According to the World Tourism Journal, a unified Southeast Asia visa promises to shape, drive, and connect the tourism industry of the countries in the region.
A general visa for Southeast Asian countries will help visitors experience more activities in the region. Photo: Bao Ngoc.
In 2023, Southeast Asian countries welcomed a total of 70 million international tourists, generating a revenue of $478 billion. Mr. Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief of the World Tourism Journal (WTJ), predicts that Southeast Asia’s tourism revenue this year could surpass pre-pandemic levels.
And if a unified visa mechanism for the entire region, similar to what the Schengen Area countries implemented in 1995, is adopted, Southeast Asia’s tourism industry will flourish like never before, according to WTJ.
The Schengen-style visa is a model that allows travelers to move freely among 27 countries within the Schengen Area with a single visa issued by this bloc. This model has been in effect since 1995 and has significantly boosted the region’s tourism.
International tourists look for many experiential activities when coming to Vietnam. Photo: Linh Huynh.
“The demand for adopting a Schengen-style visa for the Southeast Asian tourism industry is greater than ever, especially in the six countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar,” Keshan commented. “This mechanism will enable travel companies to offer more exciting experiences for tourists and stimulate the influx of international visitors to Southeast Asia.”
If implemented, the unified Southeast Asia visa program will allow travelers to move freely among the six countries and enjoy a variety of richer and more cost-effective travel experiences. WTJ representatives noted that a unified visa will enhance Southeast Asia’s competitiveness against China, India, Japan, and South Korea.
In Southeast Asia, Thailand is the nation proposing and leading the support for this unified visa mechanism. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), a Schengen-style visa will simplify entry procedures and indirectly increase the number of both international and intra-regional tourists.
The Prime Minister of Thailand has also repeatedly expressed support for this initiative, stating that this unified visa mechanism will help Southeast Asian tourism to boom just like tourism in the Schengen Area did in 1995.
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Source: Vietnam Insider