Vietnam to roll out digital visas next year

Vietnam is working on a scheme to grant electronic visa (e-visa) for foreign visitors in a bid to attract more tourists to the country and boost domestic tourism industry.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told a conference on tourism development on Tuesday that the government has allocated VND200 billion ($8.8 million) to speed up progress of the project so that the e-visa system could be launched on January 1, 2017.

Phuc asked the ministries of finance, public security and foreign affairs to determine e-visa fees and make sure foreign tourists are warmly welcomed upon arrival.

The e-visa would be issued to applicants in a printer friendly e-mail after they fill out an online application form. This system is believed to greatly speed up the entire visa process, accordingto Kenneth Atkinson, chairman of the Tourism Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum,aconsortium of international and local business associations and chambers of commerce.

Currently, a Vietnamese tourist visa may be obtained upon arrival at the country's international airports, which is associated with long queues, or via a Vietnamese embassy or consulate.

Vietnam has a visa waiver or exemptions for citizens of 21 countries, far less than Malaysia (164), the Philippines (157), Indonesia (45) and Thailand (52).

Last month, in an attempt to attract more visitors, Vietnam renewed for another year the 15-day visa waiver policy for citizens of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

The government's National Strategy aims to attract 10 million -10.5 million international visitors with tourism revenue reaching $18 billion-$19 billion, equivalent to 6.5 percent-7 percent of GDP per year by 2020.

In the first seven months of this year, Vietnam received 5.55 million foreign tourists, a 24 percent rise year on year.

In 2016, Vietnam hopes to welcome 8.5 million foreign tourists, up about 6 percent from 2015. Its revenue from the tourism industry in the year is expected at more than $16 billion, up around 9 percent year on year, according to data from the General Statistics Office.

Source: VnE