Viet Nam named among world's fastest growing travel destinations
Viet Nam’s tourism industry is moving in the right direction, and the country's 2016 visitor numbers rose at one of the fastest rates in the world, according to a new United Nations report.
Foreign tourists at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran |
A global report published this week by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation ranked Viet Nam’s tourism growth as 7th in the world, and the country was the only destination in Southeast Asia to make the top 10. Indonesia was ranked in 20th place.
Sierra Leone topped the list thanks to the eradication of Ebola in November 2015.
Foreign visitors to Viet Nam rose 26% to a record 10 million last year, earning the tourism industry 400 trillion VND ($17.6 billion). Foreign arrivals to the country in the first half of this year increased 30% from a year ago to more than 6.2 million, according to the General Statistics Office.
The country has been rising in popularity, with the New York Times late last year naming it a place to travel in your twenties.
Hoi An was selected as one the world’s top destinations in 2017 by TripAdvisor users, who also selected Da Lat and Sa Pa among the best vacation choices for the year.
The Telegraph also recommended Ha Noi for an amazing food experience, while Ho Chi Minh City has cracked various lists of top destinations for solo and retiree travellers. Both cities were named among the world's fastest growing destinations by MasterCard last year, and more recently by Price of Travel as on of the cheapest cities for backpackers.
Viet Nam has been working hard to promote tourism.
With visa waiver policies for big markets in Asia and Europe, as well as a new e-visa system, the country hopes to welcome 17-20 million foreign visitors and make $35 billion per year from tourism by 2020, contributing 10% to the country’s economy, compared to the current 7.5%.
Its top lawmakers have approved a brand new tourism development fund to boost tourism, which will be sourced from visa fees and an annual budget of $2.5 million the government sets aside for tourism promotions every year.
(Source: VnExpress International)