Travel industry professionals advocated for the extension of visa-free travel to citizens of the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and all EU member states. However, as of now, Vietnam excludes residents of only 25 nations from visa requirements.
A petition was presented at the annual Vietnam Business Forum to Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister on Sunday. In it, the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee of EuroCham Vietnam’s chairman, Mark Koerner stated, “One of the barriers for foreign tourists to visit Vietnam is its complicated and restrictive visa policy.”
Travel industry experts and insiders from the hospitality and tourism industries contribute to the petition.
According to the petition, “The e-visa and visa-on-arrival procedures can be time-consuming and inconvenient. And the visa exemption period is too short for many visitors who want to see the country’s many attractions.”
According to EuroCham’s director, Gabor Fluit, tourists prefer Vietnam for its affluent cultural heritage and beautiful landscape. Extending the one-month visa extension to all EU nations will help take advantage of the travel industry’s potential. In addition, as neighbouring countries did, implementing a visa program for self-sufficient retirees for three to six months could help boost the thriving tourism industry.
Presently, citizens of Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, and Sweden are permitted to enter and stay in Vietnam for up to 15 days without requiring a tourist visa.
AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce) chairman, Greg Testerman proposed to expand the list of e-visa and visa exemption-eligible countries.
According to Thanh Nien, the AmCham representative, business travellers shall be allowed to extend the current 30-day visa without needing to leave the country.
Industry insiders also call for improving passenger handling at major airports, particularly in HCMC and Hanoi, with too long waiting times for foreigners. They want more immigration officers and scanners, as well as special lanes for families with children and business travellers.
To accelerate the recovery of tourism, the government issued an order last week. It directed officials to waive visas for additional nations and extend the length of stay for foreign tourists. Last year, Vietnam welcomed 3.6 million foreign tourists (roughly 20% of its pre-Covid numbers).