25-6-2023 (HANOI) On June 24, the National Assembly of Vietnam passed a law amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Law on Entry, Exit of Vietnamese Citizens, and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam. The validity period of electronic visas (e-visas) will be extended from 30 to 90 days. After being granted an e-visa, foreigners will have unlimited entries and exits within the 90-day period without the need to apply for a new visa.
The law also allows citizens of certain countries to be unilaterally exempted from visas for a temporary residence period of 45 days (previously 15 days) and to be considered for visa issuance and extension according to regulations.
In response to VnExpress, Mr. Tran The Dung, CEO of Vietluxtour, stated that this is what inbound travel companies have been waiting for years. Vietnam’s previous visa policy had several unresolved issues, which only provided limited access to international visitors, making it difficult for many travel businesses since Vietnam reopened for tourism after the pandemic.
According to Mr. Dung, extending the length of stay to 90 days and allowing multiple entries without the need for a new visa is reasonable. In reality, most international tourists travel for about 30-45 days, but the new visa policy allowing for 90 days will make them feel more comfortable. European tourists, a significant target market, tend to travel to all three Indochinese countries (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) in one trip. However, their itineraries are not fixed, and they may travel from Vietnam to Laos and Cambodia before returning to Vietnam. The reasons depend on each person’s schedule, and Vietnam has more flight connections to their home countries.
“Tour companies that organize tours spanning three countries have faced difficulties because they have to apply for visas repeatedly for their clients. With the new policy, everything becomes easier,” Mr. Dung said.
Vietluxtour representatives believe that the new visa policy could be a prerequisite for attracting high-end European tourists from countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Italy. These are all groups of travelers who have a tendency for long-duration trips.
Mr. Pham Ha, CEO of Lux Group, a company specializing in overnight luxury cruise services, stated that they immediately informed their foreign partners to prepare for the development of “multi-country itineraries.” According to Mr. Ha, this visa policy change will significantly enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam’s tourism industry compared to other countries in the region.
Most of the company’s customers belong to the upper-middle and high-end market segments, including retirees who tend to travel for a longer period. Therefore, Mr. Ha considers this a “significant boost” that will help the company improve by 30% during the peak tourism season starting in September.
“The decision has come at the right time. Those in the tourism industry have been waiting for this day for a long time,” Mr. Ha said.
Meanwhile, Associate Professor Pham Hong Long, Head of the Tourism Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, emphasized that attracting international visitors depends on various factors, but the visa policy is an important aspect that contributes to the attractiveness of a destination.
He cited the example of Malaysia, which in 1996 introduced the “Silver Hair Program” visa policy targeting retired tourists with visa validity of up to 10 years. In 2022, the policy was changed to “Malaysia My Second Home” with a target age starting from 21. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the country even introduced a visa policy of up to 20 years for high-income individuals.
He also mentioned the case of Seychelles, which exempts visas for citizens of all countries. As a result, tourism contributes directly or indirectly to 72% of the country’s GDP and provides 30% of employment for the population. Singapore is also known for its liberal visa policy, exempting citizens of 162 countries. After obtaining a visa, tourists can stay in Singapore for up to 90 days and can extend it for an additional 30-89 days.
“This amendment is in line with the current trend of competitiveness,” Mr. Long stated.
After making the visa policy more flexible, many travel businesses also hope that Vietnam can further improve various aspects to attract international tourists. A representative from Vietluxtour mentioned that in addition to the visa policy, Vietnam should focus on enhancing the quality of products and services, expanding direct flight routes, and facilitating effective tourism promotion to target markets.
On the other hand, Mr. Pham Ha emphasized the importance of creating new tourism products on rivers and seas and connecting different regions. Destination management needs to be improved to promote sustainable and modern tourism development. Additionally, Mr. Ha hopes that Vietnam will value the tourism industry more and establish a Ministry of Tourism in the near future.
