The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia (MOFA) and other relevant authorities, announced the launch of a new 96-hour Stopover Visa to passengers booked on flynas or SAUDIA flights to the Kingdom.

With the goal of welcoming 100 million visitors annually by 2030, Saudi Arabia is making ongoing efforts to modernize and revolutionize the tourism industry. And the ‘Stopover Visa’ is a huge step forward in making Saudi Arabia a world-class tourists destination.

The new ‘Stopover Visa’ will be issued free of charge to passengers using SAUDIA or flynas with transit flights at any airport in Saudi Arabia. Visa applications are automatically available on these two airlines booking platforms up to 90 days prior to travel and take around 3 minutes to complete.

The ‘Stopover Visa’ will allow passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours. It enables them to explore historical, cultural, and spiritual sites here. Travelers can use the ‘ Stopover Visa’ to make long-haul flights no longer boring, extend a business trip, or simply book a small trip to experience Saudi’s entertainment events.

Moreover, travelers with a ‘Stopover Visa’ will be eligible for a free one-night stay at the hotel when booking through SAUDIA. To help visitors make the most of this time, customized itineraries of 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours have been developed. They inspire visitors to stroll the streets of Al-Balad, Jeddah or visit the Al-Turaif district in Diriyah, one of Saudi Arabia’s six UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority, said the Gulf nation is committed to providing a seamless experience for visitors. He said: “The announcement of Saudi’s inaugural Stopover Visa is a landmark example of integrated public and private sector cooperation… In partnership with our national air carriers, SAUDIA and flynas, we are using digital platforms to provide an instant Stopover Visa, which only enhances our world-class offerings.”

Facing the open and convenient visa policies of countries in the region, Vietnam is urged to adjust the visa policy to attract more international visitors. This is still one of the major barriers for tourists who want to stay for a long time, or enter and leave the country many times.

 

Vietnam was one of the first Asian countries to open for tourism after COVID. However, its target to welcome international tourists failed as there were just about 3.5 million arrivals this year. The set target was 5 million. Meanwhile, other countries in Southeast Asia have completed, or even exceeded their targets.

Based on The Outbox Company’s data in Q4 2022 about international market profile, the level of awareness of foreign tourists about the country is low. This is also one of the reasons why Vietnam’s goal of welcoming foreign visitors has not been completed.

COVID-19 impact to inbound markets to Vietnam

From 2015 – 2019, before the pandemic, the number of international visitors to Vietnam continuously increased. Tourism revenue from the inbound market during this period grew by an average of 21.1% every year.

In 2019 alone, Vietnam welcomed 18 million foreign visitors, a growth of 16.2%. The key international tourist markets to Vietnam at this time include Northeast Asia (67%), Europe (12%), Southeast Asia (11%), and America (6%). The rest are other Asian countries and Australia.

The national tourism industry was expected to continue to develop, then the COVID-19 pandemic strongly hit. In 2020, Vietnam welcomed 3.8 million international visitors. Tourism revenue downed from 539 trillion VND (in 2019) to 277 trillion VND (in 2020).

Low awareness about Vietnam

It sounds absurd, but the level of awareness about Vietnam of Japanese, Taiwanese and South Korean tourists is on average low, even though they account for the highest proportion of international visitors to Vietnam. Specifically, the level of awareness about Vietnam of this group just reached 4.1/7 points.

It can be seen that travelers from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea have not really approached the image of Vietnam as a tourist destination. They travel overseas to relax after the pandemic and tend to go with their families. And Vietnam is one of the most suitable options with cheap cost, convenient transportation, beautiful landscape, nice weather, or safety. These are the top factors for them to decide to go abroad.

In addition to the above things, they do not seem to know much about Vietnamese culture, history, cuisine or national identities. This is exactly what Vietnam needs to improve in its tourist products/programs.

Other reasons

According to experts, besides low-quality products, the visa policy has many shortcomings, which is also a big reason why Vietnam has not met the goal of welcoming international visitors.

Complicated procedures, short stay allowance or only one-time entry are said to be visa barriers for visitors to Vietnam. Meanwhile, other Southeast Asian countries launched the “golden visa” programs with stays up to 10 or 20 years and many benefits to attract visitors.

Another reason is the shortage of human resources, facilities and capital in tourism services such as travel, hotels, restaurants,… After 2 years of prolonged pandemic, all had to start over and haven’t been ready to welcome international guests back yet.

Moreover, the slow reopening of two large inbound markets such as China and Russia also affects Vietnam’s tourism. The good news is that China will reopen from January 8, 2023. Vietnam needs to quickly grasp the chance to change the game.

From The Outbox Company’s data, and experiences from neighboring countries, we should be more relaxed in visa policy, invest more to make tourist products/services/programs attractive,… to reach the target of 8 million international visitors by 2023.