Proposal to allow amusement parks to open until 2am

The Tourism Association has sent a proposal to the government to allow amusement parks across the country to open until 2 a.m. to attract international visitors.

The 2017 Prime Minister's Conference with Enterprises will take place on May 17 at the National Convention Center in Hanoi. Before this event, the Tourism Association has sent recommendations to the Government Office on a number of support measures.

According to the Association, all localities need to adjust regulations on entertainment hours in public areas, as well as entertainment services in tourist accommodation establishments, allowing them to open at least until 2 a.m. This is a legitimate demand of tourists, and is also a measure to help extend their stay and increase their spending.

Video of difficulties of Hanoi businesses before opening until 2am.

In some localities, the regulations on reception hours of entertainment services (such as dance clubs, karaoke bars, bars...) in public areas and tourist accommodation establishments are that guests are not allowed to serve after 12:00 a.m. The Tourism Association believes that this has limited the business of these establishments and does not meet the needs of many foreign guests whose time zones are different from Vietnam.

Previously, Hanoi had allowed restaurants and bars in Hoan Kiem district to operate until 2 a.m. on three weekends.

The Tourism Association also proposed that the government continue to extend visa exemption for citizens of five Western European countries (France, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain) and Belarus for five years, from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022. This visa exemption policy has been piloted for two years and is set to expire on June 30.

Visa exemption for citizens of some other countries with large tourist sources to Vietnam is also recommended for consideration at the upcoming conference, such as India, Australia, Canada, Eastern European countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania), and countries of the former Soviet Union (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia...).

International arrivals to Vietnam increased continuously in the first four months of the year.

Visa exemption for citizens of these countries is expected to contribute to a rapid increase in the number of international visitors to Vietnam, reaching 18-20 million by 2020, according to the Tourism Association. For countries developing tourism, visa exemption policies are always a competitive weapon to attract visitors. Currently, Vietnam has implemented electronic visas for citizens of 40 countries entering Vietnam.

In addition, the association plans to propose policies to support localities, regions, and tourism businesses that have been severely affected by environmental incidents. For example, in Hoi An, many beaches have been eroded, and many coastal resorts have had to spend a lot of money to deal with the effects of this incident, but the results have been very limited.

According to VNE