HCM City (VNA)♍ – Ho Chi Minh City’s Department ofTourism has proposed measures to shorten the time needed for the immigration procedures for business classpassengers and foreign investors at the city's Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

According to the department, international organisations,tourism businesses and foreign investors usually complain they facedifficulties and have to spend much time waiting at the airport,especially in immigration procedures areas. To improve the performance of the airport’s immigrationcounters, the department has asked for a separate line for business classpassengers and foreign investors. It also proposed to offer a priority service at the counters for passengers who are willing to pay an extra fee. Last August, automatic immigration gates opened at theairport, helping save time for tourists. However, the city’s tourismauthority still receives much feedback from tourists about having to queue forhours to complete the immigration procedures. To improve the image and the quality of passenger service at theairport, it proposed the People's Committee ask the Immigration Departmentunder the Ministry of Public Security and the Southern Airports Authority toconsider a pilot mechanism for prioritised immigration procedures for businessclass passengers. The department also suggested units operate to serve nightflights to ensure increasing demand. Meanwhile, relevant parties were called onto enhance the use of technology applications in the process of entry, exit,visa issuance at border gates, and boarding procedures to cut the waiting timefor tourists./.