According to reports, Vietnam is planning to explore the possibility of granting Indian tourists entry without a visa as part of its efforts to grow its travel industry.
Vietnam’s Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Nguyn Van Jung, is advocating for temporary visa exemptions for important markets, such as China and India. This program will probably give the nation’s tourism sector, which has been severely damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the much-needed boost it needs to recover.
Nationals of several European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Finland, can already travel to Vietnam without a visa. The current decision to extend this privilege to Indian visitors reflects Vietnam’s recognition of the Indian market’s growing importance in the global tourism landscape.
According to tourism statistics and growth for Vietnam in the first ten months of 2023, there will be approximately 10 million international visitors – a significant 4.6-fold increase over the same period in 2022. Vietnam had hosted approximately 170,000 Indian visitors prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating the potential for further growth in this market.
Popular Vietnamese destinations for Indian tourists include Phu Quoc Island, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Ha Long Bay, and Hoi An. Furthermore, beginning in August of this year, Vietnam began issuing e-visas to individuals from all countries in order to facilitate easier entry. These e-visas have a 90-day validity period and allow multiple entries, making the visa application process easier for international visitors.
If Vietnam follows through on its plan to allow Indians to enter the country without a visa, it will join Sri Lanka and Thailand in taking similar steps. As previously reported, Thailand has announced visa-free entry for Indian and Taiwanese tourists for a six-month period beginning November 10, 2023, and ending May 10, 2024. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavision emphasized that this decision was motivated by a desire to meet the needs of Indian and Taiwanese visitors.
Prior to Thailand, Sri Lanka granted free visas to visitors from seven countries: India, China, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This initiative, which will be in effect until March 31, 2024, aims to increase tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, with the tourism ministry aiming to attract five million visitors in the coming years.
This move by Vietnam to consider offering visa-free entry to Indian tourists is consistent with a broader trend among countries seeking to boost tourism by simplifying entry procedures.