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Flows of People
In the region, Vietnam experiences the second largest flow of people across its borders after Thailand. Annual visitors to the country were estimated at 3.6 million in 2006, up from 2.9 million in 2004 and 2.4 million in 2003. In 2004, approximately half of the visitors were tourists. The greatest share of cross-border traffic comes from China at 29 percent, or 778,000 visitors. American, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese visitors account for approximately 10 percent each.
Significant overall improvements have been made in Vietnamese laws and public and private institutions with respect to facilitating the flows of people for trade-related purposes. The Vietnamese government has relaxed legal travel restrictions, streamlined processes, and upgraded its automation. Additionally, the safety of foreign travelers is high, as the risk of kidnapping, terrorism, and even street crime is extremely low and rarely affects foreigners. As with flows of goods, services and money, however, Vietnamese institutions need to modernize further.
This chapter analyzes the legal, institutional and operational constraints that impede flows of trade-related people. First, it analyses the legal framework for trade-related visits. Second, it considers the institutional issues regarding people flows. Third, it reviews other key institutions involved in facilitation, such as police. Finally, it identifies major recommendations to improve facilitation of trade-related people flows in Vietnam.
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