Vietnam Refuses Independent Travel Visas Ahead of APEC

Vietnam has suspended granting tourist visas to independent tourists ahead of the week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting with the aim of ensuring security for APEC attendees.

 

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it stopped issuing "D-form" visas last week to tourists who are not booked on package vacations.

 

Nguyen Tan Trung, an official in the visa department cited security plus a shortage of hotel rooms for the November 12-19 summit, which hosts presidents George W. Bush of the United States, Hu Jintao of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia, as the main reasons for the refusal of independent visitors from abroad.

 

Regular tourist visa issuing will not resume until November 20, the day after the APEC meeting ends, he added.

 

Vietnam is one of the few Asian countries to require advance visas for most tourists instead of visas on arrival. Approval for a Vietnamese visa normally takes two days.

 

Vietnam's fast-growing tourism industry earned $2 billion last year.

 

The country’s official goal is to receive 3.8 million international visitors this year, up from two million tourists in 2000.