The number of foreign arrivals to Hanoi has reached 634,000 so far this year, up 9.8 percent against the same period last year, showing that Hanoi remains an attractive destination for foreigners.

Countries seeing high rates of tourists travelling to Hanoi include Australia, Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, France and the United Kingdom.

In an effort to create a more beautiful Hanoi for international visitors, municipal authorities have mapped out a master plan to develop its tourist sites including community tourism in Ba Vi town, as well as promote cultural and historical values of Thang Long Imperial Citadel world heritage.

A plan to popularise Hanoi tourism on a Hong Kong-based electronic travel magazine named Smart Travel Asia has also been drafted.

The Vietnam-Hanoi International Tourist Fair running from April 18-21 is another effort to promote the capital city to overseas travel companies.

Hanoi is now well-prepared for the national holiday on the anniversary of the Liberation of the South (April 30) and May Day, which is expected to see a huge number of visitors.-VNA