Figures just released by the Vietnamese national statistics bureau show 665,000 overseas visitors have arrived in Vietnam already this month. This is a 7.5 per cent increase on last August. The arrivals for August are already 10 per cent up on last month.
July and August are the first months since May of 2014 where visitor numbers have risen and tourism industry analysts claim this is direct evidence the easing of visa restrictions is working. The number of international visitors for 2015 has topped the five million mark and the analysts say tourism is undergoing a renaissance.
Nationals of more than 20 countries are now allowed visa-free entry to Vietnam. As well as the five new European ones, passport holders of nations such as Russia, Finland and Japan plus the ASEAN bloc nations do not need to pay for their Vietnamese entry visas.
Free visas for Vietnam entices more visitors
News in Asia
The recent abolition of pre-arranged entry visas has paid dividends for Vietnam as it has recorded increasing numbers of visitors from overseas. On 1 July 2015, Vietnam added the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain to the list of countries whose nationals were granted free 15-day visas at its main international arrival points.