Skift Take
After Thailand and Sri Lanka, Vietnam is now keen to offer visa-free entry to Indians, a testament to the growing global recognition of India as a powerful force in outbound travel.
The Skift India Newsletter is your go-to platform for all news related to travel, tourism, airlines, and hospitality in India.
After Sri Lanka and Thailand, Vietnam is likely to be the next destination to offer visa-free entry to Indians. According to local media, Vietnam Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung suggested it allow Indians and Chinese to visit without a visa for a short period. As of now, only nationals of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland can enter Vietnam without a visa.
In Numbers:
In the first 10 months of this year, Vietnam had almost 10 million visitors. This is a significant increase, about 4.6 times more than the same time last year. It's even higher than the figure Vietnam was hoping to reach by the end of 2023.Visa-Free Entry for Indians
Recently, both Thailand and Sri Lanka announced visa waivers for India. As of November 10, Thailand has eliminated the visa requirement for Indian travelers. This visa exemption permits Indian tourists to stay for 30 days and will remain in effect until May 10 of the following year. The Thai government has also indicated the potential for extending the program if there is an increase in demand.
In October, Sri Lanka also launched a program allowing visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries, such as India, China, and Russia, as part of a trial period. The pilot project will remain active until March 31, 2024.
What 1 Report States:
Beyond traditional tourist destinations, Indian travelers are now on a quest for novelty, craving authentic and immersive experiences, as highlighted in Booking.com’s report released in collaboration with McKinsey & Company. As per the repo