EuroCham urges Vietnam to waive visas for all European tourists

EuroCham recommended that Vietnam extend the visa exemption list and lengthen the visa-free stay to 30 days.

"We recommend the Vietnamese government consider granting a three-month visa for Europeans who want to have a long vacation in Vietnam, and short-term visa exemption for certain situations, especially to facilitate people coming for meetings, exhibitions and sports events," it said in its annual White Book released on Thursday.

Vietnam currently exempts the visa requirement for 15 days for citizens from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden, all EU members, as well as Belarus, Norway and the U.K. A tourist visa is valid for 30 days.

Despite Vietnam's success in attracting tourists from China and South Korea, there is the danger of its tourism industry becoming too dependent on these markets, it said.

So the government should focus on the European market to reduce dependence, it added.

Despite being one of the first Southeast Asian countries to fully reopen, Vietnam only received 3.6 million foreign tourists last year, around 20% of pre-pandemic levels.

This year it targets 8 million arrivals.

Tourism insiders have said a lack of friendly visa policies and tourism promotion campaigns have put Vietnam behind other Southeast Asian countries in the recovery race.