Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung  (photo: VGP/Quang Hieu)

Vietnam has applied visa free for people from 22 countries and will expand the list soon. Mr. Dung: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will submit a visa exemption roadmap to the government next week. During Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s recent visit to Japan, the Japanese government and Japan International Cooperation Agency suggested Vietnam to exempt visa for its citizens instead of 3-month visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take it into consideration at a meeting to review one year of implementing visa exemption policy.”

In order to further tap tourism potentials, Vietnam has upgraded infrastructure including expanding the Noi Bai International Airport. Deputy Minister of Transportation Nguyen Hong Truong said the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is assigned to study a plan to continue expanding Terminal 1 and 2 of the Noi Bai International Airport to meet the aviation’s growing demand of between 14 to 17% annually. “We plan to build the third runway in the terminal 1 of the Noi Bai International Airport. The Japan-designed terminal 2 has apron for 4 to 6 planes. We’ll submit the expansion plan to the government for approval and the construction is expected to be completed before 2020.” said Mr. Truong.

Terminal 1 and 2 are expected to receive 20 to 25 million passengers annually after their expansion.