Travel firms rush to open long tours following Vietnam's 90-day e-visa policy

Travel firms are organizing longer tours to take advantage of opportunities that the new 90-day visa policy may bring when it takes effect.

On June 24, the National Assembly tripled the validity of tourist e-visas to 90 days and visa-free periods for nationals of certain countries to 45 days, with effect from August 15.

Tran The Dung, CEO of Vietluxtour, said that travel businesses and foreign tourists are interested in Vietnam's new visa policy.

Long trips are popular among European visitors, particularly those from Germany and the Netherlands. Many visitors to Vietnam combine visits to Cambodia and Laos, he said.

Previously, if they wished to return to Vietnam after their tours of Laos and Cambodia and fly home from Vietnam, they had to apply for an additional visa. However, under the new regulation, they will not need to apply for an extra visa for 90 days.

The CEO of Vietluxtour said that his company is organizing longer tours to serve foreign tourists and seize fresh opportunities. Vietnam has many airports, so visitors can choose where they fly home from after visiting several nations.

Vo Van Phong, director of C2T, which specializes in garden tourism in some Mekong Delta provinces, stated that when tourists stay in Vietnam longer, they spend more and eat more Vietnamese dishes. "As a result, companies benefit because tourists spend more money and gain a better understanding of Vietnam."

Phong said that digital nomadism is currently popular among young people. They work online while travelling across Vietnam. The new visa rules will enable many overseas travelers to enjoy more of the country while they work.

Phong believes that the policy is a great opportunity for travel businesses. The new policy is also a motivation for them to innovate and design new, longer tours. For C2T, instead of tours that only take 4-5 days, it will launch tours of up to 10 days.

According to the director of C2T, longer tours allow firms to shorten the time it takes to find new consumers, cut costs, and increase revenues. C2T will collaborate with travel firms that welcome many Eastern and Northern European visitors to organize tours and seize these opportunities.

Nguyen Huu Tho, honorary chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, told Theinvestor that the new visa policy will help attract tourists. Foreign tourists can stay in Vietnam longer, use Vietnam as their center to visit surrounding countries, and return to Vietnam to fly home.

Tho suggested that travel firms should organize longer tours in accordance with the current circumstances, connecting tours with neighboring countries to make use of the 90-day visa. Furthermore, enterprises should take advantage of marine tourism, eco-tourism, and attractive cuisine to prolong visitors' stays. At the same time, firms need to offer 10-20% discounts on services to entice tourists.

He added tourism needs to take sustainable values into consideration. Beach tourism is still the trump card, but nowadays, there is a lot of garbage.

33% search surge following 90-day e-visa

Online travel platform Agoda has released search data indicating a 33% surge in interest recorded in the two weeks immediately following the announcement of the new visa policy.

Ratified by the National Assembly on June 24 and set to take effect on August 15, this comprehensive policy reform has caught the attention of travelers worldwide.

Leading the way are French tourists, who delivered an incredible 72% surge in accommodation searches in the fortnight after the announcement compared to the preceding two weeks.

Other countries, including the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, and the U.S., also witnessed significant spikes in interest in visiting Vietnam. The surges in these above countries respectively were 45%, 41%, 40%, and 38%.

Agoda's data analysis focused on long-haul travelers from North America, the EU, and Australia-New Zealand. These travelers often endure longer and costlier return flights, making them more inclined to seek extended vacations compared to those within a shorter flight radius.

The search data bodes well for Vietnam's national objective of attracting 8 million tourists by the end of the year. The nation reported receiving 6.6 million foreign visitors in the first seven months of this year, up 5.9 times year-on-year and equal to 83% of the year plan.