Easing visas for South Korea and Taiwan to attract tourists to Vietnam

Paving the way in visa policies for Korea and Taiwan, Vietnamese tourism businesses will be able to effectively attract international visitors.

Thematic discussion on Visa Policy for Korea and Taiwan (China) took place on the morning of August 23, in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: THAO THUONG

Many difficulties in immigration procedures, tour organization and finding ways to exploit the two markets of Korea and Taiwan (China) were discussed by tourism businesses at a seminar on visa policies of these two markets.

This is an activity within the framework of the Tourism and Business 2025 event series, thereby promoting the demand for overseas travel of Vietnamese tourists.

Towards visa exemption for Vietnamese in Korea

Mr. You Sang Byun - Consular Visa Department, Consulate General of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City - informed that according to statistics, in 2024, there will be about 4.5 million Korean visitors to Vietnam. In the first 7 months of 2025 alone, this number reached about 2.5 million visitors. Among the foreign destinations of Korean people, Vietnam ranks second, only after Japan.

On the other hand, in 2024, there will be about 650,000 Vietnamese visitors to Korea. In the first 7 months of 2025, this number is about 420,000. With this figure, the number of Vietnamese visitors to Korea ranks 4th, after China, Japan and the US.

"There are many reasons for the above results, but the most special is the Vietnamese Government 's visa relaxation policy, which has strongly promoted the number of Korean tourists to Vietnam. For example, extending the length of stay for visa-exempt visitors or extending the length of stay for visitors entering with an electronic visa. Along with that are improvements in tourism infrastructure and services.

The Korean government and the Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City have also implemented many policies to facilitate Vietnamese visitors such as exempting electronic group visa fees, shortening the required documents... I hope that in the future, Vietnamese people will be able to enter Korea without a visa," Mr. You Sang Byun emphasized.

From a business perspective, a representative of Nam A Chau Tourism Company raised the question of whether the Korean visa policy is applied equally to travel companies.

Regarding this issue, Mr. You Sang Byun said that visa approval is carried out completely fairly, applying to all individuals and travel companies.

"The unit examines the documents based on the actual content, authenticity and suitability of the documents submitted by the customer. Therefore, when applying for a visa, the most important thing is that businesses and individuals need to prepare complete documents, in accordance with regulations and actual conditions," Mr. You Sang Byun noted.

Korean tourists in Phu Quoc ( An Giang ) - Photo: QUANG DINH

Taiwan facilitates issuance of Guan Hong visas to Vietnamese businesses

According to Mr. Derek Chou - Chief Representative of Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Vietnam, Quan Hong visa (group visa) is issued through designated travel companies.

"This type of visa is free of charge and does not require financial proof, creating great convenience for travel businesses in organizing tours," Mr. Derek Chou informed.

As for individual tours, only companies on the designated list are allowed to apply. Every year in March and September, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau will open a review period for applications.

According to information from Taiwan, this year the number of individual tourists has decreased, but the number of group tours with company bonuses for employees has increased 3 times compared to 2024. This is both a potential market for travel companies to exploit and an advantage to help businesses have the opportunity to "get" on Taiwan's designated list.

Korean and Taiwanese tourists coming to Vietnam for golf tourism grow about 15%/year

From a business perspective, Ms. Doan Ngoc Thao - General Secretary of the Saigon Golf Tourism Association - said that in recent years, the market of international golfers coming to Vietnam has grown steadily, with the most prominent being groups of visitors from Korea and Taiwan.

"These are two traditional markets, passionate about golf, with high spending levels, often combining golf and luxury resorts. On average, each year, the number of Korean and Taiwanese tourists coming to Vietnam to experience golf tourism has recorded a growth rate of 10-15%, and there were even periods after the pandemic when this number increased dramatically," said Ms. Thao.

According to Ms. Thao, attracting the golf tourism segment is the visa policy, which not only helps increase the number of tourists but also extends the length of stay, encouraging visitors to return many times. Golf tourism contributes to enhancing the image of the destination, promoting related services such as hotels, restaurants, transportation...

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/noi-long-visa-han-quoc-va-dai-loan-de-thu-hut-khach-cho-du-lich-viet-20250823124747531.htm