3:37:50 PM | 20/1/2009
Hanoi earned nearly VND2.9 trillion (US$175.8 million) from tourism activities in 2008, up 30 per cent over the figure of 2007.
The local hospitality sector, however, welcomed only 1.3 million foreign arrivals last year or 9 per cent short of the yearly target.
Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, deputy director of the municipal Service of Culture, Sports and Tourism, largely blamed the situation on the global economic downturn.
Currently, the capital city boasts eight 5-star hotels, as well as six 4-star hotels and 20 three-star hotels which meet only 70 per cent of international tourist demand during this “hot” tourism season.
The city aims to maintain tourism growth rate of between 20 per cent and 25 per cent this year.
Hanoi will receive two million international visitors by 2010 and therefore it will be short of 13,000 hotel rooms, especially in 3-star and 5-star accommodation.
Hanoi is not only the tourism center but also tourist distribution center for Vietnam. At present, the number of foreign tourists to Hanoi accounts for 33 per cent of that of the whole country. (Vietnam Economic Times)
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