Foreign tourists take photos in Don village, the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam in the first six months of 2018 surged 27.2 percent year-on-year to 7.89 million, the General Statistics Office announced on June 29. Arrivals by air, road, and sea in the reviewed period recorded annual increases of 22.2 percent, 63.7 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Growth was also seen in the numbers of visitors from all five continents, with Asia (32.7 percent), Europe (11 percent), America (13.5 percent), Oceania (10 percent) and Africa (22.2 percent). The results were attributed to efforts taken by the tourism sector, especially in tourism promotion abroad. Most recently, a tourism promotion programme was organised in the four European countries of Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic from June 19-28. Notably, this was the first time Vietnamese tourism has been promoted in Hungary, which … [Read more...] about Vietnam serves nearly 8 million foreign tourists in H1
Foreign tourists
Foreign tourists happy with Vietnam’s visa exemption policy
Foreign tourists visit Hue Imperial City. (Photo: VNA) - Foreign visitors have warmly welcomed Vietnam’s continued visa exemptions for guests from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, saying the policy is good for the country to spur tourism. From the beginning of July, citizens from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy will enjoy visa exemptions for the next three years, until June 30, 2021, as approved by the Prime Minister. “Visa exemption is good for the country to open to tourism,” said Anthony Dme, a visitor from France. Vietnam first offered visa waivers for citizens from the five European countries in July, 2015. The policy has been updated annually and would have expired at the end of June. French guest Anastasia Belkacemi said the policy made people want to go because they did not have to pay. “We feel like part of Asia that we can come in easily like Indonesia, no need visa,” Matteo Lelli, an Italian, said. Vietnam is among … [Read more...] about Foreign tourists happy with Vietnam’s visa exemption policy
Spending boom as foreign tourists linger longer in Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City authorities are stepping up efforts to give foreigners more reason to extend their stay in Vietnam’s premier metropolis as they rake in higher tourism revenues. They are encouraged by the impressive rise in number of foreign arrivals in the city. In 2017, the city welcomed 6.36 million foreigners, up 22.8 percent against 2016. And the welcome news for the tourism sector is that they are staying longer and spending more. The results of a survey on the city’s tourism market, released on June 15, shows that international visitors spent $145 a day on average last year, equivalent to the amount they spent in 2016 in Thailand and well below that of Singapore ($254), Beijing ($242) and Taipei ($208), based on an official data from the Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2017 compiled by MasterCard. The corresponding amount for domestic tourists in Vietnam was $69.4. The survey was conducted by the city’s tourism department and the Statistics Bureau. The … [Read more...] about Spending boom as foreign tourists linger longer in Saigon
Foreign tourists beaten, robbed in Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City Police detained three Vietnamese men on Thursday as suspects in a robbery involving two foreign tourists. The victims of the robbery were Belgian Thomas Bonnert, 28, and his girlfriend Astrio Manon Fanny Ferrari, 25, of France. They told the police that they got acquainted with the men at a bar in District 2 on Tuesday night. It appears that the men were sitting close to the couple and spotted the French woman carrying a handbag with valuable things in it. The men, aged 22 to 25, struck up a friendship with the couple and everyone had a cheerful party. But, as the foreign couple walked home, the gang followed them on a motorbike and invited them for a late night snack. After the foreigners accepted the invitation, the three men led them to a quiet, deserted street and beat them up ferociously, forcing them to flee, leaving their belongings behind. The gang allegedly unlocked the saddle to take an iPhone and VND6 million ($263) in cash from the French woman's handbag. … [Read more...] about Foreign tourists beaten, robbed in Saigon
Vietnam welcomes over 5.5 million foreign tourists in first four months
The number of foreign visitors arriving in Vietnam in April was estimated at 1.3 million, raising the total figure for the first four months of 2018 to 5.5 million, up 29.5pc over the same period last year. The number of foreign tourists in the first four months of 2018 rose 29.5pc over the same period last year Foreign tourists visiting Vietnam in April rose 25.2pc, attracted by a wide range of events such as the Festival of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Hanoi, and the Asian Food and Culture Festival in Hanoi and Quang Ninh province. Of the total visitors in the first four months, 4.1 million came from Asia, with Chinese tourists topping the list at 1.7 million, followed by 1.1 million from the Republic of Korea. Visitors from Europe were estimated at more than 843,000, of which Russian tourists accounted for the largest share at an estimated 262,000. The numbers of tourists coming from the Americas and Oceania were 357,000 and 163,000 respectively. During the period, nearly … [Read more...] about Vietnam welcomes over 5.5 million foreign tourists in first four months