Viet Nam News
HCM CITY — Việt Nam welcomed more than 7.26 million international visitors in the first nine months of the year, up 25.7 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism.
Tourism revenue was also up, totalling VNĐ297.16 trillion (US$13.32 billion) in the first nine months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 20.2 per cent, with receipts from international tourists accounting for US$8 billion.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Việt Nam by air and road surged by 29.7 per cent and 10.8 per cent, respectively, compared to the same period last year, to reach more than 6.1 million and 1 million.
The number of tourists travelling by sea was 111,230, a year-on-year decrease of 13.7 per cent.
Most markets saw positive growth compared to the same period last year, with Northeast Asian markets recording the highest growth, such as Hong Kong (79 per cent), mainland China (57.7 per cent), South Korea (39.9 per cent) and Taiwan (15.7 per cent).
The number of tourists from five European countries entitled to visa exemptions maintained two-digit growth, including Italy (31.1 per cent), Spain (27.9 per cent), the UK (23.1 per cent), Germany (18.6 per cent) and France (13.8 per cent).
Russia was listed among the top 10 markets of highest growth, with nearly 300,000 arrivals, up 26.5 per cent. In the first nine months, the number of domestic tourists reached 48.8 million, including 22.5 overnight guests.
In September, the number of foreign visitors surged by 28 per cent compared to the same period last year, to reach 813,000 arrivals.
The number of foreign tourist arrivals is expected to reach 10 million this year. —VNS
