Exploring Vietnam’s Potential Visa-Free Entry for Indian Travelers
After Thailand and Sri Lanka, Vietnam to offer visa-free entry to Indian travellers!
In line with Thailand and Sri Lanka’s footsteps, there’s buzz about Vietnam considering the idea of allowing Indian travelers visa-free entry. This move is part of Vietnam’s larger strategy to give a boost to its tourism sector.
Nguyn Van Jung, the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Vietnam, is actively pushing for short-term visa waivers, especially for key markets like China and India. This step is expected to help Vietnam recover its tourism industry, which took a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, citizens from several European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, and Finland, enjoy visa-free access to Vietnam. Extending this privilege to Indian visitors shows Vietnam’s recognition of India’s growing significance in the global tourism scene.
Looking at the tourism stats and growth in Vietnam for the first ten months of 2023, there’s a significant uptick with around 10 million international visitors—a remarkable 4.6-fold increase compared to the same period in 2022. Before the pandemic, Vietnam hosted about 170,000 Indian visitors, indicating potential growth in this market.
Indian tourists particularly favor destinations like Phu Quoc Island, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Ha Long Bay, and Hoi An in Vietnam. Furthermore, Vietnam has eased entry with the introduction of e-visas for individuals from all countries since August of this year. These e-visas, valid for 90 days with multiple entries allowed, simplify the visa application process for international visitors.
If Vietnam goes ahead with the plan for visa-free entry for Indians, it would be following the footsteps of Sri Lanka and Thailand, both of which have already implemented similar measures. Thailand recently announced visa-free entry for Indian and Taiwanese tourists for a six-month period starting from November 10, 2023, to May 10, 2024. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavision emphasized the decision was driven by catering to the preferences of Indian and Taiwanese travelers.
Before Thailand, Sri Lanka also granted free visas for travelers from seven countries, including India, China, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This initiative, running until March 31, 2024, aims to boost tourist arrivals, with Sri Lanka’s tourism ministry targeting five million tourists in the coming years.
Vietnam’s consideration of offering visa-free entry to Indian tourists aligns with the broader trend among countries to stimulate tourism by simplifying entry procedures.