Vietnam hopes e-visas will be a breakthrough in attracting tourists

HANOI: The granting of 30-day single-entry electronic visas to visitors from 40 countries from Feb 1 is expected to be a breakthrough in attracting foreign tourists to Vietnam, Vietnam news agency (VNA) reported.
Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan said the policy will make it easier for overseas visitors to enter Vietnam.
To apply for e-visas, foreign citizens must complete a form available on two separate websites (one in Vietnamese at http://www.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and the other in English at http://www.immigration.gov.vn) run by the Ministry of Public Security.
They will receive an application code and will be asked to pay a non-refundable fee online.
It will take three working days for tourists to find out whether or not their applications have been approved.
"Providing e-visas is a good move, but not enough to help Vietnam's tourism compete with other countries in the region," said Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh.
He suggested more policies such as visa exemptions, tourism promotion and human resources development to attracting more international tourists. — Bernama