“We heard that many people have faced difficulty in applying for visas to Vietnam. However, we find that completing Vietnam's visa application procedures online is easy and convenient. We just need to fill in forms,” said travelers from Norway.

Being introduced by their friends, Alannah Caulfield Patel and Elin Littmann from Norway chose Vietnam as a destination of their trip to Southeast Asia.

Contrary to others’ difficulty in applying for visas to Vietnam, the two Norwegians successfully got the visas in the first registration.

They obtained 30-day visas and their first destination in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh City. They later reached Hoi An City in central Quang Nam Province and Hanoi by coach.

Eve, a 65-year-old tourist from Australia, and her husband said they completed procedures online to get 15-day visas to Vietnam.

“There was no obstacle. You know, we are old but can complete procedures online ourselves,” Eve said.

The friendliness and hospitality of people in Hanoi and the atmosphere there made the couple feel at home although this was their first visit to Vietnam.

It is not hard to apply for visas to Vietnam but the visa validity is an issue of concern, said L., a representative of Danish Travel Agency, a travel company specializing in offering tours to Vietnam to European travelers.

“Several customers choose to stay in Vietnam for 15 days only as they have to apply for visas for longer stays,” L. said.

Another issue is Vietnamese authorities’ slow response to foreigners’ visa applications. It normally takes five days but sometimes longer.

It will be better if local authorities directly support tourists and inform them of when their visas can be issued, L. added.

International tourists coming to Vietnam tend to travel across the country before leaving for other regional countries.

Many visitors have said that they want longer stays in Vietnam to have enough time to explore the beautiful country.

Maria Di Maio and Michael Murray from Australia said it took them eight hours to fly to Vietnam and the travel time between destinations in the country is also long.

They visited Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and Hanoi during their 15 days in Vietnam.

“I think it will be great if I can spend three weeks there. Tourists pay much attention to the length of stays before making decisions to travel to another country," Murray.

“Travelers from Europe or the U.S. spend more time traveling [to Vietnam], so they will be tired on the first days [in the country] and need to get some rest.

“Additionally, it will take about three to four days to experience cuisine and culture at a destination, so [the visa validity of] 15 days is not enough."

During their trip to Vietnam, Maio and Murray decided to visit Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang in south-central Khanh Hoa Province, and Hoi An.

They spent most of the time in Hanoi as they wanted to learn about Vietnamese culture and cuisine.

They also wished to experience destinations in Hanoi’s suburban areas but time did not allow them.

Meanwhile, Alannah Caulfield Patel and Elin Littmann from Norway preferred destinations in northern Vietnam to large cities.

They wanted to explore many stunning sites in Vietnam.

The couple stayed in the country for 30 days and agreed that a 15-day period is not enough for them to visit their favorite tourist sites.

Vietnam welcomed more than 3.7 million international tourists in the first four months of this year, meeting nearly half of its target for this year. The country expected to serve eight million foreign tourists in 2023.

Of the total, 3.3 million people traveled to the country by air, 372,900 by road, and 44,000 by sea.

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