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At the National Tourism Strategy Conference in late February, the South Korean President set a target of welcoming 30 million international tourists by 2027, with easing visa policies for fast-growing markets like Vietnam being considered a key solution.
According to a proposal currently under consideration, residents of Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City may be granted multiple-entry visas valid for up to 10 years. Currently, citizens living in these three cities are granted 5-year multiple-entry visas. Extending the validity to 10 years is expected to simplify procedures and encourage Vietnamese tourists to return to South Korea more often.
According to the proposal under consideration, residents of Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City may be granted multiple-entry visas valid for up to 10 years.
This move is seen by many travel businesses as an upgrade to tourism relations between the two countries. However, the question is whether this visa exemption will be enough to attract more Vietnamese tourists to South Korea, and even compete with the two familiar destinations of Thailand and Japan, which already hold a large market share for Vietnamese people's overseas trips?
According to travel businesses, the long-term visa policy will "certainly" create more momentum for the market, but the impact will not simply be about "poaching tourists" from other destinations, but mainly about increasing the frequency of return visits and expanding the segment of experiential tourism.
According to travel businesses, the long-term visa policy will "certainly" provide further impetus to the market.
Increase the frequency of my visits to South Korea.
In recent years, Vietnam has consistently ranked among the top source markets for tourists to South Korea. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), in 2023, Vietnam contributed approximately 420,000 visitors. In the first four months of 2024 alone, this number reached over 167,000, a 32% increase compared to the same period. It is projected that by 2026, the number of visitors could reach 600,000.
Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Director of Marketing and Communications at Vietravel, commented that extending the visa validity period from 5 years to 10 years for residents of major cities such as Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City is proof that Vietnam has become a large and reliable source market.
"A destination that is considered for long-term visa policies must meet three criteria: a stable source of visitors, low risk, and high long-term value. This indicates that the position of Vietnamese tourists is being elevated in South Korea's strategy to welcome 30 million international visitors by 2027," Ms. Khanh emphasized.
According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Vietnam contributed approximately 420,000 tourists in 2023.
In reality, South Korea has always been a "star" in the outbound tourism segment for travel businesses. Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Viet Travel, stated that the number of tourists traveling to South Korea through his company consistently grows by 15-25% annually, higher than the average for the Northeast Asian region. This stability stems from the soft power of K-Drama and K-Pop, and the extensive coverage of flight routes with flexible costs.
Besides cultural factors, geographical proximity also makes this destination easily accessible. Flight time from Vietnam to Seoul or Busan is only about 4-5 hours, comparable to many other Northeast Asian routes, while tour costs are more flexible compared to Japan. Currently, the average price for a 4-6 day tour to South Korea is around 12-20 million VND, significantly lower than tours to Japan but slightly higher than tours to Southeast Asia such as Thailand or Singapore. In this context, the proposed 10-year visa is expected to change how Vietnamese tourists access this destination.
Meanwhile, a representative from a company specializing in South Korea tours in Da Nang said that now that tourists no longer need to apply for visas for each trip, they tend to break their experiences into several shorter trips, rather than one comprehensive exploration trip.
"Long-term visas will encourage visitors to return to South Korea multiple times, for example, once every 2-3 years to experience different seasons such as cherry blossoms, autumn foliage, or snow," this person commented.
In particular, those who have visited South Korea once and had a positive experience are more likely to return when procedures are simplified. Simply not having to reapply for a visa for each trip is enough to significantly increase repeat visits.
Some segments projected to leverage long-term visas most strongly include: Businesspeople, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) visitors who frequently travel for business or trade fairs; middle-class families who have previously visited Korea and wish to return for further exploration; and young people who love K-Pop culture and attend concerts or themed tours.
For travel businesses, this is also an opportunity to develop more specialized product lines, such as four-season tours of Korea, themed tours focusing on music or movies, or short-term tours combining learning and experiences.
South Korea has always been a "star" in the outbound tourism segment.
Is it possible to surpass Japan and Thailand?
Travel experts argue that instead of "completely replacing" Vietnamese tourists, this policy will create a profound differentiation and shift in consumer behavior. According to Ms. Van Khanh, if approved, South Korea's 10-year visa exemption policy for Vietnamese tourists could put direct pressure on Japanese tourism.
Currently, tours to Japan are still considered a higher-end segment, typically costing 5-10 million VND more than tours to South Korea. However, if South Korean visas become too easy to obtain with a 10-year validity period, middle-class families and young people tend to visit South Korea 2-3 times before considering applying for a more complicated Japanese visa. Skipping the step of "reapplying for a visa each time" is a huge advantage, appealing to the Vietnamese people's aversion to complicated procedures.
Secondly, if this decision by the South Korean government is officially implemented, the South Korean tourism industry will compete with Thailand in terms of frequency of tours.
Thailand is gaining popularity due to its proximity and affordability (tours costing 5-7 million VND). South Korea, while more expensive (ranging from 12-20 million VND), offers a distinct four-season experience, featuring snowfall, cherry blossoms, and autumn foliage. This is something Vietnamese tourists always crave.
A 10-year visa will turn South Korea into a “second Thailand” in terms of convenience, where travelers can decide to fly to Seoul on weekends for shopping or concerts with just a click of a button, no different from going to Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
"Easing visa requirements will increase South Korea's attractiveness, especially to repeat visitors. But instead of 'stealing' tourists from other destinations, this policy is more likely to broaden choices and diversify the needs of travelers," Ms. Khanh analyzed.
South Korea's consideration of granting 10-year visas to Vietnamese citizens is not merely an administrative procedure, but a strategy to "capture" market share in tourism in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.
According to Vietravel, the company currently organizes dozens of tour groups to South Korea each month, with demand increasing sharply during peak seasons such as spring and autumn. If the 10-year visa is implemented, the biggest change will not only be in the number of tourists but also in how tourists choose products.
Specifically, travel behavior may shift from a "one-time trip - comprehensive exploration" model to a "multiple trips - in-depth experiences" model. With a long-term visa, travelers will have more flexibility in deciding on their trips, being able to book services closer to the departure date or design their own personalized itineraries.
This simultaneously creates new pressure on travel businesses, as their role gradually shifts from "selling all-inclusive tours" to designing experiences and providing flexible travel solutions. However, while the opportunities are great, risks remain. Despite bringing many benefits to the market, travel businesses also believe that long-term visa policies need to be accompanied by appropriate control mechanisms.
Mr. Pham Anh Vu noted that the biggest risk is the possibility of a small number of people exploiting long-term visas to stay and work illegally. If this happens, South Korea may tighten the review process or increase the rejection rate of applications.
Easing visa requirements will increase South Korea's attractiveness, especially to visitors who have been there before and want to return.
This not only affects tourists traveling for their intended purpose but also creates difficulties for tour operators. However, in a positive scenario, the 10-year visa could help the tourism market between Vietnam and South Korea enter a new phase. Instead of focusing solely on attracting first-time visitors, this strategy aims to build a loyal customer base, encouraging repeat visits and higher spending over time.
With Vietnamese people traveling internationally more frequently, long-term visa policies are seen as a "soft leverage" to help South Korea increase its competitive advantage. However, the race with Thailand or Japan will likely not be about mutual exclusion, but rather about expanding the outbound tourism market for Vietnamese people.
In other words, if the 10-year visa is implemented, South Korea may not "steal" tourists from other destinations, but it will certainly encourage Vietnamese tourists to return more often and more frequently.
