Royal Caribbean International commits to bringing cruise tourists to Vietnam
VOV.VN - The Royal Caribbean International Group (RCI) hosted a ceremony on August 22 in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau in order to celebrate the recovery of the international cruise industry and committed to bringing passengers to Vietnam.
The event was held after Spectrum of the Seas, one of the world's most luxurious cruise ships, brought more than 4,000 international tourists, mainly from the United States, the UK, Australia, and Asian countries, to Vietnam.
Addressing the ceremony, Angie Stephen, managing director and vice president of Asia-Pacific of the RCI Group, emphasised that the group has longed to bring passengers back to the country, particularly as it is a popular destination for international tourists.
This year has seen the shipping line add Vietnam to two new itineraries, with the cruise ship returning to the country this September and October, she said, adding that the group will bring more new ships to visit Vietnam next year.
For his part, Nguyen Trung Khanh, director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, said Vietnam is willing to become a longer and more frequent stopover for cruise travelers during their journey to discover Asia and Southeast Asia.
Visa policy and procedures aimed at welcoming more cruise passengers at Vietnamese seaports have been significantly improved compared to the previous period, he added.
Tran Thi Thu Hien, deputy director of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Department of Tourism, said the locality plans to promote Ba Ria - Vung Tau at a specialised fair on cruise tourism in Hong Kong (China) this October, and it is prepared to welcome more cruise ships ahead in 2024.
Ba Ria - Vung Tau will continue improving infrastructure, and building products associated with indigenous cultural traditions to serve cruise customers, she added.
Vietnam officially applied a new visa policy for international visitors on August 15. According to the changes, tourists with electronic visas (e-visas) will now be allowed to stay for up to 90 days, instead of the previous period of 30 days.
Furthermore, citizens from countries that Vietnam allows to enter without visas will now be allowed to stay for up to 45 days, up from the previous duration of 15 days.
