Data given by online booking platform Agoda released on July 24 recorded a 33% increase in searches from foreign travelers planning a long holiday in the country compared to two weeks earlier.

The number of searches for accommodation in Vietnam from France skyrocketed by 72% after the country announced the new visa policy allowing foreign travelers to extend their e-visas to 90 days, as opposed to the figure of 30 days at present. The number of similar searches from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, and the United States also edged up by 45%, 41%, 40%, and 38%, respectively.

Agoda’s data analysis shows that most of the visitors searching tourism information are long-haul travelers from North America, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand that face stricter visa policies when entering Vietnam compared with other Southeast Asian countries. These travelers often have to travel longer and on more expensive return flights, making them more inclined to plan long-term holidays than those from nearby areas.

Simplified visa procedures are also considered to be a useful tool for the tourism industry to welcome visitors from more potential markets such as India. After Vietnam introduced an e-visa policy for Indian citizens, India has leapt six notches, becoming the international tourist market with the second largest booking volume in Vietnam, behind only the Republic of Korea.

Currently, domestic travel firms have sent information regarding the changes of the new visa policy to travel partners in key markets such as Europe, the US, and Australia.

Tran Thi Bao Thu, marketing and communications director of Vietluxtour, told tuoitre.vn that Vietluxtour’s international tourist market tripled in terms of visitors and revenue in the first half of this year compared to the entirety of last year.

To encourage international visitors to Vietnam to stay longer, travel firms will focus on developing thematic tourism products, such as cultural and historical tours and other types of resort tours which are combined with medical tourism, said Thu.

Along with key markets such as Europe and the US, she added that businesses are also exploring new markets such as the Republic of Korea, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the new visa policy will provide the tourism industry a strong boost when the peak international tourism season is coming. Vietnam welcomed about 5.57 million international visitors during the first six months of the year, and it is not difficult to meet the set target of receiving eight million foreign travelers by the end of the year.