More and more governments are waiving visa requirements to encourage travellers to choose their countries as destinations for their next getaway. For the authorities, it’s a way of boosting tourism, while for vacationers, it’s a way of saving time, money and hassle.

From the traditional pho soup and the floating markets of the Mekong Delta, to the mountains of Sapa and the former imperial capital of Hue, Vietnam attracted some 12.6 million visitors from all over last year. According to its general statistics office, this was a 3.4-fold increase compared with 2022.

Above all, the country far exceeded its target of welcoming at least eight million travellers, 28% of whom hail from South Korea, as well as from China, Taiwan and Japan.

This annual roundup follows a new policy that came into force on Aug 15: Vietnam extended its electronic visa system, making the process much simpler for visitors by providing authorisation to enter the country for 90 days, compared with 30 previously.

At the same time, the country extended its visa waiver to 13 countries whose nationals no longer need entry documents for a stay of up to 45 days, compared with 15 previously. These include Germany, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.

In the last quarter of 2023, the number of tourists from these countries increased by 90% for Spain, 68% (Italy), 48.6% (UK), and 52% (France).

This kind of policy, which makes it easier for visitors to choose their next travel destination, is part of a long-standing approach. For many years, while Thailand and Singapore did not require visas for incoming travellers, Vietnam remained stricter with its borders.

But in 2015, it decided to boost tourism by implementing a visa-waiver policy. This cut costs for tourists, facilitated their arrival, and enabled the country to better support all the economic activities from which they benefit.

That year, 720,000 travellers took advantage of this policy. Two years later, the number had risen to 1.5 million. Each time, the visa-waiver measure had an end date – and each time, the authorities decided to delay it.

Vietnam is far from being the only destination banking on such measures to attract more tourists. For countries that already have waiver schemes in place, some are opting to extend the list of nationalities welcomed.

Turkey, for example, has decided to grant a 90-day visa-free stay to six new countries, including the United States and Canada. Others are extending the period of authorisation, as in the case of Costa Rica, which since Sept 8 has allowed travellers to stay for six months instead of 90 days.

And this applies to travellers from as many as 58 countries including France, Canada and the US. Of course, this doesn’t mean travellers don’t need a valid passport for the duration of their stay; moreover, they must prove that they are in possession of a return ticket.

Visa-exemption measures could be seen largely as a policy to stimulate economic growth in the countries concerned. But for travellers, these schemes are a good deal, especially for destinations where the cost of a visa can be as much as US$69 (RM320) per person, as in Kenya.

The African country has announced that, from this month, international visitors will no longer need to apply for a visa to enter the country, whatever their nationality. Travellers will only need to complete an online travel authorisation costing US$30. Angola, Gambia and Rwanda have already removed visa requirements.