Government considers visa exemptions for tourists

The State Steering Committee on Tourism is proposing the government exempt visa fees and refund value-added taxes (VAT) for international tourists in August and September of this year.
According to Vu The Binh, Director of the Department of Travel under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the incentives aim to lure more foreign tourists to the country during those two months and are part of a programme to boost tourism this year. The programme entitled “Vietnam – Your destination” was announced by VNAT in March.
During the two months, trade centres, shops and other tourist service providers in Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Hanoi will offer 10-50% discounts for both domestic and foreign tourists.
This is the second time the tourism sector has asked the government to exempt international tourists to the country from visa fees.
Last year, after a proposal from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the government agreed to grant free visas to foreign visitors when they booked packaged tours under a promotion campaign dubbed “Impressive Vietnam”. The campaign ended in late last year.
According to Binh, the exemption is a chance to boost the country’s tourism and encourage travel firms to compete fairly by improving their tourism services.
“The exemption not only helps tourists save on expenses but also lures more international tourists to Vietnam in the coming time,” said Binh.