Tourism sector to try welcoming 7.8 million foreign tourists in 2015 – Attractions – Travel

Tourism sector to try welcoming 7.8 million foreign tourists in 2015 – Attractions – Travel

In the first six months of this year, the number of foreign tourists to the country decreased 12% against the same period last year.
But in July, August and September, the number of foreign arrivals increased, following a 13-month decline due to diseases, unstable economy and fierce regional competition.
In September, number of international visitors to the country reached 626,000 arrivals, increasing 8.3% over last year.
During the first nine months of the year, about 5.7 million international tourists came to Vietnam, marking a decrease of 5.9% on the year. Along with an increase in the number of domestic travellers, Vietnam’s tourism turnover reached 270 trillion VND (12 billion USD), an increase of 2.8% on the year.

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At the meeting, Director General of the VNAT Nguyen Van Tuan said from now until the end of this year, Vietnam will try its best to promote its tourism marketing campaign and hold tourism fairs abroad to welcome at least the same number of tourists as last year – 7.8 million.
Vietnam started scrapping visas for visitors from six more European countries – Germany, France, Italy, Spain, England and Belarus – in July, aiming to draw in more tourists.
To attract more Westerner tourists, Tuan said he will ask the Government to extend the amount of time the tourists with visa exemptions could stay. According to the current rules, the visa exemption granted to those countries allows visitors one 15-day stay per year.
Moreover, in the next three months, Vietnam will promote its e-marketing and be more active in promoting its image abroad.
From October 20 to December 20, a 30-second ad showcasing Vietnam’s rich culture and stunning landscapes will be shown on the UK’s Travel Channel.
Vietnam will welcome all foreign filmmakers to the country to shoot scenes for their movies.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will organise the National Tourism Year 2016 – Phu Quoc – the Mekong Delta, which will begin in April.
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