Online travel platform Agoda has just announced that the number of searches from international travelers planning a long stay in Vietnam has increased by 33% compared to 2 weeks ago, right after the National Assembly agreed to extend the validity of electronic visas (evisa) from 30 days to 90 days; increasing the length of stay for visa-exempt visitors from 15 days to 45 days.
Prospects from long-stay guests
According to Agoda, searches for accommodation by travelers from France increased by 72%, the Netherlands by 45%, New Zealand by 41%, Germany by 40% and the US by 38%. Meanwhile, the US led in total searches, surpassing Australia, Canada and Germany.
"These tourists often have to travel by long and expensive round-trip flights, so they plan longer vacations than tourists from neighboring regions. The data shows a positive signal for Vietnam's goal of attracting 8 million tourists this year. In the first 6 months of the year, the Vietnamese tourism industry welcomed about 5.57 million international visitors," said an Agoda representative.
According to businesses, greater flexibility and ease in the visa issuance process, along with promotional activities and increased international flights, will contribute to realizing this goal. For example, after Vietnam introduced a policy of granting evisa to its citizens, Agoda found that this tourist market rose from 8th place to become the second largest international market in Vietnam with the largest number of bookings, after South Korea.
In Ho Chi Minh City, India is becoming a potential source market for tourists. Recently, a MICE group of nearly 500 people joined a conference tour, exploring and experiencing destinations in Ho Chi Minh City such as: War Remnants Museum, City Post Office , Ben Thanh Market, Cu Chi Tunnels...
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tan, General Director of Saco Travel Company, said that the company has just welcomed a number of Indian tourist groups with a number of 200 - 300 visitors to Ho Chi Minh City. This is a market with high demand for travel, willing to spend if the products and services are commensurate. Therefore, Mr. Tan believes that it is necessary to invest and build night tourism products to meet the needs of Indian tourists.
Ms. Nguyen Cam Tu, Director of the Tourism Promotion Center, said that in the first 7 months of this year, international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City reached more than 2.3 million, an increase of 208% over the same period last year.
"The event of welcoming MICE guests is a signal that the international tourism market is starting to flourish. Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City have become destinations of interest to international tourists. MICE is identified as one of the seven typical tourism products with great potential, which needs to be promoted in the tourism development strategy" - said a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism.
Indian tourists visit, experience and take photos in the rice fields. Photo: BINH AN
Speed up pick up
More than a month after the National Assembly officially approved a new, more favorable visa policy, businesses are waiting for an official announcement from the Government about which markets will be eligible for the evisa extension to a maximum of 90 days.
Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh - Marketing Director, Vietravel Tourism Company - said that the adjustment of visa policy contributes to improving Vietnam's competitiveness in attracting international visitors. This favorable condition helps Vietravel flexibly arrange long-term travel schedules for international visitors to easily visit the resort or explore the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia. Thereby increasing the spending budget of international visitors in Vietnam.
"With the new visa policy, in addition to traditional markets, Vietravel has been expanding to exploit other key markets such as India and the Middle East. The number of international visitors is expected to increase," said Ms. Van Khanh.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Hien, Deputy Director of PYS Travel Company, said that international tourists want to travel for 2-3 weeks to visit Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. However, the maximum stay is only 15 days and multiple entries are not allowed, making it difficult for businesses to arrange schedules for customers.
"With the new visa policy, the longer stay allows businesses to build longer itineraries. Guests can fully experience the North and South, expanding their exploration of attractions in the Northeast and Northwest. This creates itineraries with different experience highlights compared to other countries in the region. PYS Travel expects the number of international visitors to Vietnam to increase by 15%-30%, and revenue can increase by 25%-40% each year," said Ms. Minh Hien.
Proposal to establish tourism promotion office abroad
To effectively exploit the new visa policy, tourism businesses recommend opening more direct flights from large and potential tourism source markets, enhancing convenient connections and attractive prices for international tourists; expanding unilateral visa exemptions for specific markets or new potential markets to attract more tourists. "It is necessary to establish a Vietnam tourism promotion office abroad to proactively promote tourism services and facilitate cooperation between domestic travel agencies and foreign travel companies," Ms. Van Khanh suggested.
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