Vietnam
Amid a sharp decline in the number of foreign tourists after the pandemic, Vietnamese tourism professionals have urged the government to make a breakthrough in its visa policy to attract visitors.
On June 24, the National Assembly, Vietnam’s highest legislative body, approved a government proposal to triple the validity of tourist visas to 90 days and allow multiple entries for visitors, starting August 15.
Under the current immigration policy, Vietnam grants three-month tourist visas to citizens of all countries and territories.
The government also tripled the length of stay in Vietnam to 45 days for citizens of 13 unilaterally visa-exempt countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway , Finland and Belarus. .
Thanks to visa policy changes, Vietnam has welcomed 11.2 million foreign tourists so far this year, surpassing this year’s target of 8 million.
The government is planning 13 million foreign arrivals by the end of this month.
China
Since December 1, China has waived visas for citizens of five European countries – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain – as well as Malaysia.
Citizens of these countries have been allowed to stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa and the visa-free travel will last until November next year.
The Chinese government has claimed that this policy has had a positive effect. The average daily number of tourists from these countries increased by 39% in the first three days of December compared to the last day of November. Reuters reported, citing Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.
Malaysians make up the largest group of foreigners to visit China following the visa waiver, according to the China National Immigration Administration.
Chinese immigration authorities recorded a total of 1,113 Malaysian arrivals on the first day the policy came into effect.
In a bid to boost inbound tourism, China reduced visa fees by 25% for travelers from certain countries, including Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, from December 11 to 31 .
Visa fees for Vietnamese citizens entering China start at US$45.
Amid a race for heating tourism in the region, Thailand has taken bold steps to attract foreign tourists, particularly Chinese arrivals.
Since September 25, Thailand has offered a visa waiver to tourists from China and Kazakhstan in a policy that would last until next February.
Before the pandemic, China was the largest source of tourists for Thailand, accounting for 11 million out of a record 39.9 million in 2019.
Since November, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy began removing visa requirements for arrivals from India and Taiwan.
India is Thailand’s fourth largest tourism source market this year, with around 1.2 million arrivals after Malaysia, China and South Korea, while arrivals from Taiwan have recently flocked to Thailand.
Also since November, Thailand has tripled the length of visa-free stays for Russians, bringing it to 90 days, in a bid to attract Russians on their winter getaways.
Thanks to rapid visa-free policies, Thailand has welcomed more than 25 million foreign arrivals so far this year and is on track to reach its target of 28 million.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, attributed the successful revival of the tourism industry to the government’s economic and tourism recovery campaigns.
Malaysia
Last July, the Malaysian government tripled the length of visa-free stay for Hong Kong passport holders to 90 days, in reciprocity, after Hong Kong offered the same privilege to Malaysians.
Since December 1, Malaysia has allowed visa-free entry for 30 days to citizens of mainland China and India, in a similar move in Thailand.
Southeast Asia has recently become a favored destination for Indian tourists, and Malaysia is the third Asian country after Sri Lanka and Thailand to allow them visa-free travel.
China and India currently occupy the positions of Malaysia’s fourth and fifth largest tourism contributors, highlighting the growing importance of these two Asian countries in shaping Malaysia’s tourism landscape.
Malaysia has welcomed 26 million foreign arrivals so far, becoming the most visited country in Southeast Asia.
This is also the country’s highest record since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.
Malaysia’s highest ever annual tourist arrivals record was in 2014, at 27.44 million.
Singapore and China will implement a 30-day mutual visa waiver agreement early next year, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
Chinese citizens currently need to obtain a visa to enter Singapore.
Singapore has overtaken Thailand to become the most popular destination for Chinese tourists, according to a quarterly survey by Singapore-based digital marketing company China Trading Desk released last October.
Considered one of the safest places in the world, Singapore, famous for its strict laws and low crime rate, has begun to benefit from the changing perception of Chinese tourists.
China is now the second largest source of foreign arrivals to Singapore, with 1.23 million arrivals this year, after Indonesia.
Indonesia
Indonesia plans to grant visa-free entry to nationals of 20 countries, including the United States, China, Australia, India, South Korea, Germany, Britain and the France.
The government will finalize the list of countries included in this provision within a month, his government said.
There were more than 16 million foreign arrivals in Indonesia in 2019, according to official data.
From January to October this year, Indonesia received 9.49 million foreign visitors, an increase of 124.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022.
