New visa policy: Is it a "magnet" attracting international visitors to Vietnam?

According to research by the World Tourism Organization, visa exemptions can help increase the number of international visitors by 5-25%. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

The Government has just issued two Resolutions on visa exemption for 15 countries. This positive signal demonstrates our hospitality and openness to the world. Notably, it shows that the Government's clear goal is to target the "elite" group of tourists, those with high incomes, who are willing to "open their wallets" for high-end services.

It can be seen that flexible visa policy is an important tool to increase the attractiveness of destinations and increase competitiveness between countries. With the recently approved visa policy, does Vietnamese tourism really have the opportunity to break through and become a leading destination in the region? Head of the Secretariat of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh shared his views on this story.

- International media commented that Vietnam's tourism industry has the best recovery rate in Southeast Asia, even higher than famous tourist destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines... According to you, with the current more open visa exemption policy, do we have enough advantages compared to those countries and how can we increase competitiveness?

Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh: In my opinion, an open visa policy sends a signal that Vietnam is more accessible. This can attract tourists, especially independent visitors – a group that is sensitive to visa barriers. An open visa policy will create an image of an open, friendly destination, attracting investors, businessmen and long-term tourists.

In the Southeast Asian region, countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia all have flexible visa policies to attract international tourists. If Vietnam does not expand its visa exemption policy, we may lose our competitive advantage and fall behind other destinations.

Head of the Secretariat of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

In fact, Thailand is currently exempting visas for 98 countries, allowing stays of 30-90 days; Malaysia is exempting visas for 165 countries, allowing stays of 30-90 days; Singapore is exempting visas for 163 countries, allowing stays of 30-90 days. Meanwhile, Vietnam is currently only exempting visas for 30 countries, with stays mainly of 30-45 days, much less than other countries in the region. Therefore, if we do not expand the list, we may lose the opportunity to compete with these countries.

If the visa exemption policy targets developed countries (US, Canada, Australia) or wealthy groups (businessmen, billionaires), Vietnam can compete directly with Singapore and Thailand in the high-end tourism segment.

Currently, Singapore leads in service quality, but costs are high; Thailand stands out for its reasonable prices, but Vietnam can take advantage of its unique culture and lower costs to position itself as an attractive alternative, helping them prioritize Vietnam when planning their travel.

- The figures you just analyzed show that the visa exemption policy in Vietnam, although more open, is still "inferior" to other countries. It is difficult to make a "great revolution" for this policy now, so we should do the easy things first. In your opinion, what can we improve in the near future?

Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh: Vietnam has made significant improvements in its visa policy, with the visa exemption list expanded to 30 countries, and the length of stay increased to 45 days for countries with unilateral visa exemptions. However, compared to countries in the region such as Thailand (visa exemption for nearly 100 countries), Malaysia and Singapore (both more than 160 countries), this number is still quite modest.

Singapore has the most powerful passport in the world. (Photo: Straits Times)

If Vietnam cannot expand the visa exemption list in a “massive” way like Thailand (visa exemption for 98 countries), we can consider and select visa exemption subjects, focusing on high-end tourists with high spending potential and high economic contribution. This is an approach that many countries have successfully applied to optimize the benefits of visa policies without having to expand too large a scale.

The government is aiming to exempt visas for high-end tourists because this group of tourists often spend more on accommodation (5-star hotels, resorts), dining (high-end restaurants), luxury shopping, and exclusive experiences (cruises, golf, private tours with special experiences). According to the World Tourism Organization, high-end tourists can spend 5-10 times more than mass tourists, helping to increase revenue without having to welcome too many visitors.

Furthermore, Vietnam does not have enough tourism infrastructure to welcome a huge number of visitors like Thailand (35.5 million visitors in 2024), so focusing on the high-end segment helps reduce pressure on infrastructure, while taking advantage of developed destinations such as Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nha Trang, where high-end resorts and services are available.

In particular, attracting high-end customers such as businessmen, billionaires, and celebrities also helps Vietnam position itself as a luxury and unique destination, instead of just a cheap destination. This creates a natural promotional effect, similar to what Maldives or Dubai have done.

(Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

I think that selecting visa exemption subjects instead of expanding them widely will help Vietnam better control the flow of visitors, reducing the risk of illegal immigration or security issues, which are some of the major barriers today.

- The new visa policy, although a positive move, is not a magnet to attract international tourists to Vietnam. Because to attract a large number of visitors, many other factors are needed, such as promotion and advertising, especially the creation of new and attractive tourism products...

Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh: That's right, the new visa policy, although a positive and important move, cannot be considered a magnet to automatically attract international visitors to Vietnam. This policy is only a part of the tourism ecosystem, and its effectiveness really depends on the resonance of many other factors such as promotion, advertising, and especially the construction of diverse and new tourism products to attract and retain tourists.

A study by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows that 70% of travel decisions are based on destination reputation and tourism products, not just favorable visa policies.

Miss World Scotland 2024 recently traveled to Vietnam. One of the destinations she chose to explore was the vibrant life at Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: CTV/Vietnam+)

Experience from Thailand shows that visa exemption for 98 countries is the first step, but the real success comes from diverse tourism products such as floating markets, festivals, Thai massage and strong promotion with 100 million USD/year. As a result, they attract up to 35.5 million visitors in 2024, earning 48.5 billion USD.

Singapore offers visa-free travel to 163 countries, but its iconic landmarks like Marina Bay Sands, cleanliness and top-notch service have helped it generate $29 billion in revenue despite only welcoming 16.5 million visitors last year.

Thus, visa policy is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Without attractive tourism products and ineffective promotion and advertising, tourists can still choose Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

In my opinion, Vietnam needs to change its approach, focusing on the quality of the experience instead of just chasing the number of visitors. If done well, Vietnam will not only catch up with Thailand but also become the top destination in Southeast Asia in the next 10 years.

- Thank you for sharing./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/chinh-sach-visa-moi-co-la-thoi-nam-cham-hut-khach-quoc-te-den-viet-nam-post1022771.vnp