Bloomberg | , Posted by Akanksha AgnihotriVietnam
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered officials to relax some visa requirements to help the Southeast Asian country attract more foreign tourists. Difficulties in obtaining tourist visas for Vietnam was one of the main reasons the nation has struggled to lure back international travelers in the wake of the pandemic, according to local media.
Last year, fewer than 3.7 million foreign travelers traveled to the country known for inviting street food, a long coastline of beaches and UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay. (Tourists have also complained about infrastructure issues like bad-smelling public toilets.) (Also read: 6 reasons that make Vietnam a great international trip from India )
Chinh on Wednesday instructed his cabinet to change policies on immigration procedures, such as Such as offering more visa waivers, extending the length of stay for foreign tourists with reasonable fees and expanding the country’s e-visa program, according to the government website.
Vietnam has granted visa exemptions to visitors from 13 nations – 11 in Europe and two in Asia – who can stay in the country for 15 days. Visitors from nine ASEAN countries can stay in the country for up to 30 days without a visa. Vietnam currently offers e-visas for 80 nations, the immigration department said.
Vietnam’s tourism ministry says a more relaxed visa policy is key to attracting more international tourists. Local tourism companies proposed at a tourism conference on Wednesday to increase the length of stay to up to 45 days, state media reported. Vietnam aims to attract eight million foreign tourists this year. In 2019, the country reported a record more than 18 million international tourists.
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This story was published from a wire agency feed with no changes to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
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