Solutions to draw int’l visitors to Vietnam after COVID-19

There are many barriers to the modest number of international tourists to Vietnam. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam aims to welcome five million international visitors in 2022. However, by the end of the first quarter, statistics show that the number of foreign visitors remains modest.

It has been two months since Vietnam officially reopened tourism on March 15, and the Southeast Asian nation instituted various favourable policies to bring in international tourists.

However, the number of foreign tourists entering Vietnam is lacking compared to the numbers before the pandemic. The lower-than-expected numbers are attributed to the fact that domestic enterprises still face difficulties regarding technical barriers in welcoming international guests.

Without timely solutions, the goal of welcoming five million visitors by 2022 is unlikely to be reached.

According to statistics of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam welcomed 15,000 international tourists in March. The figure is 80,000 in April. During the first four months of 2022, the nation welcomed 102,358 tourists through the turnstiles into Vietnam.

Vietnam is among favourite destinations of many international tourists. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Representatives of many tourism agents and experts said that after COVID-19, the inadequate visa policy is one of the major barriers. According to Hoang Nhan Chinh, Secretariat Director of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), the visa policy in general doesn’t meet the requirements of the current travel trends. It is not competitive with other countries in the region, Chinh said.

According to experts, to achieve the goal of welcoming over five million international visitors in 2022, it is necessary to undertake a number of solutions.

The post-COVID-19 tourism recovery is opening many opportunities for growth. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Firstly, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, overseas Vietnamese embassies, and the Ministry of Information and Communications should work closely to have a synchronous plan to promote international communication to boost tourism.

In addition, it is necessary to focus on public-private cooperation in international communication campaigns, strengthening e-marketing activities and integrating meaningful events such as SEA GAMES 31 in media campaigns to spread the outstanding image, culture and values of Vietnam to other countries.

Secondly, the Ministry of Health and related ministries and agencies should reduce requirements for international tourists to Vietnam, such as removing Covid-19 tests before departure.

Thirdly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security should expand the visa exemption list for promising markets such as the United States, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium,and the Netherlands to diversify markets so that Vietnam does not have to depend on traditional markets.

In addition, it is necessary to increase the visa-free period from 15 days to 30 days to some markets such as EU countries to attract tourists to stay longer, thereby increasing revenue.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will further optimise markets which have air routes with Vietnam and those that permitted their citizens to travel abroad and Vietnamese expats to return to the home country after the COVID-19 pandemic was put under control.

Priority will be given to attracting arrivals from the Republic of Korea, Japan, Western Europe, Australia and ASEAN nations. Greater attention will also be paid to new markets, such as India, the United States, the Middle East, and Russian-speaking countries.

With specific and comprehensive solutions, it is necessary for state management agencies from the central to local levels as well as tourism businesses to join hands to help the smokeless industry recover soon after the pandemic./.