Vietnam's visa rules relax to increase visits

HO CHI MINH CITY The Vietnamese Government has introduced a five-day, visa-free stay available to all international travellers and which applies to all ports of entry, by air, sea and road. This new visa facility is scheduled to come into operation from September. This follows the successful "visa upon arrival" facility, which has been in operation for over a year at Danang International Airport. This allowed guests of the five-star Furama Resort Danang to process their visa upon arrival in Vietnam at a cost of around US$30 per person through prior arrangement with the resort. "Travelling to Vietnam is getting more and more convenient," Furama Resort general manager Mr Paul Stoll said. "And this new visa rule will provide added encouragement to short-haul travel especially from nearby markets such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Taipei, Japan, Singapore and other destinations. The decision will cut the cost of short stays in Vietnam which will become very attractive for corporate groups and frequent travellers.