According to a cabinet decision on tourism development released Thursday, Vietnam will explore unilaterally granting visa-free stays to nationals of other nations in an effort to draw in visitors from across the world.
To be presented to the government, paperwork on increasing unilateral visa waiver policy would need to be completed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The administration has asked the Ministry of Public Security to update them on whether or not more nations qualify for e-visas.
The Ministry of Transport is in charge of making it simpler for foreign airlines to establish routes to Vietnam and loosening up flight schedule regulations.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is in charge of creating business networks to join the international tourism supply chain, while the Ministry of Industry and Trade is responsible for adding new tourist lodgings.
According to the decision, the Ministry of Finance will put out preferential credit packages for the travel and tourist industry.
Promoting discussions with other nations on visa waivers is the responsibility of other ministries.
The government has been under Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s direction to examine the possibility of extending the list of nations that do not require visas for entry into Vietnam since March. In comparison, Malaysia and Singapore currently grant visa exemptions to 162 nations, the Philippines to 157, Thailand to 65, and Vietnam to 25.
According to industry experts in the travel industry, Vietnam is less competitive than other nations in the area due to the smaller number of countries eligible for its visa waiver policy.
The administration would also suggest to the National Assembly that the immigration regulations be changed to ease the issuing of visas for foreigners entering Vietnam and to lengthen their stay in the country.
At a session beginning on May 22, the assembly is scheduled to vote on adjustments to visa duration.
This year, Vietnam’s tourism industry hopes to draw 102 million domestic visitors and 8 million tourists from abroad, bringing in a total of VND650 trillion ($27.7 billion).
Source: breakingtravelnews