Vietnam has announced a new open visa policy that will extend the validity of e-visas to 90 days and allow foreign travellers to stay for up to 45 days. The decision has been hailed as a “revolution” by officials, and has been seen as crucial to the development of the country’s tourism industry. Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Deputy General Director Pham Van Thuy stated that the new policy creates opportunities for sustainable tourism development and competition with regional countries. The Chair of the Da Nang Tourism Association, Cao Tri Dung, suggested the policy will improve national competitiveness and attract 18 million foreign travellers in the next year. However, travel firms have called for further expansion of the list of countries enjoying visa waivers.