The visa-free travel policy which Viet Nam granted for 5 European countries last month has paid off, with tourists from those markets hugely contributing to the solid growth of the country’s international arrival numbers in August.

Viet Nam welcomed 664,985 international vacationers this month, a 12% increase from a month earlier, and 7.5% from August 2014, according to the General Statistics Office.

Foreign tourists are seen at the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang

This is the second straight month the Southeast Asian country posted a rise in international tourist numbers. The figure had earlier dropped for a 13-month stretch from May 2014.

Viet Nam began waiving visas for German, French, British, Italian and Spanish visitors on July 1, with an allowed 15-day stay for each entry.

More than 5.06 million international tourists visited Viet Nam in the January-August period, a good signal for the country’s recovering tourism, as it has yet to enter the season of high travel demand, which is Christmas and New Year.

(Source: tuoitrenews)