THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON COMMUNITY TOURISM IN DA BAC DISTRICT, HOA BINH PROVINCE

Abstract

Da Bac is a highland district of Hoa Binh province, with great potential for tourism development. However, the Covid-19 pandemic caused tourism activities to be significantly affected. The article aims to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism, livelihoods and how to respond to people in Da Bac district.  Research results show that the number of tourists to Da Bac decreased by nearly 67%, tourism revenue decreased by 56%, other livelihood sources also experienced a decrease in income ranging 30 - 52% compared to that before the pandemic. In response to the impact of the pandemic, 37.5% of households chose to change to other livelihoods, 62.5% chose to continue maintaining tourism activities by minimizing costs, seeking source of domestic tourists, taking advantage of the epidemic time to repair infrastructure and improve tourism capacity. From the research results, the article proposes some solutions to restore and develop livelihoods.