Saudi Arabia is considering granting e-visas to visitors from Vietnam and is also exploring the possibility of bilateral visa waivers.
During Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Saudi Arabia, on the afternoon of October 19th, a signing ceremony for the "Action Program in the field of tourism" between the two countries took place at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Tourism headquarters. Minister Nguyen Van Hung held a bilateral meeting with Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud, Deputy Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia.
Also attending the event were Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed A. Elkhereiji and Chairman of the Aviation Authority Abdulaziz Al-Duailej. Representing Vietnam were Director General of the International Cooperation Department Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Airlines Dang Ngoc Hoa, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietjet Aviation Company Nguyen Thanh Hung.
A popular tourist destination in Saudi Arabia is located in the middle of the desert. Photo: Wtravelmagazine
Deputy Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Al-Duaile stated that relations between the two countries are developing in many areas. Saudi Arabia has submitted a draft agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports to Vietnamese authorities. Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Duaile believes that, once signed, the agreement will pave the way for the two countries to consider the possibility of bilateral visa exemption for tourists from both sides.
Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud said that Saudi Arabia is considering issuing e-visas to tourists from Vietnam. The Saudi Ministry of Tourism will work with domestic travel companies to research and develop product packages that suit the tastes of Vietnamese tourists. The Princess hopes to establish direct flights between the two countries soon.
The signing of the "Action Program in the field of tourism" stemmed from an initiative by the two ministers during their bilateral meeting at the end of August in Vietnam. The program outlines measures to enhance the exchange and sharing of information and experiences; statistics on the Halal market; tourist demand; development of tourism human resource training; organization of joint tourism promotion events; and the search for tourism investment opportunities.
Minister Nguyen Van Hung stated that Vietnam always seeks to strengthen international cooperation to build and develop a Halal tourism value chain that suits the tastes of tourists from Muslim-majority countries such as Saudi Arabia.
In February, the Prime Minister issued a Decision approving the Project "Strengthening International Cooperation to Build and Develop Vietnam's Halal Industry by 2030". This is the first project to provide national-level orientations to unlock the potentially lucrative Halal market, with tourism being one of the priority areas with Saudi Arabia. Vietnam has also implemented e-visas for citizens of all countries and territories entering Vietnam.
Minister Nguyen Van Hung also proposed that Saudi Arabia support Vietnam in understanding the preferences of tourists and the Halal market, and in developing standards and regulations for Halal tourism.
As one of the largest countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia aims to attract over 100 million tourists by 2030, making tourism its second-largest source of revenue, after oil. In September 2019, Saudi Arabia officially launched its tourist visa program. Four years after opening its doors to international tourists, the tourism sector generated $49.3 billion in revenue. In 2022, Saudi Arabia welcomed over 90 million domestic and international visitors.
According to Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietjet Airlines, with a market of over 34 million people in Saudi Arabia and 100 million people in Vietnam, "the potential for tourism and air transport between the two countries is enormous; even opening up opportunities to access the ASEAN market and the Asian region."
Phuong Anh
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