Skiing in the Republic of Korea attracts many Vietnamese tourists during New Year holiday. (Photo: Freepik)

As Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) further ease COVID-19 border entry regulations for foreigners, Vietnamese businesses are confident in the growth of tourism.

According to the Japan Tourism Promotion Agency (JNTO), Japan has been ready to welcome international visitors since October 2022.

The number of visitors to Japan has increased significantly after the country opened. Illustration: CNN.

Meanwhile, the RoK has officially announced the removal of a COVID-19 post-entry PCR test from the beginning of October.

With this new policy, visitors to the RoK only need to fill in their personal information on the Q-code website and later receive the Q-code for immigration procedures.

Nguyen Minh Man, Director of the Communications and Marketing Department of TSTtourist Company, said that recent tours to the RoK, with increasingly favourable entry policies, have received positive feedback from tourists.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Director of the Marketing Department of Vietravel Tourism Company, said that as soon as official announcements were rolled out, the company immediately worked with the General Department of Tourism and airlines to offer the most affordable tours to the two key markets of Japan and Taiwan (China), according to the Vietnamplus.

“At the moment, tours to Japan are priced from 24 million VND (992.9 USD) per person and those to Taiwan from 11 million VND per person. Vietnamese tourists who are uncertain of visa procedures to the RoK will be taken care of by the company’s consultants,” Khanh added.

At Saigontourist Travel Service Company, tours to the RoK, Japan and Taiwan have been carefully prepared, with seats being sold until the end of December.

The company has also collaborated with service providers in localities and different airlines to build a specific departure schedule for the Lunar New Year, said Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Director of the Marketing and Communications Department of Saigontourist.

South Korea is also a favorite destination of Vietnamese tourists these days. Photo: nguoilaodong

Fiditour Travel Company - Vietluxtour is also preparing for the re-opening of foreign tour markets, especially the Northeast Asian market.

Tran Thi Bao Thu, Communications Director of Fiditour Travel - Vietluxtour, said that the company has re-opened tours departing in November to Japan and the RoK and is ready to open tours to Taiwan as soon as possible.

Control of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with loosened visa policies and regulations for international visitors will greatly contribute to the recovery of foreign tourism.

The Republic of Korea is a popular destination among travellers after the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo nld.com.vn)

Do Tran Hoang An, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City-based Ben Thanh Tourist Company, said tour packages to Taiwan (China) and the RoK costing around VND20 million per person have proved to be a hit among travelers.

Meanwhile, tours to Japan and Australia are more expensive, costing VND43 million and VND56 million per person respectively, and they have proved to be less popular among the travelers, he added.

According to the executive, Northeast Asia was the most popular outbound destination for Vietnamese tourists before the COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as these countries lifted their COVID-19 restrictions, Ben Thanh Tourist have received bookings for tours to these destinations, reported the VOV.

Nguyen Quang Bang, general director of Hong Ngoc Ha travel agency, revealed that tours to Northeast Asian countries were fully booked during the New Year holiday, and travelers often book a three-day holiday.

Many tourists remain hesitant to travel abroad this year as a result of economic difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the upcoming New Year holiday people tend to loosen spending, particularly as it’s thought that outbound tourism could bring good luck for the whole year, according to Nguyen Tien Dat, general director of AZA Travel.

Travel firms anticipate that the Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet, will be the peak period for outbound tourism. Tour prices are therefore forecast to increase by 10% to 15% compared to normal days amid rising airfares and limited flights.

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