Experts attending the ongoing Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum urged the government to extend visa waiver policies, especially for high-spending tourists. While Vietnam is the midst of a tourism boom with a record high of 15.5 million foreign arrivals in 2018, a year-on-year rise of 20 percent, the numbers remained lower than that of neighboring countries in the region. Thailand (38 million), Malaysia (25 million), Singapore (18.5 million) and Indonesia (15.8 million) received more tourists than Vietnam, the forum heard. Furthermore, Vietnam has not done a good enough job of cashing in on tourism. A survey released last year at the Vietnam Travel and Tourism Summit revealed that a foreign tourist spent $96 a day on average in Vietnam in 2017, three times lower than in Singapore ($325), and well below that of the Philippines ($115), Indonesia ($132), Malaysia ($134), and Thailand ($163). Vietnam tourism does not do well in terms of repeat visits by foreigners, industry insiders … [Read more...] about Government urged to remove visa bottlenecks
Vietnam visa canada on arrival
Vietnam visa hassles could deter long holidayers
Frenchman Thomas and Thai girlfriend Araya had big plans for Vietnam. Their first visit to the country in August had impressed them so much that they wanted to return for a much longer trip. The first trip happened after they’d traveled from France to Bangkok to visit Araya's parents. As they socialized with Vietnamese people and learnt about different places in the country, they regretted not visiting Vietnam sooner. After the trip, Thomas researched more information about other travel destinations in Vietnam. Fond of motorbikes, he planned to enjoy exploring the northern mountains on one, apart from a leisure trip to Nha Trang, a resort town in central Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City for Araya. Vietnam’s beaches are a popular draw among foreigners, but those who want long holidays in the country face complicated visa rules and procedures. The plan was to spend the entire month of November exploring Vietnam, before Thomas starting a new job in December … [Read more...] about Vietnam visa hassles could deter long holidayers
Extended visa exemption to increase Western European guests
(VEN) - The 15-day visa exemption policy for visitors from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy was extended by three years commencing July 1. This is expected to increase the number of high-spending, long-stay visitors to Vietnam. Vietnam has become an increasingly attractive destination for Western European visitors Western European market development According to Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, the open-door visa policy aligned with enhanced tourism promotion has contributed to maintaining Vietnam’s growth rate of foreign visitors at nearly 30 percent annually. Minister Dung noted that the government would consider proposals from the Vietnam Tourism Association concerning the extension of the period of stay in Vietnam from 15 to 30 days and the expansion of exemptions for more countries. Western Europe is a desirable tourist market with its stable economy and high-spending, long-stay visitors. According to Hoang Nhan Chinh, Secretary … [Read more...] about Extended visa exemption to increase Western European guests
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
HCM City proposes visa exemption extension
Foreign tourists enjoy a cyclo tour in HCM City (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - The HCM City Tourism Association has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on further extension of visa exemption for tourists coming from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The visa waiver programme for the five European countries will expire at the end of June. It remains unclear if the Government will extend the visa waiver, causing uncertainty to the tourism industry and making it difficult for tourism agencies to develop marketing plans for these markets, the association said. The visa waiver for tourists, which began in mid-2015, has helped increase the number of foreign visitor arrivals. The association has asked the government to approve exemptions for five years instead of making renewal every year, and to increase the maximum stay to 30 days from the current 15. The association chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Khanh, also asked the government to … [Read more...] about HCM City proposes visa exemption extension