At present, international tourists holding normal passports issued by specific countries can visit Vietnam without visa. However, the term of residence differs based on the visitor’s nationality and passport. The Vietnam Tourism Association aims to boost tourism in the country and attract more international tourists by expanding the visa exemption program. The association has suggested to extend visa waiver to tourists from UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, India, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. It further requested the government to continue to visa exemption for a period of five years.
Guide to Vietnam’s Visa Policies & Procedures
At present, the visa exemption program is available to tourists from 23 countries. But the distinct culture and diverse scenic beauty of Vietnam attracts tourists from various countries. Most international visitors nowadays apply for Vietnam visa online through various visa processing agencies. These agencies help international visitors to obtain visa on arrival without any hassle and delay. But most international tourists look for countries offering visa exemption. The current visa waiver program dissuades tourists from several countries to holiday in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Tourism Association has made the suggestion based on the requests made by various local and international tourist enterprises. The tourist firms find it difficult to promote and sell their tour programs to international visitors due to terms of residence. Most international tourists plan their vacation about 6 months to 1 year in advance. The tourist enterprises explore ways to meet varying holiday plans of visitors by offering attractive deals. The visa exemption and extended term of residence will help tourist enterprises to promote and sell their Vietnam tour programs.
The government is yet to announce its decision to extend the visa waiver program. But many analysts believe that the government will accept the suggestion made by Vietnam Tourism Association to boost the domestic tourism industry and generate additional revenue. The extended visa exemption program will help Vietnam to compete with popular tourist destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. The revamped program will further enable international tourists from 9 new countries to stay in Vietnam for 30 days without visa.
The extended visa waiver program will further help visitors from various regions to visit Vietnam without any hassle or restrictions. At present, a large number of tourists from Canada visit Vietnam on a regular basis. Likewise, the tourists from Western European countries love to stay longer in Vietnam and spend money. At the same time, most visitors from Australia and New Zealand holiday in Vietnam during low season. Hence, the extended visa waiver program will help the government to attract international tourists throughout the year, along with generating additional revenue and creating new job opportunities.
