Promoting tourism from open visa policy

Visa policy is identified as one of the key factors to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam's tourism in the context that countries in the region are continuously loosening entry regulations to attract international visitors.

Expanding visa exemption, extending the length of stay, and applying e-visas to all countries and territories has created a strong shift in the policy of attracting international tourists to Vietnam.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism , our country currently offers bilateral visa exemptions for 15 countries and unilateral visa exemptions for 12 countries, while applying a conditional visa exemption policy for citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in 2025.

In particular, the electronic visa (e-visa) policy has been extended to all countries and territories, with a maximum stay of up to 90 days, valid for single or multiple entries, making it more convenient for visitors to register for entry online.

Vietnam's current e-visa policy is positively evaluated thanks to its expansion of application to all countries and territories, extension of stay to 90 days and convenient online registration procedures, contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of destinations and improving the entry experience for international visitors. (Illustration photo: VNA)

Mr. Pham Van Thuy, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said that loosening and diversifying visa policies is a necessary step to increase the attractiveness of Vietnam as a destination. However, compared to other countries in the region, there is still a lot of room for reform.

“Malaysia currently exempts visas for citizens of 166 countries, Indonesia 169, Singapore 158, while Vietnam is only at 27 countries. Some countries also apply flexible policies such as permanent visa exemption, group visa issuance at border gates or transit visa exemption for up to 240 hours. These are experiences worth considering in our reform roadmap,” Mr. Thuy stated.

Mr. Pham Van Thuy, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

Implementing the Government 's direction in Resolution 82/NQ-CP dated May 18, 2023, Directive 08/CT-TTg dated February 23, 2024 and Official Dispatch 34/CD-TTg dated April 10, 2025, the competent authorities are coordinating to research and propose expanding the list of visa-exempt countries and preferential visa policies for strategic groups, ensuring both promoting tourism development and maintaining national defense and security.

In parallel with visa reform, the tourism industry is implementing the 2025 Tourism Development Stimulus Program, aiming to extend the length of stay and increase spending of tourists. The communication message “Vietnam - go to love” continues to be chosen to promote the image of a safe, friendly, attractive and quality destination.

Promotional activities will focus on markets with favorable visa policies such as Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, the US and India, while exploiting high-spending customer segments such as MICE tourism, golf and healthcare. Major promotional programs will be promoted at international fairs such as ITB Berlin, WTM London, along with a series of roadshows introducing Vietnamese tourism in key markets.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism also promotes digital transformation in promotion, applying global platforms such as Google, Facebook, TikTok, cooperating with international KOLs and online travel agents such as Booking, Agoda, Expedia to expand customer reach.

Foreign visitors are excited about the beautiful scenery of Vietnam. (Photo: THANH DAT)

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is proposing to pilot the establishment of Vietnam Tourism Promotion Offices in a number of strategic markets, associated with repositioning the national brand "Vietnam - a safe, friendly, attractive, humane, hospitable, and convenient destination".

“With the synchronous combination of open visa policy and professional promotion strategy, Vietnam has the basis to expect to attract a strong increase in international visitors, contributing to promoting tourism growth and making positive contributions to the country's socio-economic development,” Mr. Pham Van Thuy emphasized.

According to Nhan Dan Newspaper

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/xuc-tien-du-lich-tu-chinh-sach-thi-thuc-thong-thoang-a466288.html