On February 23, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked immigration agencies to consider waiving six- to 12-month visit visas for visitors from wealthy countries and expanding the list of countries whose citizens are visa exempt.
Martin Koerner, head of Vietnam Business Forum’s tourism working group, said: VnExpress International Vietnam should not delay its visa reform, as other Southeast Asian countries have been more proactive in their visa policies, including Thailand.
“If Vietnam delays in extending the visa waiver, it may face some disadvantages, such as loss of market share and competitiveness to other neighboring countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.”
Additionally, it could reduce Vietnam’s attractiveness as a travel-friendly destination and tourists might prefer to visit countries offering visa-free entry or visa on arrival, Koerner said.
Dr Nuno F. Ribeiro, senior lecturer in tourism and hospitality management at RMIT Vietnam Business School, said time is running out and if Vietnam delays in extending its visa waiver policies , it risks losing its ability to attract visitors from major tourist markets.
“In my opinion, Vietnam should consider waiving visas for countries with a higher level of development, significant tourism spending and potential for long-term stay. This includes countries like Australia, Canada, United States and other EU countries.”
Now, only nationals of seven EU countries, namely Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, can enter Vietnam without a visa.
Koerner said Vietnam should also consider waiving visas for Chinese people. China was once Vietnam’s largest source market, accounting for 30% of foreign arrivals in 2019.
“China is also one of the fastest recovering markets from the Covid-19 pandemic, with strong demand for outbound travel. Thailand has waived visas for Chinese tourists.”
European countries such as the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Poland should also be considered, he said.
Vietnam now exempts visas from 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.
Vietnam grants tourist visas of up to three months to citizens of all countries and territories.
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.
