The National Tourism Year 2017 began with an official ceremony in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on February 11 under the theme "Northwestern colours".
Vietnam welcomed the 10 millionth foreign visitor in 2016 at the Phu Quoc airport in the island district of Phu Quoc, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on December 25.
Eight Tay Bac (northwestern mountainous) provinces enjoyed a year-on-year rise of 11.8 percent in the number of visitors in 2016 thanks to their close cooperation in tourism promotion.