Vietnam poised to drop visa requirements for 15 nations, Australia, UK, Scandinavia on list, but not US
3 Jun 2015 at 17:29
BLOOMBERG NEWS
Thai tourists take a boat ride through Trang An in Vietnam. (Bangkok Post file photo)
HANOI — Vietnam will offer more visa exemptions and set up a US$100-million tourism fund to promote the country’s attractions in a bid to reverse a drop in foreign visitors that’s hurting the economy.
"The hassle of getting a visa is seriously hampering Vietnam in attracting tourists," Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the National Administration of Tourism, said in an interview in Hanoi Wednesday. "The application process is easier, faster and more convenient in other countries in the region."
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed to offer "unilateral visa exemptions" to countries that have sent high numbers of visitors to Vietnam in recent years, Mr Tuan said, declining to give more details.
Tourist arrivals in the Southeast Asian nation fell for a fifth month in May, with the biggest declines from Thailand, China and Cambodia.
Motorbikes buzz through the streets of Hanoi, a top choice for foreign tourists. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Tourism contributes about 6% of Vietnam's gross domestic product, according to the government, which is trying to spur economic growth to above 6% this year. About 3.3 million tourists visited the country through May, a 13% drop from the same period last year.
Starting this year through 2019, Vietnam will offer visa exemptions to visitors from Denmark, Finland, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, and Sweden.
But tourism officials have asked Mr Dung to add nine more countries to the list: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and the UK.
The planned fund will be used to train workers in the industry, hold roadshows and set up tourism offices overseas, Mr Tuan said. Up to 30% of the money will come from the state budget, with the rest from tourism companies, he said.
To better compete with countries such as Singapore and Thailand, Vietnam aims to improve its facilities and simplify the visa process, Mr Tuan said. Tourists are sometimes asked to pay an "unofficial" fee in addition to the official tariff.
"We need to improve the domestic tourism environment to be more attractive to visitors," he said. "It's crucial."
Vietnam poised to drop visa requirements for 15 nations | Bangkok Post: travel
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Vietnam waives visas for 5 more European countries, including Germany, UK
By An Dien - Thanh Nien News -Thursday, June 18, 2015 16:12
Tourists from India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand may have to wait a little longer
In an explicit gesture to resuscitate the ailing tourism sector, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has signed off on visa waivers for five more nationalities, a move highly welcomed by industry insiders.
Under a decision dated June 17, Vietnam will offer visa exemptions for single-entry visits of up to 15 days for visitors from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, and Spain starting this July, Nguyen Van Tuan, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said at an international tourism convention that opened Thursday in the central city of Da Nang.
"This is certainly very good news for Vietnam’s tourism industry,” Tuan said at the convention. “This is one of the new policies by the Vietnamese government aimed at creating an environment conducive to the development of the sector.”
At a recent meeting between PM Nguyen Tan Dung and the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) -- a consortium of international and local business associations and chambers of commerce -- members of the Tourism Working Group said issuing visas with a fee is a “short-sighted” policy that hinders tourism development.
The warning came at a time the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam through May dropped 13 percent from the same period last year to about 3.3 million.
'More to follow'
Insiders are gung-ho about the latest development.
“We hope this is just the first step and there will be more to follow,” Kenneth Atkinson, chairman of the Tourism Working Group, told Thanh Nien News over the phone.
Currently, citizens of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries do not need a visa to enter Vietnam.
The country also waives visa for single-entry visits of up to 15 days for Danish, Finnish, Japanese, Norwegian, Russian, South Korean, Belarusian, and Swedish nationals starting this year until 2019.
Tourism industry insiders in Vietnam have pushed for the easing of visa requirements, arguing that the country will benefit much more with an increase in foreign arrivals.
They have proposed that PM Dung add nine more countries -- France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the UK, India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand -- to the list.
Although India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were not included this time, “five countries is better than nothing,” Atkinson said.
Tourism contributes about 6 percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product. The country is looking to notch up economic growth of above 6 percent this year.
Insiders had expressed concern that the current arrival decline would not be able to talk the authorities concerned into relaxing visa regulations. The matter was clearly very complex as it involved several different ministries whose interests were not always aligned, they said.
But given the latest move, "obviously different ministries are starting to realize the gains of visa waivers,” Atkinson said.
“One of my mentors in Vietnam said many years ago: ‘The only time you get decision is when there is crisis'," he said.
Vietnam waives visas for 5 more European countries, including Germany, UK | Travel | Thanh Nien Daily http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20150603/c1_581455_150603172940_620x413.jpg
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Official: Vietnam to scrap visas for five European countries in July
TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 06/18/2015 16:14 GMT + 7
Vietnamese Prime Minister signed Wednesday a directive to waive visa requirements for citizens of five European countries, starting July 1.
The visa-free travel policy will be applicable to German, French, British, Italian, and Spanish visitors, with an allowed 15-day stay for each entry, according to the document.
Vietnam will waive visas for the five countries for one year from the directive’s effective date. These countries do not have a similar policy for Vietnamese citizens, however.
The Southeast Asian country currently applies a one-sided free-visa policy to eight countries, including Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Belarus.
Vietnam also has a visa-free policy for nine other Southeast Asian countries, including Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines.
According to the new directive, foreign tourists who visit Phu Quoc Island, off the southern province of Kien Giang, will not need to apply for a visa if they stay there for 30 days at most.
This measure will hopefully enable Vietnam to win back international tourists, at a time when the country’s foreign tourist arrival numbers have repeatedly slumped for 12 consecutive months.
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