Foregin visitors in Hà Nội. Viêt Nam expects to attract 8.5 million foreign visitors in 2016. — Photo vtc.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — About 2.45 million international visitors arrived in Viet Nam, 19.9 per cent higher than the same period of last year, reported from the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Of this figure, the numbers of foreign arrivals in March reached 820,480, 1.6 per cent lower than February, but still 28.3 per cent higher than 2015's March.

In March, Chinese visitors topped Viet Nam's international arrivals, with 214,067 visitors, followed by South Korean holidaymakers with 116,593 people and Japan with 69,287 visitors.

The GSO said that in the first three months of this year visitors travelling by sea reduced significantly by 41.1 per cent over the same period last year, while visitors arriving by air increased 16.8 per cent and arrivals by road soared 50.5 per cent.

According to statistics from Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, total income from tourists in the first quarter of this year reached VND109.14 billion (US$4.88 million), up 21.2 per cent over the same period in 2015.

Viet Nam expects to attract 8.5 million foreign visitors in 2016, about six per cent higher than 2015. — VNS