Opportunity to "attract" "luxury" guests from visa exemption policy

Since the beginning of the year, the Government has issued 2 Resolutions on visa exemption for citizens of 15 countries. Accordingly, Resolution No. 44/NQ-CP dated March 7, 2025 will exempt visas for citizens of 12 countries: Federal Republic of Germany, French Republic, Italian Republic, Kingdom of Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russian Federation, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway and Republic of Finland with a temporary stay of 45 days from the date of entry, regardless of passport type or purpose of entry, on the basis of fully meeting the entry conditions as prescribed by Vietnamese law.

This policy is effective from March 15, 2025 to March 14, 2028 and will be considered for extension in accordance with Vietnamese law.

Previously, the Government issued Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP dated January 15, 2025 on visa exemption under the Tourism Development Stimulus Program in 2025 for citizens of 3 countries: the Republic of Poland, the Czech Republic and the Swiss Confederation, with a temporary stay of 45 days from the date of entry for tourism purposes under the program organized by Vietnamese international travel service businesses, regardless of passport type, on the basis of meeting all entry conditions as prescribed by Vietnamese law.

This policy applies from March 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 under the framework of the Tourism Development Stimulus Program in 2025.

According to experts, expanding the visa exemption policy will create a "boost" in attracting international visitors, while opening up opportunities for businesses to expand international cooperation, creating a premise for Vietnamese tourism to access more high-spending markets.

Mr. Nguyen Phi Hong Nguyen, Sales Director - Vietpromotion Service and Tourism Company Limited, Deputy Head of Khanh Hoa Travel Association, said that visa exemption has created conditions for foreign tourists to come to Vietnam in general and Khanh Hoa in particular more easily and conveniently.

“For travel businesses, we expect the visa exemption policy will help businesses access many potential tourist markets, opening up many opportunities for trade and investment cooperation for tourism businesses in the coming time; at the same time, creating jobs and developing local human resources,” Mr. Nguyen Phi Hong Nguyen affirmed.

Statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) show that in the first two months of 2025, Vietnam welcomed nearly 4 million international visitors, an increase of 30% over the same period last year.

In terms of growth drivers, European markets continued to grow impressively, including: UK (up 24.1%), France (up 30.2%), Germany (up 26.7%), Italy (up 31.5%), Spain (up 19.9%), Russia (up 104.3%), Denmark (up 20.9%), Sweden (up 1.8%), Norway (up 21.4%).

In addition, the Polish and Swiss markets also recorded an increase in the number of visitors, up 54.2% and 14.2% respectively compared to the same period in 2024.

The increase in the number of international visitors to Vietnam is partly due to the open visa policy issued by the Government. Along with that are the breakthrough promotion programs in recent times, as well as the increasingly rich and attractive system of Vietnamese tourism products and services, suitable to the needs and tastes of tourists. This is the driving force for the Vietnamese tourism industry to continue to attract more and more international tourists in the coming time.

However, to attract high-end, high-spending tourists from visa-exempt countries, the tourism industry needs to step up communication and promotion of the new visa policy. At the same time, it is necessary to extend the implementation period of tourism stimulus programs, creating momentum for the tourism industry to make a breakthrough.

Localities need to focus on developing high-quality, green, environmentally friendly tourism to meet the needs of European tourists. In addition to the natural and cultural resources of destinations, to enhance competitiveness, there needs to be high-quality and convenient entertainment and shopping services. Enhance the quality of cultural tourism products, create differentiation, and turn cultural tourism into a cultural industry to create breakthroughs for tourism in attracting visitors.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Nguyen Phi Hong Nguyen said: To effectively attract tourists, it is necessary to focus on green, environmentally friendly tourism products because European tourists really like tourism programs associated with nature and indigenous culture.

According to Mr. Nguyen Phi Hong Nguyen, Khanh Hoa with its year-round warm and sunny climate, diverse tourism products connecting with localities: Dak Lak - Lam Dong - Phu Yen - Ninh Thuan - Binh Thuan - Binh Dinh... will be an attractive destination for international visitors. According to statistics from Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, businesses are exploiting more than 40 tour products in the province and linking with neighboring provinces, focusing on building tourism products associated with experiential activities, learning about unique cultural features in each locality, region, and area to increase the experience for visitors, especially international visitors.

Grasping the trend, many tourism units have also developed a number of products such as golf tourism, cruise tourism, health care tourism, adventure tourism... to meet the diverse needs of tourists. These are all product lines aimed at "luxury" tourists, with the desire to bring new, unique and classy experiences to tourists.

In 2025, Vietnam tourism aims to welcome 22-23 million international visitors. To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched a tourism stimulus program for 2025 with the theme "Vietnam - Travel to love". The 2025 tourism stimulus program has many incentives on prices, services, and enhanced experiences to attract visitors to stay longer and spend more.

Responding to the stimulus program, since the beginning of March 2025, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has launched a video clip with the theme "Vietnam: Go to love!", spreading the beauty of nature, culture, country, and people of Vietnam to international friends. The video clip is expected to bring complete emotions and positive energy, inspire travel, attract tourists to admire, learn, experience, and explore...

Hopefully, with open visa policies, attractive products, stimulus programs, and extensive and unique promotions, Vietnamese tourism will make a strong breakthrough, soon realizing the goal of welcoming 22-23 million international visitors this year.

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