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
Vietnam visa on arrival for us citizens
Vietnam named among list the most powerful passports in the world
The Hanoitimes - Vietnam ranks 84th among the most powerful passports in the world with 51 visa-free destinations, according to latest statistics of Henley Passport Index 2018. In Southeast Asia, a Vietnamese passport has the same clout as a Cambodian one, and is only more powerful than Laos and Myanmar. Vietnam tourism. Japan surpasses Singapore to top the global ranking, offering its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to a record 189 destinations. The Singapore passport ranks second place, tied with Germany, with a total of 188 destinations accessible without a prior visa. The third places go to South Korea, Finland, France, Italy, Spain and Sweden, while the US and UK are at fourth places. The Henley Passport Index is formulated based on data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world's largest database of travel information. The index surveyed a total of 199 different passports against 227 different travel destinations, … [Read more...] about Vietnam named among list the most powerful passports in the world
Foreign tourists happy with Vietnam’s visa exemption policy
Foreign tourists visit Hue Imperial City. (Photo: VNA) - Foreign visitors have warmly welcomed Vietnam’s continued visa exemptions for guests from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, saying the policy is good for the country to spur tourism. From the beginning of July, citizens from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy will enjoy visa exemptions for the next three years, until June 30, 2021, as approved by the Prime Minister. “Visa exemption is good for the country to open to tourism,” said Anthony Dme, a visitor from France. Vietnam 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. French guest Anastasia Belkacemi said the policy made people want to go because they did not have to pay. “We feel like part of Asia that we can come in easily like Indonesia, no need visa,” Matteo Lelli, an Italian, said. Vietnam is among … [Read more...] about Foreign tourists happy with Vietnam’s visa exemption policy
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
Vietnam’s tourism needs urgent reform to take off
Viet Nam’s tourism industry is booming and is fast becoming the driving force behind economic growth – but it also faces calls for reform to keep up with high standards. Customers at Noi Bai’s international airport in Ha Noi. Airports in major cities such as HCM City, Hue and Da Nang, are facing the overload trouble. The “smoke-free” industry has witnessed spectacular success in the past few years with higher growth rate every year. Last year, nearly 13 million foreign visitors came to our shores, earning the country more than VND500 trillion (US$22 billion). That’s up 30 per cent and 20 per cent year-on-year, respectively. Over the decade, the number of international visitors to Viet Nam has tripled while revenue has increased by nine times. Viet Nam’s tourism ranked sixth in the top 10 fastest growing tourism destinations globally and was crowned the best performer in Asia in 2017. The industry last year contributed 7.5 per cent to … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s tourism needs urgent reform to take off