HCMC – Nearly 100 Polish tourists participated in the “Foreigners Enjoy Vietnamese New Year” program, organized by Vietluxtour, marking the beginning of a series of Tet holiday experiences designed exclusively for international visitors.
Vietnam was the final and longest stop on the group’s Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam tour, with an eight-day stay. In HCMC, the travelers enjoyed an early celebration of Vietnam’s traditional Tet holiday, sampling iconic festive dishes such as pork braised with eggs, pickled vegetables, and banh chung (square sticky rice cake). The program included cultural insights, traditional Tet customs like receiving li xi (lucky money), and tours to the Mekong Delta and Phan Thiet.
Tran The Dung, CEO of Vietluxtour, highlighted the Polish tourists’ enthusiasm for Vietnam’s rich cultural traditions, especially the Tet holiday, which he described as the most unique and spiritually significant time of the year.
“The visa waiver for Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland has made travel easier and significantly boosted tourist interest,” Dung said. Vietluxtour is partnering with Polish travel companies to organize charter tours exploring Vietnam’s three regions in 2025.
One participant, Agnieszka Zaborowska, shared her excitement while tasting banh chung, a Vietnamese Tet specialty. “We have Vietnamese restaurants in Poland, but the ingredients and cooking techniques here are so different. Banh chung is very special, and I want to learn how to make it,” she said.
Zaborowska also welcomed Vietnam’s visa waiver policy but noted that more promotion is needed. “Many people do not know about this. Vietnam has a rich history, but it also has many beautiful places to explore,” she said.
Another traveler, Tadeusz Zebrowski, praised Vietnam’s rapid development and the friendliness of Vietnamese people. “Vietnam is beautiful. Communication through apps is very easy here. Mass media should promote Vietnam as the next must-visit destination. Thailand is wonderful, but now Vietnam is on the radar.”
The Vietnamese Government announced a visa waiver on January 15 for citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland as part of its 2025 tourism stimulus program.
The policy allows citizens of these countries to enter Vietnam without a visa-free stay of up to 45 days, provided they travel under itineraries organized by Vietnamese international tour operators and meet legal entry requirements.
