3-month eVisa plan to boost Vietnam tourism: report

Mar 28, 2023 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck  

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Holders of passports from certain countries, currently entitled to a single-entry, one-month eVisa for Vietnam, might see eVisa duration-of-stay extended to three months under a proposal to be put by the Vietnamese government to the National Assembly.

According to the report in the VnExpress outlet, the next meeting of the assembly convenes in May.

Vietnam presently offers a one-month, single-entry eVisa to visitors from 80 countries, including the United States, China, Australia, and India.

Visitors either from certain European countries, Japan or South Korea – described as key source markets for Vietnam’s tourist industry – are currently permitted to stay in the country for 15 days without applying for a tourist visa, according to the news outlet.

Vietnam has a casino industry, with all but one of the venues open only to foreigners.

The news of possible easing of rules for inbound travellers from designated places comes as Asia-Pacific locations compete for tourism spending as the region opens up following widespread entry restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam eased a number of entry conditions as early as March last year. The country received 3.6 million foreign tourists last year, around 20 percent of the pre-pandemic figure, according to the media report. It added that this year, Vietnam aims to attract 8 million foreign visitors.

Several Vietnamese air carriers were to resume flights between that country and cities in mainland China this month, the same news outlet recently reported.

In the autumn, Vietnam and China agreed to promote bilateral cooperation against “cross-border gambling” among a number of law enforcement topics.

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