Vietnam mulls visa waiver for French, Japanese
HANOI - The Vietnamese government is considering
waiving its visa requirement for French and Japanese
tourists on a trial basis, tourism officials said Friday.
"A proposal to this effect was submitted to Prime
Minister Phan Van Khai last month," an official in the
General Tourism Department told AFP, without saying
when a decision was expected.
Under the proposal, French and Japanese tourists would
be able to travel to Vietnam for up to 15 days without a
visa.
"France and Japan are two important markets for
Vietnam's tourism industry," the official said adding that
the unilateral exemption, which would be on a trial basis,
could start early this year.
Last year Vietnam welcomed a record 2.13 million
foreign tourists, an increase of a third on 1999. More
than 100,000 of them were Japanese while 86,000 were
French.
So far Vietnam permits visa free access to nationals of
just two countries, the Philippines and Thailand, under
bilateral agreements struck between the southeast Asian
partners.
Agence France Presse - January 12, 2001.
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