The Vietnam National Administration of
Tourism (VNAT) has proposed offering visas-on-arrival as a measure to
lure more than 4 million foreign visitors to Vietnam this year.
The VNAT has suggested the new service be offered firstly at the Tan
Son Nhat and Noi Bai international border-gates where a large number of
foreign visitors enter to begin their trips in Vietnam.
The agency has also discussed a tax refund plan for foreign visitors
shopping in the country in a bid to boost the national tourist
industry, which saw a 27.4 percent rise in foreign arrivals in the
first two months of this year.
This year, the VNAT plans to join hands with the national flag carrier,
Vietnam Airlines, to open five more overseas representative offices in
order to promote the country’s image as well as new tourist products to
foreigners.
In preparation for the joint scheme, Vietnam Airlines has launched more
flights on its routes to Vietnam's traditional tourist markets,
including Japan and China .
Promotional efforts in foreign markets have so far paid off, with some
major Vietnamese travel companies like Saigontourist, Vietravel,
Hanoitourist, and Ben Thanh reporting that they have lured a large
number of foreign visitors.
According to the VNAT, 876,000 foreigners visited Vietnam in the first
two months of this year, a 27.4 percent surge over the same period last
year.
There was a surprising upsurge of 108 percent in the number of
Cambodian arrivals. This was followed by tourists from China, up by 90
percent, the Republic of Korea, 44 percent, and Thailand, 37 percent.
Major events to be held in the country this year, including the Thang
Long-Hanoi 1,000th founding anniversary, the Hue festival, the Miss
World pageant in Nha Trang, and an international film festival, are
expected to lure even more foreign visitors to Vietnam./.