Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism

Policies related to tourism are not only the law on tourism, but also related to the immigration law and many others. For example, in terms of resort tourism, I immediately think of land, housing, and planning policies to create opportunities for businesses to develop resort facilities and transport infrastructure to increase connectivity. In policy formulation, it is necessary to think about tourism development and factors affecting policies to remove bottlenecks.

I think that the target of welcoming 8-10 million tourists set by Vietnam’s tourism industry is not as important as the way of realising this target. Thailand has acted strongly and fiercely when setting the goal of opening the economy within 125 days with the Phuket sandbox project, and they have done everything to make it happen. Last year, Vietnam also set a goal of reopening tourism to overseas visitors, provided that the pandemic was controlled, but the difference in thinking is a barrier that prevents the tourism industry from making a breakthrough.

We will always be behind if we keep looking at the success of surrounding countries. To really make a breakthrough, the tourism industry needs to dare to do new things for other countries to follow. To make a change, the industry needs to change its mindset to act more aggressively.

Vietnam is on the path of improvement and transformation. There will be a government resolution about solutions to promote tourism, and there can be short-term solutions as well as long-term ones.

In the near future, Vietnam will complete the planning of its tourism industry towards 2030. All of these directions are in terms of tourism development perspectives, objectives, and key solutions.

Recent discussions have delved into specific solutions, including the removal of bottlenecks around visas, immigration procedures, and links between the parties. I believe if we maintain ongoing discussion, we will find common ground and make progress on improving policies.

The tourism authority will take note of all ideas and solutions and guide Vietnam’s tourism businesses to continue investing and learning to adapt to new trends.

Together, we work closely with ministries, sectors, localities, and businesses to invest, create, and build Vietnam into a high-class destination where the quality is worthy, and the price is affordable. Thus, more international visitors will return to Vietnam.

It is necessary to determine the position of Vietnam on the current geopolitical map and in the next few years. Visitors from China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India, and ASEAN are important in the context of global fluctuations. Indonesia, India, Thailand, and Singapore are making huge investments to promote tourism.

Vietnamese airlines should maintain stability and increase flight frequency in Northeast Asian markets, Australia, and India, and create good general conditions for international flights to/from Vietnam

The quality of services is the most important aspect, especially the attitude of service providers in Vietnam to international and domestic tourists. The tourist environment should be friendly whether dealing in accommodation, meals, sightseeing, or shopping. Other common needs of visitors should be met, such as power sockets, Wi-Fi in hotels, and non-cash payment.

To attract international tourists efficiently in the long-term term and sustainably, it is recommended that Vietnam urgently increase the quality of services that tourists need, such as accommodation, sightseeing options, dining, safe shopping, and good prices, among others.

That’s why visas must be simple, with multi-entrance so that people really have time to get around. Vietnam has a big opportunity now. Of course, there are always restrictions but if we want to have customers, these procedures must be very easy and fast, not time consuming and also money consuming.

China’s market is a big and an important market. However, we cannot focus only on one market. We have to be flexible enough as we have seen what happens if you are dependent on only one market and something happens that is economically damaging.

That’s why we have to ensure an open-door policy for all nationalities and destinations.

It also proposes to increase the temporary residence period for e-visa holders from 30 to 90 days, valid once or multiple times at the request of foreigners, creating an opportunity for foreigners to enter Vietnam for up to three months.

Foreigners who wish to continue to stay for more than three months will be considered and handled in accordance with the current law. At the same time, the MoPS also proposes to extend the temporary stay period for citizens of countries that are unilaterally exempted from visas by Vietnam from 15 to 30 days. Tourist visa validity remains the same for three months. Thus, tourists can enter and exit many times instead of only once as before.

The government will issue a list of countries and territories with citizens who are granted e-visas, a list of international border gates that allow foreigners to enter and exit by e-visa. While the related legal documents have not yet been revised, the MoPS has proposed the government to include the above-mentioned contents in the resolution of the incoming National Assembly meeting this May and proposed for comments at the sixth meeting in October.

This is a big opportunity for the tourism industry to restructure the tourist market. We believe the industry will bounce back quickly and contribute more to GDP growth, not just 9.25 per cent like in 2019.

We have to think about attracting high-paying tourists. In 2019, Vietnam reached a record high number of more than 18 million international arrivals, with the average spending of international visitors in Vietnam about $1,200 per person and the average length of stay about nine days.

In the same year, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million international visitors, the average spending was $2,500 per person, the length of stay in Thailand was similar to that of Vietnam. It is necessary to research to understand the customer and the market before building the right product.

Recently, when we consulted the surrounding countries about the tourism market, I found that Vietnam needs to change its products to maximise its advantages, and it needs to come up with short-term and long-term development plans. The number of international tourists could double at a growth rate of around 25 per cent annually with a better visa policy and direct flights.

In the medium term, the tourism industry must build a master plan on product development, develop a marketing plan, perform human resources training, strengthen destination management and promote digital transformation in the tourism industry.

Through market research results, international tourists now tend to go less in large groups but often in small groups, and tourists are also choosing to stay in one country longer than experiencing multiple countries like before with the rise of green travel.

The rate of international visitors returning to Vietnam is only at 25-30 per cent, while Thailand reached an average of 70 per cent. To attract tourists to come back again, it is necessary to provide a good experience for visitors, which requires good destination management. In addition, businesses need to report to the management agency to remove technical barriers and difficulties in attracting international visitors.

Currently, Vietnam does not allow the opening of tourism promotion offices abroad, but we have opened a promotion office in the UK based on the contribution of businesses. I think that while there is no long-term mechanism, public-private partnerships can help solve many problems, especially in understanding the market and building suitable products for the target audience.