📝 OP-ED: Favourable visa policy to help tourism sector thrive: Experts
Hanoi (VNA) – The Government’s
proposal to loosen the visa policy to foreigners is expected to untangle a knot in the tourism sector, facilitating international arrivals and enhancing the
competitiveness of Vietnamese tourism, according to insiders.
Under the proposal, which has been
submitted to the National Assembly, the validity of e-visas will be extended to
90 days from the current 30 days, with single and multiple entries, and it will be granted to citizens of all countries and territories, while the duration of temporary residence at the border gate for people entering the
country under the visa exemption categories will also be increased from 15 days
to 45 days.
Timely
solution for breakthrough development
Commenting on the proposal, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The
Binh said that it is a good news for the tourism sector, as although Vietnam
reopened the sector earlier than those in the region, the country has
offered less open visa policies, which was likely the reason why Vietnam was
not able to complete its target in the number of foreign visitors last year.
Binh held that once approved, the new
policy will motivate the development of tourism activities, especially
international tourism. The policy, coupled with the rich resources,
will help the sector recover and develop rapidly, he added.
The official analysed that high-spending tourists,
who are the current target group of Vietnam, often stay for at least three
weeks, while Vietnam’s current policy allows them to stay for only 15 days,
making Vietnam not a good choice for them. The application of e-visa will also
help save time for tourists, he said.
Meanwhile, Vice Director of the Vietnam National
Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Pham Van Thuy said that loosening visa policy
will be a new step forwards for Vietnam to catch up with other countries in the
region and the world, giving best conditions for tourists to enter Vietnam.
According to Thuy, the loosened visa policy will meet the demand of travel
firms and the whole tourism sector, enabling them to compete with their rivals
in the region. “It will create a ‘golden chance’ for the Vietnamese tourism to
thrive in the time to come.”
Removing
bottlenecks in tourism
Experts asserted that once the Government’s proposal is approved, the tourism
sector and the VNAT should be responsible in popularising the new policy to the
international community through diverse communication activities.
The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council
(WTTC) analysed that favourable visa policy can help increase international
arrivals by 5-25% per year.
A study on the impact of visa exemption on
five West European countries by the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) showed that
the average number of visitors from these countries to Vietnam has increased nearly
20%. This proves that changes in the visa policy towards more flexibility and
openness are always the "key" to attracting international visitors,
creating a great breakthrough for tourism.
Since March 15, 2022, when tourism reopened,
Vietnam has started to re-apply the bilateral and unilateral visa exemption
policy, in which citizens of 12 countries have enjoyed visa exemption under
unilateral visa exemption scheme while those of 13 countries, including 11
European countries (instead of only five countries previously), have also
enjoyed the exemption under bilateral scheme. Vietnam has also issued e-visas
to citizens of about 80 countries.
However, many countries in the region have
offered visa exemption to even large number of countries. For example,
Singapore has applied the policy to 162 countries, the Philippines 157, and
Thailand 65.
On the other hand, Vietnam's most popular visa-free period (15 days) is much
shorter than that offered by other countries in ASEAN (usually 30 days or more). Many ASEAN countries have increased the visa exemption period from 30 days to
45 days, and even 90 days to facilitate the number of international tourists. Vietnam’s
short visa exemption period is not suitable to the long-term travel needs of
international visitors, especially those from far-away countries such as people in Europe.
The extension of the visa-free duration is
also expected to help Vietnam attract visitors who enter Vietnam for trade and
investment purposes in combination with tourism. Travel firms also proposed
visa exemption for MICE or golf tourists.
In the recently released White Book on
2022-2023 period, which is themed working toward a green economy and sustainable
development and fully implementing the EVFTA and completing the ratification of
EVIPA, the EuroCham clarified that the entry visa policy is one of the levers that
have the greatest impact on the flow of international tourists. After the
COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are seeking ways to expand the scope of visa
exemption. This will help improve competitiveness, attract direct investment
and increase the flow of international tourists, thereby increasing foreign
currency revenue and creating more jobs, it said.
Therefore, the Government’s proposal is
highly applauded by the tourism sector as an effective measure to
boost its growth./.