Macau’s tight visa rules deter Vietnamese tourists, industry says

[Photo: Yuki Lei]

Vietnamese passport holders are not eligible for visa-free entry to Macau, nor can they obtain a visa on arrival or apply online. However, with growing demand among Vietnamese travelers to travel abroad, some in Macau’s tourism industry are hoping authorities will appropriately relax and simplify the visa application process for Vietnamese visitors.

As reported by Chinese-language media Macao Daily News on Tuesday, Andy Wu, president of the Travel Industry Council of Macau (TICM), expressed hope that the authorities will adapt to changing circumstances, respond flexibly to market shifts, and appropriately relax and simplify the visa application process for Vietnamese travelers in order to seize opportunities in the Vietnamese market.

Macau and Vietnam both maintain strict visa approval policies for cross-border travel. On Macau’s side, since 2010, Vietnamese travelers have been required to obtain a valid Macau visa through Chinese diplomatic missions abroad before entry. Furthermore, Vietnamese nationals applying for Macau’s “stay permit for non-resident workers” must first submit a criminal record certificate from their home country for review.

Despite Vietnam’s rapid economic growth and rising outbound travel demand, Vietnamese visitor numbers to Macau have declined, Wu told Macao Daily News. Official data showed only 250 arrivals in April –  down 28% year over year – and just 1,101 in the first four months of the year, even as Vietnam’s population of more than 102 million ranks as the world’s 16th largest and Southeast Asia’s third largest.

The industry insider attributed the decline to the authorities’ strict visa approval process for Vietnamese travelers, which was introduced years ago to combat illegal employment — including cases involving Vietnamese nationals. He added that he believes the cumbersome visa application process has dampened Vietnamese tourists’ willingness to visit Macau.

Meanwhile, in a separate report, Wu pointed out that the performance of Macau’s international visitor market in the first four months of this year was broadly in line with expectations. Official data showed that international visitors totaled 1.01 million from January to April, an increase of 10.7% year over year. Among them, Thai visitors surged nearly 60% to approximately 89,000, making Thailand the sixth-largest source market for Macau and the third largest among international source markets.

“Although some international markets have seen declines, the remaining international markets have performed strongly, driving overall international visitor numbers to maintain double-digit growth,” Wu reportedly said.

The substantial decrease in Indonesian arrivals during April was primarily a consequence of flight schedule adjustments that reduced travel to Macau, according to Wu. Conversely, Thailand experienced positive momentum, buoyed by its domestic New Year holiday and the relatively high frequency of flights between Macau and Bangkok, which facilitated convenient travel. These factors, combined with sustained promotional campaigns by the government, integrated resort operators, and the tourism industry over several years, have contributed to a notable increase in Thai travelers’ inclination to visit Macau.

The industry representative expressed optimism that the summer peak season would facilitate a recovery, potentially enabling annual international visitor arrivals to reach three million – a return to pre-pandemic levels.

“At present, the impact of the Middle East conflict and elevated international oil prices on Macau’s international tourist arrivals has been limited,” he stated.

He nevertheless acknowledged that rising global fuel costs have prompted certain airlines based in Macau and Hong Kong to cancel some flights during May and June. He further noted that a shift toward short-haul travel among regional tourists has helped compensate for decreases from specific origin markets.