Vietnamese citizens are urged to request that South Korea simplify visa application procedures.

This is one of the proposals from the Vietnam National Tourism Administration aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, recently met and worked with Mr. Park Jong Kyung, Counselor of the Korean Embassy in Vietnam, to discuss strengthening tourism cooperation between the two sides.

Since the beginning of 2021, South Korea has expanded the list of countries eligible for free group e-visa processing to include Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Previously, only Chinese tourists benefited from this policy. The current South Korean visa application fee for Vietnamese tourists is $30 per person.

NG

According to Counselor Park Jong Kyung, Vietnam is one of the world's top tourist destinations and is beloved by international visitors. Currently, tourism cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea is being strengthened. In 2023, approximately 3.6 million South Korean tourists visited Vietnam. Conversely, over 400,000 Vietnamese tourists visited South Korea. Since 2022, South Korea has become Vietnam's leading source market. Popular destinations for South Korean tourists include the Hue-Da Nang-Hoi An cluster, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Da Lat, and Phu Quoc, with charter flights focusing on these destinations. The bilateral agreement between South Korea and Vietnam on the recognition of the International Driving Permit (IDP), signed during President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Vietnam, has also come into effect. This is considered a factor facilitating travel between tourists from both countries. Mr. Park Jong Kyung expressed his desire for the Vietnam National Tourism Administration to pay attention to strengthening cooperation to promote tourism exchange between the two sides, through several proposals aimed at attracting Korean tourists to Vietnam, as well as providing the best experience for tourists such as: providing signs in Korean; establishing a 24/7 hotline to support tourists; issuing policies to support Korean and international tourists in case of passport loss, and improving the passport reissuance process for tourists… On the Vietnamese side, the Director General of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, Nguyen Trung Khanh, acknowledged that South Korea is Vietnam's largest source market. Within the ASEAN region, Vietnam is also a top destination for South Korea. In 2023, the total two-way tourist exchange between Vietnam and South Korea reached 4 million, recovering 83% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Director Nguyen Trung Khanh requested the Korean Embassy and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) to advise the Korean government to facilitate visa policies for Vietnamese tourists, and to consider simplifying the required documents and application procedures. In addition, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration will discuss with KTO its plan to promote Vietnamese tourism in Korea in 2024, requesting KTO to allocate time for participation and to cooperate in sharing information and inviting Korean businesses to participate. To further strengthen close cooperation between the two sides, Director Nguyen Trung Khanh suggested that KTO consider establishing a mechanism for the Vietnam-Korea Tourism Cooperation Committee to meet annually and alternately in both countries to discuss measures to promote tourism and resolve any outstanding issues.

Thanhnien.vn

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