Ke Ga beach in Vietnam's central Binh Thuan province (Source: VNA)

Vietnam first offered visa waivers for citizens from the five European countries in July, 2015. The policy has been updated annually and would have expired at the end of June.  The continued visa exemption is expected to push up the development of the Vietnamese tourism sector. The number of tourists from these countries to Vietnam soared in recent years reaching 1.5 million last year. Vietnam is among countries with the strictest visa policy in Asia. The country currently offers visa waivers to visitors from 24 countries and territories, including the ASEAN member countries.