In 2016, Vietnam saw a significant development in the tourism sector as the country welcomed more than 10 million international visitors. During the first 9 months of 2017, the amount of foreigners coming to Vietnam reached 9.4 million, exceeding the targeted number.
In September, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) organized the first national tourism skill contest, aiming to honor tourism workers and share experience in the field.
The VNAT also launched promotion programmes in key markets such as the North European countries of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden (from September 13 to 22); and the Japanese cities of Kanagawa, Tokyo, Sendai, and Nagoya (from September 15 to 23). It is promoting Vietnamese tourism in three Southeast Asian markets, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand from September 25 to 30.
Vietnam has also participated in major international fairs such as the JATA Tourism Expo in Tokyo, Japan, from September 21 to 24, and the Top Resa Tourism Trade Fair in Paris from September 26 to 29.
The country has defined Japan as a key market in tourism development plans. In recent years, Japan has been among the top three countries in terms of tourist arrivals to Vietnam.
VN tourism is expected to attract about 13 million international visitors this year and the total revenue is expected to reach about 25 billion USD. The tourism industry is expected to become a spearhead sector in Vietnam's economy.
