Vietnam reopens borders for international tourists

Vietnam has entered a new phase in the Covid-19 pandemic response and confidently welcomes international tourists to the country, said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu on March 15 - the day marked a milestone as the country fully opens its doors to international tourism after a two-year interruption.

Vu was speaking at the tourism conference held on the same day that for the first time attracted the participation of all 94 Ambassadors and heads of Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad; leaders of provinces and cities as well as a large number of representatives of travel businesses and aviation service providers.

Vu said about 50 countries around the world, including many in Southeast Asia members such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, have relaxed entry regulations and waived PCR testing and isolation for international visitors.

Confidently to welcome foreign travelers

The conference, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, focused discussion on a safe opening to international tourism took place evening in Hanoi. Photo: VNA

According to Deputy General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ha Van Sieu, to reopen safely to foreign travels amid the pandemic, Vietnam’s tourism industry needs to create favorable conditions in visa procedures and air connections.

“The full resumption of tourism activities from March 15 is the right decision of the industry,” he said.

This can be considered the fruitful result of Vietnam's efforts in response to the pandemic. The country has injected 90 percent of its adult population with two Covid-19 vaccine doses and is among the six countries with the highest vaccination rate.  

“More importantly, there is a consensus of the relevant agencies and the will of the people in the fight against the pandemic," he added.

Foreign visitors to Hoi An Ancient Town. Photo: Pham Hung

At the conference, the Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad were briefed about the policies and regulations related to the entry of foreigners.

The visa exemption policy for citizens of 13 countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland, Russia, Japan, Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belarus is restored.

Tourists are required to comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Health on vaccination against Covid-19 and must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. They need to have a negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP test result within 72 hours before departure or a quick test within 24 hours.

Travelers will also make medical declarations and install the Vietnam Covid-19 contact tracing app (PC-COVID) during their entire stay in the country.

At the border gates, tourists who show suspected symptoms of Covid-19 infections (coughing, fever, runny rose, sore throat, muscle aches, loss of taste and smell) should report to the on-site health authorities so that they can take appropriate health measures such as conducting a quick test and requiring the suspected case to self-isolate in the accommodation facility within 14 days.

International visitors who visit the country by road have to take a quick test at the border gate before entry.

Fostering tourism development after Covid-19

Vietnam tourism campaign “Live Fully in Viet Nam" was launched in mid-October 2021 to promote local tourism recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

At a press conference to announce the official reopening of Vietnam's tourism on March 15, Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Nguyen Trung Khanh said that his agency has requested the Ministry of Transport to increase the frequency of flights to restore international and domestic tourism activities.

“The tourism administration is coordinating with ministries and relevant units to promptly and effectively draft policies on assisting tourism businesses and workers who have been severely affected in the past two years,” he stated.

After two years of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many tourism facilities have deteriorated. There will be a large-scale inspection on hotels and restaurants to ensure service quality and safety, he added.

A series of policies to stimulate tourism will also be implemented in the near future.

The National Administration of Tourism will also carry on the “Live fully in Vietnam” tourism campaign on some specific channels such as the official website of Vietnam tourism – the https://vietnam.travel/ and social networks such as Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest.

“The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has identified the years 2022 and 2023 as the recovery period for Vietnam’s tourism. It is expected to welcome about nine millions of international visitors, reaching 45% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019,” Khanh said.

“This is a big goal that requires the efforts of the entire Vietnamese tourism industry,” he added.