Prime Minister: Vietnam will waive visas for more countries and extend the length of stay for foreign tourists

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for the amendment and completion of immigration procedures for international visitors in order to promote sustainable tourism development.

Speaking at a national online conference on tourism in 2023, he outlined plans to increase the number of countries exempted from visa on entry to Vietnam and to extend the length of stay for visitors with reasonable fees. The Prime Minister also emphasized the need for the tourism industry to diversify its markets, products and supply chains, and to switch its focus from providing what it has to providing services and products that customers need.

Mr. Chinh assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to implement a project to restructure the tourism industry, focusing on the international tourist market, particularly guests from high-affordability markets with long-term resort needs. He also called for the development of affordable and luxury tourism for high-income groups and the strengthening of international cooperation, especially with large and multinational travel groups and corporations to promote connectivity and attract a large tourist market.

Foreign tourists visited Hoi An Ancient Town by Cyclos

During the conference, Dang Minh Truong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sun Group, proposed increasing the duration of tourist visas from 90 to 180 days, extending the length of stay from 30 to 45 days, and allowing more entry time. He suggested that Vietnam should study the extension or extension of unilateral visa exemption for key markets.

The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Van Hung, said that the visa policy is still modest compared to other countries and suggested the Government should issue a Resolution to remove bottlenecks on visa exemption policy and propose the National Assembly to supplement policies to increase the competitiveness of Vietnam tourism.

In 2019, international visitors to Vietnam accounted for 21% of domestic visitors, but their revenue accounted for nearly two-thirds of total tourism revenue. To achieve its tourism goals, Vietnam needs stronger reforms to welcome international visitors and increase competitiveness.

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