Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – October saw a record number of international arrivals atalmost 1.62 million, up 34.3 percent year-on-year, according to figures releasedby the General Statistics Office (GSO) on October 29.
Thecountry welcomed nearly 14.5 million international visitors in theJanuary-October period, up 13 percent, with nearly 56 percent of the visitorsfrom China and the Republic of Korea (RoK0.
TheVietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said the growth rate in thepast 10 months is remarkably higher than the average growth in the region andthe world. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the numberof international travellers in the world increased by 4 percent in the firstsix months of this year, while the rate for Asia-the Pacific is 6 percent andSoutheast Asia 5 percent.
Ofthe total international visitors to Vietnamduring the past 10 months, 79.5percent were from Asian countries, up 15.2 percent from the same period lastyear. Most source markets sending tourists to Vietnam showed increases, such as9.4 percent for China, 22.1 percent for the RoK, 15 percent for Japan, and 29.5percent for Taiwan.
Impressivegrowth was also recorded in the numbers of visitors from Southeast Asiancountries, with Thailand leading with a growth rate of 47.7 percent. Singaporehas surpassed France to become the 11th largest source market oftourists to Vietnam.
Thenumber of tourists from Europe picked up 5.5 percent, with a 5.8 percentincrease in the number of vacationers from the UK, 4.8 percent for Russia and1.7 percent for France.
In early October, Vietnam was honouredwith four important prizes at the 26th World TravelAwards (WTA). The country wasnamed Asia’sLeading Destination for the second year in a row, Asia’s Leading CulturalDestination and Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination. HoiAn, a tourist city in the central province of Quang Nam and home to Hoi AnAncient Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was named Asia's Leading CulturalCity Destination.
The World Travel Awards Asia andOceania 2019 was organised on Phu Quoc Island, a popular tourist destination off the southernVietnamese province of KienGiang, on October 13./.
