American Michael Burger said he was happy to learn that Vietnam was considering visa waivers for nationals of more countries.
“I certainly hope the United States will be included on this list because there are a lot of high-spending visitors from the United States and, more importantly, more and more group tours and cruises.”
Many Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, have already waived visas for U.S. citizens and Vietnam should follow suit, he said.
He visited HCMC last month for a week and is planning another short visit at the end of March.
India’s Pritesh Mehta also hopes his country will make the list.
“We are the fastest growing economy in the world and [Indians] have more purchasing power. Indians have recently spent a lot on travel and leisure activities. »
Sixty-two countries, including Thailand and Malaysia, do not require Indians to obtain a visa.
India is Vietnam’s fastest growing source market for tourism, with the number of visitors from that country increasing last year by 231% compared to 2019, the year before Covid broke out.
Additionally, a number of wealthy Indian families have chosen Da Nang and Phu Quoc to host lavish weddings.
Ken Rafter, from Australia, said he loved Vietnam and took his family there every summer.
He also expects the government to add Australia to the list of visa-exempt countries to make visiting easier.
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Ken Rafter (right) and his family pose for a photo during their trip to Da Nang in April 2023. Photo provided by Ken Rafter |
According to the General Bureau of Statistics’ Statistical Yearbook 2022, Australian visitors spend an average of $1,416 per trip, placing them among the top 10 spenders in Vietnam.
Last year, Australia was one of Vietnam’s 10 largest tourism markets.
Phil Johnson from Australia said that if his country was included on the visa-free list, more wealthy Australian tourists would come to Vietnam.
“Australians love to travel and spend money…At the moment a lot of Australians are traveling to Bali and Thailand, we need somewhere new to go.”
Johnson said he had visited Vietnam eight times previously, including on his most recent trip last October, where he stayed for 28 days in Hanoi.
Tourism analysts have also urged the government to consider waiving visas for tourists from some major markets like China, the United States, Australia, India and those in Europe, to boost tourism. growth of tourism.
Vietnam allows visa-free entry to nationals of 25 countries, compared to 162 for Malaysia and Singapore, 157 for the Philippines, 68 for Japan, 66 for South Korea and 64 for Thailand.
It received 12.6 million international visitors last year, only about 70% of pre-Covid numbers, while Malaysia and Thailand received more than 28 million.
