Vietnam welcomed the 6 millionth foreign visitor of 2011, surpassing the set target of 5.5 million and demonstrating the robust growth of the tourism sector.
Curvalle Bernard Francois, a French citizen aboard the MV SuperStar Aquarious cruise ship from Hainan, China became the 6 millionth foreign visitor to Vietnam this year. Awards for this lucky visitor included an insignia and other gifts, and a package tour for 2 persons to Da Nang and Hoi An donated by the Saigon Tourist Company. “We’re very glad. By accident, we are here because when we were in China, one of my former Chinese students told me that there was a cruise to Halong Bay and I took the opportunity to come here. It’s a chance to become the 6 millionth visitor to Vietnam. In addition to my 50th anniversary of my wedding, we are twice glad", said Mr. Francois.
 |
| Curvalle Bernard Francois, a French citizen, is the 6th million visitor to Vietnam |
The 6th million foreign visitor milestone shows that Vietnam remains a safe and friendly destination for tourists. "We are continuing to create a breakthrough growth in the tourism sector after receiving 5 million foreign visitors in 2010. Last year, we had 30 million domestic tourists and revenue from tourism was about 6.5 billion USD. This achievement is a landmark for Vietnam’s hospitality industry in its development strategy until 2020", said Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
This impressive growth in tourism was driven by an increase in promotional programs like the Caravan Week in Quang Ninh province, the international fireworks festival in Da Nang city, the sea tourism week in Khanh Hoa province and National Tourism Year activities in Phu Yen and other provinces. Last year, Hanoi received a record 1.9 million foreign tourists, up 11% thanks to more international flights and new tourism promotional programs. Quang nam province also welcomed 1.2 million foreign visitors earning 76.8 million USD. "Over the past few years, we have increased promotional activities inside and outside the country and participated in international tourism fairs. Moreover, the whole province including Hoi An ancient town and My Son holy land joined efforts to advertise their attractions. Local people have made every effort to preserve, protect and beautify their heritages. As a result, the quality of services and the diversity of tourist products have improved", said Mr. Dinh Hai, Director of Quang Nam Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Last year, Vietnam organized the International Tourism Exhibition in HCM City, participated in international tourism fairs overseas and expanded its tourism markets in China, Russia, Ukraine, Denmark and Norway. These activities have helped to attract more tourists to Vietnam and promote the country’s image."Last year, our Department organized 10 culture and tourism weeks and a number of sports competitions overseas. Vietnam also participated in tourism fairs in China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Europe. We promoted Vietnamese tourism on foreign television channels like the BBC and the English Premier League", according to Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In 2011, all of Vietnam’s foreign tourism markets saw a rise. It was also the first year that all 10 of the leading markets sent tourists to Vietnam. With these positive developments, the tourism sector has set the target of receiving 7.5 million foreign tourists and 35 million domestic tourists, earning 9 billion USD and contributing between 5 and 5.5% of Vietnam’s GDP by 2015.
Lan Anh