Viet Nam welcomed more than 1 million foreign visitors in the first month of 2017, representing rises of 12.3 per cent compared to the previous month and 26 per cent year-on-year.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the flow of tourists from almost markets witnessed an increase, with China topping the list (up 67.9 per cent).

It was followed by Laos (up 41.7 per cent), Russia (36.5 per cent), Belgium (27.6 per cent), Sweden (27.3 per cent), Spain (27.2 per cent), the Netherlands (24 per cent), New Zealand (20.8 per cent) and Finland (18 per cent).

Meanwhile, the number of domestic holidaymakers reached 5.7 million in January. Total earnings from tourism services hit VND38.6 trillion (US$1.7 billion), representing an increase of 28.5 per cent year-on-year.

Viet Nam’s tourism sector expects to welcome 11.5 million international visitors and served 66 million domestic holidaymakers in 2017, making a revenue of VND460 trillion.

The sector also aims to receive from 17-20 million international tourists and serve 82 million domestic visitors by 2020, contributing 10 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP). Its revenue from tourism is expected to reach $35 billion. — VNS