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Dec 24, 2016 / 11:26

Vietnam’s tourism enjoys a record rise of over 2 million foreign visitors

The country’s tourism sector has made new records in 2016, reaching 10 million international tourist arrivals, up 25 percent against last year(or two million), making the highest thus far. On December 25, the sector will welcome the 10 millionth international visitor to Vietnam at Phu Quoc International Airport.

Speaking at the press conference in Hanoi on December 22 in Hanoi, Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan highlighted that Vietnam’s tourism sector has made new records in 2016.
Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan speaks at the conference. Photo by Hong Hanh
Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan speaks at the conference. Photo by Hong Hanh
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), a range of indicators recorded by the country's tourism sector in 2016, including international and domestic tourist arrivals and total revenue from foreign tourists, have reached new record highs.
Head of the VNAT Nguyen Van Tuan said in 2016 Vietnam welcomed 10 million international passengers, up 25% compared to 2015, while serving 62 million domestic passengers.
The sector also served 62 million domestic tourists and earned total revenues of 400 trillion VND (18 billion USD).
International visitors to Vietnam this year also set two new records: the highest number of visitors in a year (10 million) and the highest volume increase in a year over the same period of the previous year (increase by over 2 million visitors compared to 2015).
The sector will welcome the 10 millionth international visitor to Vietnam, who is from the UK, on a flight conducted by the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines at Phu Quoc International Airport on December 25.
Along with the lucky visitor from the UK, visitors No. 9,999,999 (from Germany) and 10,000,001 (from Sweden) will receive medals and souvenirs from the tourism sector. The three lucky visitors are on the same flight to Phu Quoc where they will welcome in the New Year.
Such figures showed that the sector in 2016 has reached the goals set for 2020 under the Strategy for Vietnamese tourism development in 2020 with a vision to 2030.

 
International tourists visit Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo by Hong Hanh
International tourists visit Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo by Hong Hanh
According to the VNAT, most of foreign tourist groups to Vietnam increased this year.
To date, Northeast Asian visitors have topped the list, especially those from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK). They together made up 30 percent of international tourists in 2016. 
The number of Western European travellers to Vietnam also saw a strong growth, including those from Italy, the UK, France, Germany and Spain, which are benefiting from Vietnam’s visa exemption policy.
By the end of October this year, arrivals from those markets reached 635,000, up 16% compared to the same period last year. In particular, the Italian market rose by 30%, Spain 27% and the UK 22%.
Russia is the Vietnamese tourism sector’s biggest European market with a growth of 27%, while small – scale ones such as the Netherlands and Sweden also recorded a significant rise. 
In 2017, the country’s tourism aims to welcome 11.5 million international tourists and serve 66 million domestic visitors, earning 460 trillion VND (20.24 billion USD) in revenue.