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Vietnam on the first day of opening up to international tourism.
From March 15th, Vietnam resumed welcoming international visitors as before the Covid-19 pandemic. On that day, the first flights bringing tourists and overseas Vietnamese successfully landed at international airports, marking a new milestone in Vietnam's tourism industry after two years of closure to the world.
11:30 AM on March 15th,Noi Bai AirportThe arrival of Singapore Airlines flight SQ192 from Singapore to Hanoi signals a recovery for the tourism and aviation industries.
Tourists go through immigration procedures upon entering Vietnam at Noi Bai Airport on March 15 - Photo: VNA
Despite reopening tourism and resuming connecting flights.Da NangRegarding international destinations, no international tour groups arrived in the city on March 15th. According to the plan, on March 27th, Da Nang airport will welcome a group from Singapore – the first international group since the full reopening policy, operated by Singapore Airlines.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Binh, Deputy Director of the Da Nang City Department of Tourism, said: “Travel agencies and airlines are very interested in the tourism reopening policy after the pandemic so they can inform international customers, only then will they be ready to travel. Currently, in terms of destinations, Da Nang still meets the basic conditions for reopening to international tourists.”
Conversely, the number of domestic tourists is beginning to show signs of recovery as more domestic tour groups are visiting Da Nang city.
The international arrivals area at Da Nang airport is completely deserted - Photo: Thanh Chung
Domestic tourist groups arriving in Da Nang - Photo: Internet
On the morning of March 15th, passengers disembarked at the arrival hall of the international terminal.Tan Son Nhat AirportThe majority are overseas Vietnamese returning home to reunite with relatives and friends. Among them, many were stranded abroad due to the pandemic, many returned after working overseas, and some came back to pick up their families, etc.
Images from Tan Son Nhat International Airport on the morning of March 15th - Photo: Tien Phong Newspaper
Entry health declaration form
PCR test certificate issued by Fullerton Health (Singapore) healthcare services company.
International airlines are ready, but are not yet allowed to receive passengers.
Although there is a policy to fully reopen the tourism industry to pre-Covid-19 levels, the biggest issue at present is that Vietnam does not yet have specific health regulations for international visitors entering the country.
According to Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, preparations for reopening tourism have been underway to ensure readiness to serve tourists in the new normal context. However, after the pilot period, the number of tourists visiting Vietnam is only around 10,000. Airlines also have about 10% of their aircraft not yet in operation, even though the deadline for reopening to international tourists was March 15th. This is due to limitations in the application of personnel vetting and visa issuance policies; and the lack of specific guidelines on health requirements for international tourists entering the country.
A representative from Vietnam Airlines stated that the airline has plans to increase the frequency of flights for international passengers traveling to and from Vietnam, but there are currently no guidelines from relevant ministries or agencies regarding the conditions for passenger entry.
According to Bui Doan Ne, Secretary General of the Vietnam Aviation Business Association: "Opening the borders doesn't automatically mean tourists will come. While the deadline for reopening has arrived, there are no regulations yet on easing entry restrictions, especially for tourists. Furthermore, international visitors are also affected by concerns about areas with outbreaks, immigration regulations, and health monitoring barriers."
Many travel and tourism businesses have also voiced concerns, arguing that the strict and restrictive regulations when reopening tourism will deter international tourists from visiting Vietnam, leading them to choose other countries with easier and more open procedures. This, in turn, makes it difficult for businesses to access international tourist markets to promote and sell their products.
On March 15th, the ancient city of Hue welcomed nearly 600 domestic tourists - Photo: Le Hoang.
Updated information
On the morning of March 16th, an official document was issued from the Ministry of Health regarding...Entry regulations for foreign visitors, signed by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son on the evening of March 15th.
Accordingly, there is no regulation requiring passengers arriving by air to be retested upon entry into Vietnam, nor is there a quarantine requirement. International visitors to Vietnam only need to have a negative test result 72 hours before departure by air, if using the RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method; or within 24 hours if using a rapid test method.
The official document also did not mention that visitors entering Vietnam must have a certificate proving they have received all doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or have recovered from the disease within the past 6 months.
