Int’l visitors to Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang to be exempt from border declaration procedures

The Quang Tri administration on Tuesday confirmed the designation of Phong Nha-Ke Bang as a provincial tourist area.

Once administrative adjustments are complete, foreign tourists visiting attractions within the zone will no longer need to file border entry declarations.

They will also be exempt from paying border-area entrance fees when entering Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Officials said this change removes a long-standing obstacle that discouraged many international travelers from exploring the region’s famed caves and landscapes.

The newly-recognized tourist area covers nearly 170,000 hectares, including the entire Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and buffer zones across several communes such as Phong Nha, Thuong Trach, Kim Dien, Kim Phu, and Bo Trach.

The national park shares its boundary with Laos’ Hin Namno Nature Reserve to the west.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has been tasked with building a management model in line with Vietnam’s tourism law and regulations.

Known as the ‘Kingdom of Caves,’ Phong Nha-Ke Bang is celebrated worldwide for its limestone karst ecosystems, underground rivers, and hundreds of pristine caves with exceptional geological and ecological value.

The site has long been a magnet for adventure travelers and nature enthusiasts.

This is the second provincial-level tourist area in Quang Tri.

Previously, Kim Phu was recognized, covering more than 300 square kilometers and home to the Tu Lan cave system, which has been honored internationally as one of the world’s best tourism villages.