Vietnam to extend visa exemption for Western Europe tourists
Vietnam will extend its visa exemption policy for Western Europe tourists, which will expire on July 1, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) at a press conference in Hanoi on April 12.
It is also finalising dossiers on visa exemption for tourists from another 13 countries who visit Vietnam via travel companies, he said.
According to the agency, after nine months since the visa exemption policy took effect, tourism figures from these five countries have all increased quarter after quarter.
In the first quarter of this year alone, the number of tourists from the countries increased by an average of 20%, with the highest growth seen in the number of Italian visitors (28%).
Russian tourist arrivals also went up 13.5% in the first three months and are expected to rise higher in the upcoming summer months.
The first quarter this year also saw a 66% surge in the number of Chinese tourists to Vietnam, who mainly visit Danang, Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) and Phu Quoc.
Vietnam welcomed 2.45 million international tourists in the first three months, up 19.9% against the same period last year, while local tourists numbered 18.7 million. Revenues from tourism rose by 21.2% year-on-year.
The upcoming Vietnam International Travel Mart 2016, scheduled for April 14-17 in Hanoi, is expected to offer chances for the country to lure more visitors. The event, themed “Vietnam – The paradise of sea and island tourism”, will feature over 500 stalls, including 115 hosted by businesses from 25 countries and territories.