Business

Lost opportunity, lost money

Conditions must be simple

Economic expert Vu Dinh Anh said that Vietnam allowed the opening of tourism and international visitors from March 15 and had a plan to prepare for a long time. visas) are delayed in making this timeline meaningless. To welcome international tourists to Vietnam, the accompanying conditions must be as simple as possible to attract tourists.

According to Dr. Le Dang Doanh, countries in the region such as Thailand and Singapore have gradually abandoned regulations requiring COVID-19 testing, isolation from international tourists. If Vietnam requires strict regulations compared to other countries in the region, it will not attract tourists.

According to Anh, the tourism industry has been “dead” for two years now. With the orientation of opening up and recovering the tourism industry, the authorities need to take measures to support this industry to regenerate soon. The tourism industry is a part of the economy, creating many products and services, contributing many billions of dollars to GDP. The revival of tourism will entail revenue for the budget from the contributions of tens of thousands of travel businesses, hotels, restaurants serving tourism and entertainment. In addition, the tourism industry also creates jobs for many workers, which indirectly leads to growth in the localities.

Tourism is one of the key economic sectors of Vietnam. In 2019, when the COVID-19 epidemic had not yet broken out, Vietnam welcomed 18 million international tourists. Tourism contributes about 9.2% of the country’s total GDP (equivalent to 32.8 billion USD). The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp drop in the number of visitors. In 2020, only 3.8 million international visitors remain. In 2021, only 157,300 international visitors will come to Vietnam.

“In the current context, tourism is still competitive. If Vietnam is closed for too long, the prestige and brand name of Vietnam in the international market will decline. The opening of Vietnam’s tourism is also competitive with the region and the world, “said Mr. Vu Dinh Anh.

Dr. Le Dang Doanh, former director of the Central Institute for Economic Management, said that Vietnam should compare the regulations on welcoming international guests with countries with many similarities in the region such as Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. The Ministry of Health, Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should sit together to find suitable solutions to make more reasonable regulations. Avoid the situation, each specialized department makes different decisions, causing difficulties in the implementation process.

According to Dr. Le Dang Doanh, countries in the region such as Thailand and Singapore have gradually abandoned regulations requiring COVID-19 testing, isolation from international tourists. If Vietnam requires strict regulations compared to other countries in the region, it will not attract tourists. In the current context, specialized ministries need to use information technology and digital economy to connect information to come up with the most appropriate plan.

“Just losing tourists for 2-3 seasons, Vietnam’s tourism industry will lag behind, gradually losing its brand and number of visitors. If international tourists come to Vietnam and are required to quarantine, whoever they come to… Vietnam will gradually lose international tourists”, Mr. Doanh warned.

Opening the door must be real

Recently, many foreign business associations have submitted proposals to the Government on policies related to opening up tourism. At the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) held at the end of February, Mr. Alain Cany – President of EuroCham in Vietnam said: “We encourage the Vietnamese Government to go further and faster in reopening to Vietnam can reach its full potential as a leader in tourism.”

Visa-free entry to Vietnam for citizens of 13 countries

  Delayed opening of tourism: Losing opportunities, losing money - Photo 1.

International tourists came to Vietnam before the COVID-19 epidemic

Regarding the visa policy to attract a large number of tourists to Vietnam, the Tourism and Hospitality Subcommittee of the Vietnam Business Forum Alliance proposed to expand the list of countries exempted from visas to Vietnam. all EU countries and extending the visa-free period from 15 to 30 days; extending the announced visa exemptions and exemptions to 5 years. Create a 3-month tourist visa for Europeans who want to undertake long-term holidays. Regulators also need to be flexible in waiving short-stay visas under certain circumstances.

On March 15, the Government issued a Resolution on visa exemption for citizens of the following countries: the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom. Russia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Finland and Republic of Belarus when entering Vietnam with a temporary stay period of 15 days from the date of entry context, regardless of passport type, entry purpose, on the basis of satisfying all conditions as prescribed by Vietnamese law.

The policy of visa exemption on entry to Vietnam for citizens of the above countries is implemented for a period of 3 years, from March 15, 2022 to the end of March 14, 2025 and will be considered for extension in accordance with law. provisions of Vietnamese law. This resolution replaces previous resolutions on suspending unilateral visa exemption policy for countries.


According to Quynh Nga

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