Vietnam’s tourism sector was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has managed to make a gradual recovery. However, there’s been a drop of 30% in the number of international visitors coming to Vietnam in 2023 compared to 2019. The government has issued Directive 08, which aims to develop tourism as a key economic sector and lays down guidelines for sustainable tourism development. The directive emphasizes the need to improve policy mechanisms and attract international visitors to Vietnam by expanding the visa exemption list and piloting long-term, multiple-entry visas for high-end visitors from key markets such as Europe, Northeast Asia, North America, India, and the Middle East.
Before the pandemic, European tourists accounted for 30% of all visitors to the Trang An International travel agency. However, for the past two years, visitors from North America have made up the majority. In 2023, American visitors will rank third in the total number of international visitors to Vietnam. The government’s Directive 08 proposes to expand the visa exemption list to attract wealthy visitors from around the world to come for long-term, high-spending stays. Some neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Indonesia are already providing a special type of visa that allows wealthy visitors to stay for a long time.
According to some travel agencies, Vietnam is becoming a popular destination for retired tourists looking for long-term stays. The business community has welcomed the proposal to pilot the issuance of border-gate visas based on on-site personnel approval for international tourists. This could help Vietnam become a common international passenger transfer station in the region and increase its competitive advantage. The government has increased the stay period for international visitors to 45 days, which is expected to help achieve the 2023 adjusted international visitor target of 12.6 million visitors. This year’s target is 18 million visitors.
The Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security to work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to research and create further breakthroughs in visa policy. The goal is to increase the competitiveness of national tourism and attract more international visitors to Vietnam.
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Source: Vietnam Insider