VIETNAM’S NEW E-VISA POLICY DRAWS ATTENTION OF FOREIGN TOURISTS

The policy of renewing the e-visa with its duration to 90 days for tourists coming to Vietnam is gradually approaching its effective date of August 15, 2023, attracting the attention of the tourism industry both at home and abroad.

According to the online travel platform Agoda, the number of searches about this new policy increased by 33 per cent within two weeks after its approval by the Vietnamese National Assembly.

Among them, the highest increase in the number of accommodation searches came from tourists from France, with a 72 per cent hike compared to the two weeks earlier. Other countries such as the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, and the US also recorded a rise in interest in travelling to Vietnam, ranging from 38 per cent -45 per cent.

According to the Agoda, their data analysis focuses on long-haul travelers from North America, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, etc., who face stricter visa policies compared to entry into other Southeast Asian countries and the wider Asia-Pacific region. They often have to take more expensive and longer round-trip flights, making them inclined to plan for longer vacations compared to visitors from nearby regions. Therefore, the increased flexibility and ease of the visa issuance process, along with promotional efforts and more flight services, have contributed to realising the goal of attracting more foreign tourists to Vietnam.

The survey data also indicated positive signs towards achieving Vietnam's target of attracting 8 million foreign visitors by the end of this year. Since the beginning of this year, Vietnam has welcomed about 5.57 million foreign tourists.

Following the visa policy change, India rose from the 8th place to become the second largest international market for hotel bookings in Vietnam, only behind the Republic of Korea.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Department Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said the department will partner with relevant departments and agencies to jointly fine-tune the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism development policies in the city.

In the first half of this year, foreign tourist arrivals in the city surpassed 1.9 million, up 306 per cent annually and equivalent to 38.8 per cent of the 2023 plan. Meanwhile, the number of domestic visitors exceeded 16.4 million, up 48 per cent year-on-year and reaching 46.9 per cent of the yearly plan.

Source: VIR