The government is considering visa exemptions for 7 countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has just directed relevant agencies to assess the political, economic, and security impacts following the recent visa exemption for tourists from Japan, South Korea, Russia, and four Nordic countries.

At a recent meeting of the State Steering Committee on Tourism, many people suggested that the Government should consider and issue policies to facilitate international tourists visiting Vietnam, such as unilateral visa exemption for tourists from some key markets (Japan, South Korea, the Russian Federation, and the four Nordic countries), and adjusting the temporary stay period for visa-exempt tourists to 30 days instead of the current 15 days.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the impact of visa exemption for citizens of the seven aforementioned countries and propose future directions for submission to the Government for decision.

European tourists visiting the Mekong Delta. Photo: Doan Loan

In April, the Vietnam Tourism Association petitioned the government to continue visa exemptions for these seven countries, amid concerns from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the trial of visa-free entry for these seven countries resulted in a loss of $50 million for Vietnam.

According to Mr. Vu The Binh, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, if the government does not grant visa exemptions, Vietnam will lose its competitive advantage compared to countries that have more lenient visa policies for foreign tourists, for example, Thailand which grants visa exemptions to 55 countries and Malaysia to 155 countries...

Mr. Binh argued that, compared to other countries in the region, Vietnam is still not a very attractive destination, and now with the complicated visa procedures, tourists are even less enthusiastic. Furthermore, among the seven countries that have visa exemptions, South Korea, Russia, and Japan are all potential markets for Vietnamese tourism. In 2012, revenue from tourists from these three countries was $2 billion, and VAT collected amounted to $200 million.

According to (VnXpress) - LC