Destination digest: Vietnam news in brief
There’s plenty of good news coming out of Vietnam at the moment. Here are a few stories making the headlines:
Vietnam Intensifies Tourism Promotions
The law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam took effect on 15 August, creating more favourable conditions for foreign visitors coming to the country. To create momentum for tourism development, the Government issued a Resolution dated 18 May 2023, on tasks and solutions to accelerate the recovery and boost the effective and sustainable development of the tourism industry.
(source: Vietnam Plus)
Hanoi Wants Tourists to Stop Visiting One of Its Most Popular Attractions
Authorities said they have issued a document requesting tighter penalties for businesses operating along ‘Train Street’— one of the city’s most famous unofficial attractions, where trains buzz by a row of open-air cafes. The document is the latest in a series of measures that have failed to curb the scores of tourists flocking to Train Street. In April, Hanoi’s tourism department told travel agencies not to organize group tours to the location.
(source: Time)
Vietnam Introduces E-Visa for All Nationalities from 15 August
Starting August 15, 2023, Vietnam has implemented a new electronic visa (e-visa) system for all nationalities. The sudden ease in travel convenience will bring a major boost to the country’s tourism and allied sectors, which have struggled to find pre-pandemic success in part due to bureaucratic regulations. Citizens of select countries will be granted the privilege of visa exemption, enabling them to explore Vietnam for a prolonged duration of up to 45 days.
(source: Vietnam Briefing)
Batik Air Expands Routes to Vietnam Amid Growing Demand
Batik Air, a subsidiary of the Lion Air Group, one of the largest airline companies in Indonesia, is expanding its routes to Vietnam by adding Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on May 26, 2023. This move comes as demand for flights between Indonesia and Vietnam is growing.
(source: Jakarta Globe)
Panorama Destination Vietnam: Our Journey to the New Normal
For most of 2020 and early 2021, Vietnam remained virtually free of Covid-19. This was because the country was quick to impose border restrictions and quarantines, deploying intensive contact tracing teams where needed and imposing localised lockdowns to keep the virus at bay.
With consistently low cases and a speedy response to new infections, the country was ranked in the top three out of almost 100 countries graded by the official Lowy Institute Covid Performance Index, which assessed the overall success and efficiency of each nation’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, Vietnam was one of only a handful of countries worldwide to register economic growth (2.9%).
However, the emergence of the Delta virus in May 2021 pushed the country’s capabilities to their limit. The government issued strict stay-at-home orders in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The situation then improved, and the country fully reopened its tourism infrastructure from 15 March 2022.
On 27 April 2022 Vietnam scrapped the need for medical declarations from foreign entrants. Then, on 15 May, Vietnam officially ended the requirement for PCR tests prior to departure, meaning travellers could finally enter Vietnam without testing.
The Panorama Destination Vietnam office has been put into ‘hibernation’ until further notice, but is expected to resume operations in the near future. We are working closely with local officials and international governing bodies to ensure the safety of Panorama Destination clients returning to Vietnam in the months ahead.
We have already introduced a set of health and safety protocols based on a dedicated Covid-19 policy and continue to work alongside other DMCs in Southeast Asia, to ensure safe and standardised services for all returning visitors.
Panorama Destination will continue to provide the latest breaking news regarding tourism in Vietnam via our social media channels:
