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Jun 28, 2016 / 13:25

International visitors to Vietnam increase over 21% after 6 months

The General Statistics Office said that foreign visitors to Vietnam have reached over 4 million arrivals so far this year, up 21.3% year on year, with an growth being witnessed in most tourist markets.

The Vietnam Administration of Tourism announced on June 26 the number of international visitors to Vietnam in June was estimated at 700,446 arrivals, down 7.5% compared to May and up 29.8% compared to the same period last year.
According to the General Statistics Office, in the first 6 months of 2016, Vietnam welcomed more than 4 million international visitors, up 21.3% over the same period in 2015.
In January - June, Vietnam's tourism has also served approximately 32.4 million domestic visitors.
The figure for domestic tourists is predicted to continue rising until the end of the season in September. 
Total revenue of the period was estimated to reach 200,339 billion VND, up 22.1% year on year. 
In May alone, Vietnam received 757,244 foreign visitors, a rise of 30.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
Particularly, a surge was seen in the number of visitors from countries enjoying a visa exemption under the Government’s Resolution 46/NQ-CP dated June 18 last year, with Italy up 30.1%, the UK 24.4%, Spain 22.4%, German 17.6%, and France 13%. 

 
Foreign tourists visit the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.
Foreign tourists visit the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.
In the coming months, beaches and mountainous destinations are forecast to be the most crowded places. Especially, Phu Quoc island in the southern province of Kien Giang is expected to lure a large number of visitors thanks to the Phu Quoc-Mekong Delta National Tourism Year 2016. 
During the period, the Vietnam Culture-Tourism Village of Ethnic Groups in Hanoi received 300,000 visitors, mostly Vietnamese, a rise of 50,000 compared to the same period in 2015. 
Along with a diversity of activities, the village will hold an impressive summer month programme, creating an attractive playground for visitors.
Positive results achieved in the first 6 months is the premise for the country's tourism sector to implement its target of 8.5 million international passengers and 60 million domestic travellers, which is expected to bring in 370 trillion VND (16.65 billion USD) for the sector in 2016. 
Vietnam is considered one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the ASEAN region, driven by the entrance of international hoteliers, an improved visa policy and investment in key infrastructure.