Tourism industry urges government to expand visa waiver scheme

Currently Vietnam exempts only citizens of 25 countries from requiring visas.

“One of the barriers for foreign tourists to visit Vietnam is its complicated and restrictive visa policy,” Mark Koerner, chairman of EuroCham Vietnam’s Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee, said in a petition submitted to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the annual Vietnam Business Forum on Sunday.

The petition collates opinions from leading tourism experts and hospitality and tourism industry insiders.

The petition states: “The visa exemption period is too short for many visitors who want to explore the country’s diverse attractions while the e-visa and visa on arrival processes can be time-consuming and inconvenient.”

To attract more tourists and boost tourism spending, the insiders want the government to double the visa-free stay from the current 15 days and consider three to six month visas for retirees.

They also call for improving passenger handling at major airports, especially in Hanoi and HCMC where foreigners have to wait for too long at immigration counters.

They want the number of immigration officers and scanners increased and special lanes introduced for business travelers and families with children.

Last week the government ordered officials to waive visas for more countries and to extend the length of stay for foreign tourists to speed up the recovery of tourism.

Vietnam received 3.6 million foreign tourists last year, or around 20% of pre-Covid numbers.