Ranked after India with a modest gap of one percent, Vietnam is among the countries with the highest enthusiasm for traveling now and for confidence in welcoming foreign travelers.

Vietnam received 365,300 foreign travelers in the first five months of the year, or 4.5 times higher than the same period last year, but 95 percent lower compared with the same period in 2019.

Anex Vietnam, a tourism firm which receives more Russian travelers than most other travel firms, has decided to temporarily stop receiving Russia tourists who want to go to Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa).

Travel firms have proposed the restoration of the visa waiver policy applied before the pandemic, and a waiver expansion for additional countries.

Many travel firms say that their inbound tours remain unsold as ministries and branches are still discussing tourism reopening solutions.

The Government has decided to fully reopen the tourism market from March 15. However, travel firms fear that foreign travelers won’t visit the country because of complicated procedures for entry visas.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has proposed that foreign travelers to Vietnam have negative PCR testing results and should not leave their accommodations for 72 hours after entry.

Vietnam is expected to serve some 18 million international tourist arrivals and 85 million domestic ones by 2026 under a program on developing the local tourism sector during the 2022-2026 period.

The number of international tourists to Vietnam in December 2021 rose by 14.2 percent compared to that of the previous month as the country is piloting the welcome of foreign visitors and international commercial flights are being resumed.

The Phu Quoc island of southern Kien Giang province received more than 50 Lao tourists on December 30 – 31 who boarded private aircraft and planned to use premium services on the island.

Covid-19 in the last few years brought the world’s tourism to its knees. Current opportunities exist but if Vietnam starts the new race later than other countries, it will lose.

The tourism industry experienced another tough year in 2021 as policies applied by local authorities changed often.

Airlines are ready to resume routine international flights from January 1, 2022 after two years of interruption. However, they are concerned as regulations have not been released. Meanwhile, some problems still exist.

Implementing the second phase of a pilot program on foreign travelers from December 15, 2021 and allowing Vietnamese to travel abroad are among the proposals from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).

Resumption of safe travel under a ‘tourism bubble’ between Hanoi and 11 cities and provinces is facing challenges.

Some have opined that although the tourism industry has been hit hardest by the pandemic, it can stand up again immediately, just like a compressed spring would return to its former shape when released.

HCM City’s travel firms are reopening to do business in the new normal but domestic demand remains low. The firms are currently seeking permission from agencies to receive foreign travelers.

The first Thai travelers may arrive in Vietnam in December and Vietnamese would be able to travel abroad as part of an official tourism bubble established between the countries.

Thirty out of 200 foreign travelers came to Phu Quoc to play golf, which shows the great potential of golf.

Vietnamese travelers are welcomed in many foreign markets but many dare not book outbound tours because they don’t know when they can return to the country.