VISA EXEMPTIONS FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN TRAVELLERS EXTENDED

Foreign visitors in Vietnam

After nine months since the visa exemption policy was applied, the number of visitors from these five countries have sharply increased.

In the first quarter of this year alone, traveller numbers from these countries have soared by 20%, with the highest level from Italy with 28%. It was followed by Spain with 27%; the UK with 23%; Germany with 19% and France with 11%.

During the first three months of 2016, the number of Russian tourists increased by 13.5% and the figure is expected to be much higher in the coming time. The Russian tourism administration has planned to set up a representative in Vietnam to instruct Russian travellers in Vietnam. The VNAT also said that it will seek the government’s permission for visa exemptions for visitors from 13 countries who come to Vietnam in package tours organised by Vietnamese international travel firms.

Vietnam welcomed 2.45 million international tourists in the first three months, up 19.9 percent against the same period last year, while local tourists numbered 18.7 million. Revenues from tourism rose by 21.2 percent year-on-year.

To date, Vietnam has offered visa exemptions for around 80 countries. Meanwhile, Vietnamese people can come to 48 countries without a visa.

Source: Business Times