The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines have worked together to popularise the image of Vietnam to international friends at the ongoing International Tourism Fair in Berlin, Germany.

The effort will contribute to realising the country’s 2013 National Tourism Promotion Programme to draw in more tourists from Germany, one of Vietnam Airlines’ key markets in the global network.

As a member of Skyteam global airline alliance, Vietnam Airlines brings passengers to as many as 900 destinations across the world, of which there are beautiful beaches in Vietnam, said Nguyen Quoc Phuong, a representative of Vietnam Airlines in Germany.

Phuong believes that with the support and cooperation of German partners, Vietnamese beaches will become attractive destinations for international friends, especially German tourists.

VNAT representative Tran Phong Binh unveiled that in 2012, the country welcomed 6.84 million foreign arrivals, up 13.8 percent year on year. The number of domestic tourists was estimated to be 32.5 million, up 8 percent. Total revenue from tourism reached 7.7 million USD, an increase of 23 percent.

Binh was confident that Vietnam will be able to lure 7.2 million international visitors and 35 million domestic tourists in 2013 to increase the sector’s annual revenue to 9 million USD.-VNA