Vietnam details international border reopening plans

Vietnam has firmed up details of its international border reopening, which will kick off from 15 December, as it calls the move “necessary” in promoting the recovery of its travel sector. A notice from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) outlines two phases of border reopening, as well as plans to remove quarantine for all fully-vaccinated travellers entering the country. In the first phase of border reopening, the authorities will reopen its border to nine selected cities around the world with “important…political and economic…relations for Vietnam”. These cities include Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, as well as Los Angeles. The CAAV notes that these cities have “a large number of foreign investments” in the country. At the same time, these cities also have a large number of Vietnamese diaspora, which increases demand for repatriation. Vietnam’s transport ministry has proposed allowing international flights to operate through the country’s two key gateways: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with airlines allowed to operate up to four weekly flights. It estimates about 14,000 visitors per week under the first phase. In the second phase, expected to launch in January 2022, or one month after the first phase is rolled out, Vietnam will expand the list of cities to include places such as Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, as well as Frankfurt.<br/>