Buzz
According to some travel companies in Ho Chi Minh City, the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan is not expected to surge due to the new multiple-entry visa policy instead of the current single-entry.
The extended duration of domestic tours to Japan, typically lasting a week and with relatively high costs, poses a financial challenge for many potential travelers.
We can hardly anticipate a significant growth in the number of visitors. However, with the multiple-entry visa, we hope that those who can afford it will explore other destinations in Japan after their initial tour,' said Mr. Vo Anh Tai, the CEO of Saigontourist Travel Services.
Official tourism management agencies currently lack precise statistics on the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan. Nevertheless, numerous travel companies are offering this type of tour, especially attracting visitors during the cherry blossom season in April.
No visa required for Thailand and Malaysia. Vietnam is not on the exemption list.
Previously, on June 26, Japan Times reported that Japan will issue multiple-entry tourist visas, allowing visitors from Vietnam and the Philippines to visit Japan multiple times within a 3-year period, with each visit not exceeding 15 days.
For Indonesian tourists (also eligible for multiple-entry visas), the maximum stay is 30 days.
As for Thai tourists, they can explore Japan for up to 15 days, and Malaysian tourists visiting for less than 3 months will be exempt from the visa requirement.
'I hope this measure will contribute to strengthening and further developing relationships between countries, such as increasing the number of visitors from the Southeast Asia region and improving facilities in the tourism industry,' said Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
Due to Japan's aging population, attracting more foreign tourists is one of the key strategies to promote the country's economic growth. Japan aims to attract 30 million foreign tourists by 2030.
According to Japan's national tourism agency, the number of foreign tourists to Japan reached 8.37 million last year, with 780,000 (or 9.3%) coming from the Southeast Asia region. Japan aims to attract 2 million tourists from Southeast Asia by 2016.
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Source: Travel Guide by Mytour – As reported by Vietnam News
MytourJune 28, 2013
