New e-visa policy to help lure more foreign visitors: Official
The e-visa policy, which took effect from August 15, is expected to help Vietnam attract a hike in the number of international visitors right in the autumn-winter tourist season of 2023, said Do Van Hao, Deputy Chief of Police at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Hao, the resolution issued by the Government on August 14 on granting e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories represents a breakthrough and reaffirms the Vietnamese Government's commitment to continuing the policy of openness to foreigners, creating favourable conditions in terms of visa, entry and exit procedures for them, especially those visiting Vietnam for the purposes of working, investment, and tourism.
The number of foreign visitors, especially those from Europe and the Americas, is projected to increase sharply after the Autumn-Winter tourist season starts (from late September to early October), Hao said.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport put automatic entry systems (Autogate) into operation in early August, helping reduce the time for security check to about 30-40 seconds per passenger, the official noted.
However, Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said a survey conducted by the agency at travel agencies found that there hasn't been a significant change in tourist numbers to Vietnam following the implementation of the new e-visa policy.
Statistics reported by local hotels show that the number of room reservations for September reached around 70% of the total capacity.
Strong growth is expected in both international and domestic visitors during September and towards the end of the year, Hoa said.
Sharing Hoa’s opinion, General Director of Viet Tourism Communication JSC Pham Phuong Anh predicted that the new e-visa policy may increase the number of international tourism arrivals to Vietnam served by the company by 2-25% per year.
According to the Government’s decision, foreigners using e-visas are permitted to enter or exit Vietnam via 13 air border gates, 16 land border gates, and 13 sea border gates.
