Could visa-free transit help Vietnam turn stopovers into short tourist stays?

Visa policy is becoming an increasingly important factor in competition for international visitors. As destinations across the region ease entry procedures, a more convenient visa regime can influence where travelers stop, how long they stay and whether they return.

According to Nguyen Thanh Hanh, general director of Intrepid Vietnam, Vietnam could consider a 48-72-hour visa-free transit scheme in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, alongside continued efforts to facilitate regular visa entry.

The proposal targets a group of travelers who may not have initially planned to visit Vietnam and instead see the country only as a stopover on their way to a third destination.

Allowing them to leave the airport and stay for a short period without obtaining an additional visa could give these passengers a reason to turn a connection into a brief visit.

From transit passengers to tourists

A 48-72-hour stopover may be short, but it is long enough for businesses to design tourism products specifically for transit travelers.

In Hanoi, short itineraries could combine the Old Quarter, craft villages and cultural attractions within a practical travel radius. In Ho Chi Minh City, visitors could explore the urban core or take short trips to nearby destinations.

According to Hanh, Hanoi’s strengths lie in its cultural and historical attractions, while Ho Chi Minh City offers advantages in business, services and urban experiences. The two cities could therefore serve not only as destinations but also as gateways connecting transit travelers with other parts of Vietnam.

This approach could be particularly relevant to long-haul travelers from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, who are more likely to combine several destinations in one trip.

A stopover that currently generates revenue mainly for airlines and airports could potentially create additional spending on hotels, restaurants, transport, shopping, attractions, tour services and other tourism activities.

Airports Council International (ACI) World data show that global airports generated an average of US$7.57 in non-aeronautical revenue per passenger, highlighting the commercial value that travelers can create beyond air fares.

What Vietnam can learn from China

China provides a useful case study of how visa-free transit can be used not only to facilitate travel but also to stimulate tourism and consumption.

From August 20, 2026, Chinese authorities added Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan to the country’s 240-hour visa-free transit programme. Eligible Vietnamese citizens with ordinary passports and confirmed onward tickets to a third country or region can enter through 65 designated ports and stay for up to 240 hours within designated areas.

The policy allows eligible travelers to engage in short-term activities including tourism, business, visits and family reunions, extending the economic value of a transit stop beyond the airport itself.

The timing is notable. China recorded 22.91 million foreign-national entries in the first half of 2026, up 20.4% year on year. Of those, 17.82 million were visa-free entries, accounting for 77.7% of the total and increasing 30.6% from a year earlier.

Vietnam was also among China’s 10 largest source markets for international visitors during the first half of the year.

The figures do not by themselves prove that transit visa policies caused the entire increase in arrivals. But they show how visa facilitation has become an important part of China’s broader strategy to attract international visitors and make travel and consumption easier.

A stopover can create value beyond the airport

For Vietnam, the potential benefit of visa-free transit would not be limited to keeping visitors in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City for a few extra days. The two cities could act as distribution points for international tourist flows, connecting short-stay visitors with destinations farther afield.

A passenger transiting through Hanoi could, for example, visit Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay or nearby cultural attractions. From Ho Chi Minh City, short itineraries could connect visitors with destinations in southern Vietnam or the Mekong Delta.

In this model, the policy would not simply encourage visitors to stay longer. It could also spread tourist spending across more destinations and local businesses.

That makes the role of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City different from that of conventional destinations. They could serve as entry points into a wider national tourism network.

What could 48-72 hours be worth?

This is the key question if Vietnam wants to turn the proposal into an effective policy. Visa-free transit alone will not automatically create tourists. Travelers will only choose to leave the airport if the procedure is simple, flights are convenient, information is easy to access and suitable tourism products are readily available.

The policy would therefore need to be supported by short-stay packages designed specifically for transit passengers, efficient airport connections, fast immigration procedures, convenient payment options and multilingual information.

Tour operators would also need to understand which traveler groups are most likely to take advantage of a 48-72-hour stopover, what experiences they want and how much they are willing to spend.

Visa-free transit can open the door, but tourism products determine whether travelers actually walk through it.

From transit point to tourism gateway

In the competition for international visitors, destinations are increasingly trying to reduce an invisible cost: the time and inconvenience associated with entry procedures.

A traveler who needs to spend days applying for a visa may simply choose another destination. But a connecting passenger who can easily leave the airport for 48-72 hours could become an additional tourist without Vietnam having to attract that person through an entirely separate marketing campaign.

For Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the opportunity is therefore not simply to become places where transit passengers stay overnight, but to become gateways that connect international travelers with Vietnam’s wider tourism network.

If designed effectively, a visa-free transit scheme could turn Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from transit points into stopover destinations, generating additional tourist arrivals, visitor spending and connections with other parts of Vietnam.

As countries across the region compete through easier entry policies, the question for Vietnam is not simply who should be granted visa exemptions, but how each more convenient point of entry can open the way to another journey, another experience and greater economic value.

China grants 10-day visa-free transit to Vietnamese citizens

VOV.VN - Vietnamese citizens are eligible for China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy from August 20, while they can also enter Hainan Province visa-free for stays of up to 30 days.