to postpone or cancel them, still "try" to experience them. This poses risks, as there have been numerous incidents recently involving tourists at some domestic tourist destinations due to natural disasters, despite prior warnings from authorities.

According to a representative from the Department of Tourism, the rainy and stormy season affecting localities in Vietnam, especially the Central region, coincides with the beginning of the peak season for international tourists. In addition, many domestic tourists are planning their trips or have already booked tours in advance during this time. Tourists come to Hue in two ways: on organized tours by travel agencies and independent travelers. For those on organized tours, travel agencies always have plans in place to ensure safety. However, independent travelers have schedules and plans that are difficult to control. One of the biggest concerns is that some independent tourists still seek out tourist destinations such as beaches, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, and mountains, even in bad weather conditions with potential risks of flooding, flash floods, and landslides.

Flexible and proactive support for tourists.

According to Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of the Department of Tourism, before the rainy season, especially before the predicted storms and heavy rains affecting Hue, the Department of Tourism usually issues official documents requesting tourism service businesses to proactively focus on prevention, response, and mitigation. The top priority is ensuring the safety of lives and property of tourists as well as the businesses themselves. The Department also organizes on-call teams, ready to receive, coordinate, and support businesses and tourists.

The key issue is the proactive approach of tourism businesses and organizations. Besides proactively communicating with tourists to adjust itineraries and tours, and developing tourism products adapted to the rainy and stormy season, these businesses must not be complacent or disregard warnings from authorities. In particular, coordinated and flexible policies are needed to serve and support tourists.

Ms. Chau Thi Thanh Huyen, a tourist from Hanoi, said: “The reason tourists are willing to take the risk of traveling in stormy weather is because they have already booked services but cannot cancel or postpone them. Tourism businesses and hotels need to have flexible and appropriate policies, creating conditions to support customers in rescheduling their trips or some mechanism to better protect their rights.”

According to Ms. Duong Thi Cong Ly, Vice President of the City's Travel Association, tourism activities and services for tourists cannot be interrupted during the rainy season and floods, but the tourism industry and the business community must prepare contingency plans to ensure the dual goal of both developing tourism and ensuring the safety of tourists. To satisfy tourists, the handling of tours and routes during stormy weather must be truly sophisticated. Depending on the weather situation, travel agencies should discuss and agree with customers to adjust itineraries and experiences or find suitable solutions. If customers do not agree, appropriate support policies should be in place.

But no matter how flexible the approach, the most important thing remains tightening control measures to effectively protect tourists.

Text and photos: HUU PHUC

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/du-lich/chu-dong-bao-ve-du-khach-158693.html