Travel experts have called for visa exemptions for citizens of all EU member states, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and an extension of visa-free stays.
Currently, Vietnam only exempts visas for citizens of 25 countries.
“One of the barriers for foreign tourists to visit Vietnam is the complicated and restrictive visa policy,” said Mark Koerner, Chairman of EuroCham Vietnam’s Hospitality and Tourism Industry Committee, in a statement. a petition sent to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the annual Vietnam Business Forum. on Sunday.
The petition gathers input from leading travel experts and those in the hotel and tourism industry.
The petition states: “The visa-free period is too short for many travelers looking to explore the country’s diverse attractions while the e-visa and visa-on-arrival processes can be time consuming. and inconvenient.”
Gabor Fluit, President of EuroCham, said the beautiful landscape and rich cultural heritage make Vietnam a top destination for tourists. “To make the most of tourism potential, the one-month visa exemption should be extended to all EU countries. Furthermore, the implementation of a three- to six-month visa scheme for self-sufficient retirees could be possible. is the catalyst for the strong development of tourism.” tourism as neighboring countries have done,” said Gabor, quoted by Thanh Nien.
Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain and Sweden are currently the European countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Vietnam without having to apply for a tourist visa with stay up to 15 days.
Greg Testerman, President of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) proposed expanding the list of countries eligible for e-visa and visa-free travel to facilitate business travel.
The Amcham representative said that the duration of stay of a business visa should be extended from the current 30 days and a person should be allowed to extend within Vietnam instead of having to leave the country.
To attract more tourists and boost tourism spending, insiders want the government to double the visa-free period from the current 15 days and consider a 3- to 6-month visa for retirees. .
They also called for improved handling of passengers at major airports, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where foreigners have to wait too long at immigration counters.
They want to increase the number of immigration officers and scanners and introduce special lanes for business travelers and families with children.
Last week, the government ordered officials to waive visas for more countries and extend stays for foreign tourists to speed up the tourism industry’s recovery.
Vietnam welcomed 3.6 million foreign tourists last year, or about 20% of pre-Covid levels.