Vietnam will continue visa exemptions for travellers from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy from July 1 this year. The visa exemption will last until June 30, 2018. A corner of Quy Nhon Beach The country first offered visa waivers for citizens from the five European countries in July, 2015. The policy has been updated annually and would have expired at the end of June. The continued visa exemption is expected to help the domestic tourism sector obtain the annual growth of international visitors to around 30%. The number of tourists from these countries to Vietnam soared in recent years, with 720,000 in 2015, 855,000 in 2016, and 1,500,000 in 2017. Vietnam has some of the strictest visa policies in Asia. The country currently offers visa waivers to visitors from 24 countries and territories, including the ASEAN member countries. The country has tried to improve the situation with an e-visa policy which is now available to people from 46 countries. According to the … [Read more...] about Vietnam continues visa exemptions for Western European visitors
Vietnam tourist visas
Vietnam extends visa exemption for Europeans for another three years
Visitors from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom will continue to receive visa exemptions for the next three years in Vietnam, officials said at a government press conference on Thursday. Vietnam first offered visa waivers for citizens from the five European countries in July 2015, and in the past the policy has been updated annually and would have expired at the end of June. However, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has yet to sign off on requests from tourism agencies to extend the visa-free duration from 15 to 30 days. Western Europeans are big spenders, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, and shell out on average $1,316 per trip. In 2015, Vietnam welcomed 720,000 western European tourists. The number increased 19 percent in 2016 and doubled to 1.5 million in 2017. Visitors from these countries increased by 5.5-16.8 percent in the first four months of this year, accounting for 6.6 percent of all foreign arrivals to Vietnam, according to … [Read more...] about Vietnam extends visa exemption for Europeans for another three years
Vietnam extends visa exemption for Europeans with surprising three-year term
By Vy An  May 4, 2018 | 01:37 pm GMT+7 Foreign tourists enjoy the beach in Ha Long in northern Vietnam in April 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Cuong The policy is usually renewed annually, and would have expired at the end of June. Visitors from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom will continue to receive visa exemptions for the next three years in Vietnam. Vietnam first offered visa waivers for citizens from the five European countries in July 2015, and in the past the policy has been updated annually and would have expired at the end of June. However, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has yet to sign off on requests from tourism agencies to extend the visa-free duration from 15 to 30 days. Western Europeans are big spenders, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, and shell out on average $1,316 per trip. In 2015, Vietnam welcomed 720,000 western European tourists. The number increased 19 percent in 2016 and doubled … [Read more...] about Vietnam extends visa exemption for Europeans with surprising three-year term
Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay
Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay, illustration photo With globalisation encouraging visa-free travel all over the world, only 24 countries have visa exemptions in Vietnam, while other countries in the region have much higher numbers: 168 in Indonesia, 162 in Malaysia, 159 and Singapore and the Philippines, and 57 in Thailand. In order to attract more foreign tourists, the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) sent a letter to the Vietnamese prime minister recently, asking for more visa exemptions for international tourists, especially ones from developed countries, who might indulge in long stays and luxury spending. According to TAB, since mid-2015, the visa waiver for tourists has helped raise the number of foreign visitor arrivals by 20 per cent, but difficulties have been caused by a lack of clarity regarding the visa waiver programme for five European countries – the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy – which will expire at the end of June. Talking to VIR, a … [Read more...] about Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay
Strict visa policy limits tourist arrivals
VietNamNet Bridge - Visa waivers are used by many countries to attract tourists, but Vietnam has chosen to pursue a strict visa policy. Vietnam received 13 million foreign travelers in 2017 Reports show that complicated procedures and high visa fees are the major reasons behind the loss of billions of dollars in revenue in many countries. A report from the EU Parliament says the harsh visa policy may cause the loss of 250,000 jobs and 12.6 billion euros ($13.8 billion) to the EU economy. A British tourism expert estimates that because of difficulties in obtaining visas, $200 million worth of revenue from foreign travelers may fall into the hands of countries which apply loose visa policies, such as Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. Vietnam is failing to attract travelers from many markets because of security reasons and fear of loss of revenue from visa fees. The fee to obtain a visa to Vietnam is at least $25. With 13 million foreign travelers to Vietnam in 2017, … [Read more...] about Strict visa policy limits tourist arrivals