The Vietnamese diplomat said that both India and Vietnam share share a strong relationship and the government is considering to a new visa policy for the entry of tourists from India.
The Vietnamese government is considering unveiling a new visa policy for tourists visiting the Southeast Asian nation from India and other countries, a senior diplomat said. Vietnam’s Consul General in Mumbai, Le Quang Bien, underscored the tourism potential of Vietnam, as he said that though there is an e-visa facility, there is no visa on arrival for tourists from India and other countries. He added, “But we are considering a new visa policy for the entry of tourists from India and other countries.”
What did the Vietnamese diplomat say?
The Vietnamese diplomat added that while Vietnam is famous for its beaches, rivers, and Buddhist pagodas, India and the Southeast Asian nation share a strong relationship with India. Notably, several South Asian countries have allowed visa-on-arrival facilities for Indian tourists, while Vietnam still issues e-visa for travellers.
The diplomat added, “There is a lot of potential for tourism from India to Vietnam due to the very high population of India. The two countries have a very strong bilateral relationship. We value tourists from India, the number of whom is increasing.”
Vietnam puts strict regulations on social media
Meanwhile, in related developments, Vietnam has put strict regulations on social media as it gave authorities increased powers to prevent dissent and control the news.
Last December, Vietnam’s authorities implemented “Decree 147,” which sought to tighten regulations on social media companies like Facebook, X, YouTube, and TikTok in a bid to further stifle criticism, said Ben Swanton, one of the authors of the report by The 88 Project, a group focused on human rights and free speech issues in Vietnam.
“Any challenge to the government and the Communist Party, any significant challenge to their official narrative of events, is perceived by them as a situation that is getting out of control,” he said in an interview from Thailand.
Among other things, the decree requires users to verify their accounts with phone numbers or national ID cards that must be provided to the government upon request and for the social media companies to store their data in Vietnam.
Social media companies have until late March to comply, and it is not yet clear whether they will try to push back. TikTok and Facebook refused to comment on their plans, while X and Google, which owns YouTube, did not return emails.
(With inputs from agencies)
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