As Vietnam is looking for ways to lure more international visitors, an “open door” visa policy is seen as a lever that helps the country reach its set target, according to insiders.

Some airlines have proposed that the government continue to ease visa rules to attract more foreign visitors, especially those from key markets such as Australia, the United States, Japan, India and China, to Vietnam.

A Thailand-initiated single visa programme of six ASEAN countries is expected to help Vietnam attract more long-haul and high-spending travelers, according to insiders.

Thailand recently put forward a single visa scheme that would allow travelers to visit six countries, including Vietnam, in Southeast Asia without having to apply for separate visas.

As Vietnam positions itself as "the leading tourist attraction in Southeast Asia," a more open visa policy is expected to help achieve this goal.

More breakthrough, open and facilitating visa policies are needed to attract foreign tourists, thus fulfilling the target set for this year, insiders have said.

Airlines that regularly operate international flights to Vietnam have received a letter from the CAAV about the control of air travel documents for passengers arriving and departing the country.

Since mid-August 2023, Vietnam has been issuing electronic visas to citizens of all countries, extending the duration from 30 to 90 days with unlimited entries.

Foreign arrivals have been on track for full recovery since Vietnam opened its border two years ago on the back of a favourable visa policy, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said on March 18.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will cooperate with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on a policy expanding visa exemptions to more countries as part of a plan to attract more tourists.

The Vietnamese Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Public Security are working on a plan to expand the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for a unilateral visa waiver to attract more international tourists.

Continuing to expand visa exemption policies will be beneficial for the development of tourism in Vietnam, experts said.

The public security ministry must also study the issuance of visas on arrival at border gates, and the report must be submitted to the Prime Minister in the second quarter of 2024.

The expansion of the visa exemption policy to cover more countries is good for Vietnam tourism, said Head of the Secretariat of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) Hoang Nhan Chinh.

Vietnam will pilot long-term, multiple-entry visas lasting from 12 to 36 months to attract visitors from high-end markets such as Europe, Northeast Asia, North America, India and the Middle East.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested the Ministry of Public Security to consider the expansion of visa exemptions for citizens of some countries in accordance with the new context and bilateral cooperation.

The easing of the visa policy for Vietnamese citizens by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China from October 25 is one of the highlight's in the relations between the two sides in 2023.

Global tourism is experiencing a faster-than-expected resurgence, intensifying the competitive landscape among tourist destinations.

Hong Kong started to relax visa rules for Vietnamese visitors from October 25, the Chief Executive announced in his policy address 2023.