More Foreign Tourists Arrive in Vietnam

According to the Vietnam Administration of Tourism, the number of international tourists to Vietnam in August increased significantly, especially those from high spending markets. They included 188,000 tourists from the US, 36,000 from Canada and 168,000 from Taiwan, increasing by 30, 38 and 45 per cent, respectively.

In particular, due to the new tourist visa exemptions for South Korean tourists, the number of Korean tourists increased sharply to 125,000 (69 per cent).

In August alone Vietnam received some 240,000 foreign tourists bringing the total number in the first eight months of 2004 to 1.8 million, a 26.7 per cent on-year increase, comprising 510,000 land arrivals, 1.1 million air arrivals and 190,000 sea arrivals, increasing 14.7, 31.8 and 33.3 per cent, respectively, over the same period last year. Meanwhile local tourists increased to some nine million or nine per cent over the same period last year.

• Thu Huyen