Singapore says it welcomes Vietnamese tourists

Vietnamese tourists are welcomed in Singapore, as confirmed by the Singapore Tourism Board in a letter recently sent to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Vietnamese tourists are welcomed in Singapore, as confirmed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in a letter recently sent to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. 

 Tourists at Changi airport (Source: AsiaOne)

The STB said some Vietnamese tourists were denied entry to Singapore because they failed to present a valid passport. The guests were then transferred to the inspection part to check additional information and interviews, it added.

Staff from the Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at border gates will assess the information and decide whether to grant entry, according to the STB.

On July 24, 2015, the ICA met with representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore to explain why some Vietnamese tourists met entry difficulties.

The agency confirmed that Singapore always welcomes foreign tourists and facilitates their traveling, adding that the security inspection procedure is conducted in a professional and equal manner, without gender or nationality discrimination.

According to the STB, the two countries have seen progresses in tourism cooperation, with a steady growth in the number of Vietnamese tourists to Singapore.

Last year, Singapore welcomed over 420,000 visitors from Vietnam .

In the coming time, the STB representative office in Ho Chi Minh City will actively participate in tourism exchanges between the two nations and ensure Singapore welcomes Vietnamese vacationers.