NEW REGULATIONS FOR DUTY-FREE GOODS APPLICABLE SINCE NOVEMBER
[12-09-2015] Since November 1, 2015, airline passengers would be able to purchase duty-free goods on international flights to Viet Nam. This is part of Decision No. 39/2015/QD-TTg which requires that the airlines must be set up and operate in accordance with Vietnamese law.
THE REVERIE SAIGON€™S GRAND OPENING SET FOR EARLY NEXT MONTH
[14-08-2015] Premium hotel The Reverie Saigon in HCMC’s District 1 has picked September 1 for its grand opening date. The hotel anchoring the 39-floor Times Square building on Nguyen Hue Boulevard consists of 286 rooms overlooking the downtown area and the Saigon River. There are 224 guest rooms ranging from 43 to 53 square meters, and 62 suites measuring 63 to 313 square meters.
MACAU-HCMC CHARTERED FLIGHTS SET TO START NEXT MONTH
[10-08-2015] Two local travel companies will join hands with their Macau partner to arrange three weekly chartered flights starting next month to transport tourists between Macau and HCM City. The flights, with 180 seats each, will be jointly conducted by Macau’s Sun Star Travel Agency, Viking Travel Company in HCMC and Indochina Service in Hanoi. The first flight is scheduled on September 22.
UPDATES ON VISA EXEMPTION
[05-08-2015] The Vietnamese Government has unilaterally decided that holders of passports from the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain and France will be waived off Vietnamese visas from the 1st July, 2015 to 30th June, 2016. Earlier, the Southeast Asian country inked 80 visa exemption agreements.
MORE VISA WAIVER PLANNED
[13-07-2015] Vietnam will deploy new programmes to attract more international tourists following recent bold steps to stop the sharp decline in the number of inbound visitors. Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) authorities last week suggest the government waive the tourist visa requirement for member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, known as SNG, Eastern Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
LUXURY HOTELS FACE RISING COMPETITION
[08-07-2015] Although the number of foreign guests at four- and five-star hotels in the nation’s south rose 10% last year, upscale hotels saw room occupancy and tariffs declining due to mounting competition, Grant Thornton Vietnam said.
VIETNAM AIRLINES TO LAUNCH NEW PROCESS FOR ONLINE CHECK-IN
[23-06-2015] To facilitate the online check-in procedure, as of June 25, passengers may enjoy the hassle-free check-in using their boarding pass (either printed on paper or displayed on mobile or tablet device), which has been processed through Web/ Mobile check-in, to go straight through security.
VIETNAM GRANTS VISA EXEMPTION TO FIVE COUNTRIES IN EUROPE
[19-06-2015] Citizens from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy will now be able enjoy visa exemptions for stays that last no longer than 15 days. According to the recently issued Resolution No 46/NQ-CP, the policy will be in effect for one year, starting from July 1 and ending on June 30, 2016, and applies to all types of passports and immigration reasons, as long as they meet the conditions required by Vietnamese law.
