Phu Quoc airport to hand out value-added tax refunds

Phu Quoc airport to hand out value-added tax refunds

International tourists will receive value-added tax (VAT) refunds on goods they purchase in Viet Nam at one more airport, the Phu Quoc International Airport in the southern Kien Giang province.

Following Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's approval, Phu Quoc airport will become the fifth international airport in Viet Nam to provide VAT refund services to foreign tourists. The other four airports are Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCM City, Noi Bai Airport in Ha Noi, Da Nang Airport in Da Nang City and Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa Province.

The first international flights from Phu Quoc began last February, linking Russia with the island. Since then, two more international air routes have been added, connecting the island with Singapore and Cambodia's Siem Reap.

The provision of VAT refunds is expected to help boost tourism development in Phu Quoc , following the government's tourism development orientation.

Under the pilot plan approved by Prime Minister Dung in 2011, foreign tourists who buy goods at certain airports, tourist areas and shops in large cities will receive a 10 per cent refund on the tax they pay.

Goods purchased by foreigners are considered export commodities, so every purchase worth more than VND2 million (US$96) per receipt, issued within 30 days of their exit from Viet Nam, will benefit from the tax refund.

The VAT refund policy for foreigners has also been applied at three international seaports of Khanh Hoi port in HCM City, Da Nang port in Da Nang City and Nha Trang port in Khanh Hoa Province. It aims to increase the foreign tourist arrivals in Viet Nam and promote exports.

The policy was first piloted at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports in 2012.

Figures from the General Department of Viet Nam Customs showed that by the end of last February, more than 8,620 foreigners had received refunds on goods worth more than VND425 billion ($20 million).

According to the Phu Quoc District People's Committee, 586,000 tourists visited the island last year, up 37.6 per cent from 2013. The number of foreign visitors went up by 21.5 per cent to 125,000.

The island achieved tourism revenues of more than VND2.2 trillion (over US$103 million) last year, a whopping 84 per cent higher than in 2013.

It now has around 4,000 hotel rooms.

Source: VNS

Bài viết liên quan

	Conference highlights wooden architecture preservation in Hue Vietnamese and Japanese architects and researchers shared their experience in preserving wooden architectural structures at a conference in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on October 25. Detail >>

	Seminar on Viet Nam – Indonesia tourism cooperation (TITC) – On 3 December 2014, in Ha Noi, Viet Nam Administration of Tourism (VNAT) organized a seminar on “Viet Nam – Indonesia tourism cooperation”. Detail >>

	Solutions to develop sustainable tourism (TITC) – According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan – General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, during the last two decades, Vietnam tourism has strongly grown; representing an impressive annual growth of 12%; contributing to developing national economy, eradicating hunger and poverty,... Detail >>

	Enhancing Vietnam–India aviation and tourism cooperation (TITC) – On Nov 29, 2014, Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism in coordination with the Indian Embassy in Viet Nam held a conference on “Viet Nam – India Tourism, Aviation Cooperation” in Ha Noi. Detail >>

	Conserving and promoting heritage values for sustainable tourism development (TITC) - Cultural and natural heritage is an important element to develop tourism, conversely, tourism also contributes to embellishing and promoting heritage values. Detail >>

	Craft village tourism to tap potential In Vietnam there are about 3,000 craft villages, of which 400 are traditional villages. However, craft village tourism is not really well developed. The Vietnam Business Forum reports. Detail >>

	Thank you ceremony to honor the foreign travel agencies sending tourists to Viet Nam (TITC) – On 28 Nov 2014, in Ha Noi, Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) in collaboration with Vietnam Airlines organized “Thank you ceremony” to honor 47 foreign travel agencies sending tourists to Viet Nam. Detail >>

	Improving quality of Viet Nam’s tourism human resource for ASEAN integration (TITC) – On 3 Dec 2014, in Ha Noi, The European Union-funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Program (ESRT Program) in collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) and its Tourism & Hospitality Sector Committee organized a conference on “The... Detail >>

	VNAT plans to promote Viet Nam tourism on BBC (TITC) - On 5 September 2014, General Director of Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Van Tuan had a meeting with representatives of BBC Television of the UK on cooperation plan to promote Viet Nam tourism. Detail >>

	Khanh Hoa province targets 4 million tourists in 2015 The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa aims to attract 4 million tourists and gross 6.5 trillion VND (309 million USD) in revenue next year, representing a respective rise of 17 percent and 30 percent year-on-year. Detail >>