Foreign tourist arrivals in Vietnam rose 15.9 percent year-on-year with the country welcoming 349,000 visitors in January, the Vietnam Administration of Tourism said. 
Of them 50,000 arrived for business purposes and 208,000 for traveling and leisure.

The month saw an increase in the number of tourists coming from the US, Japan, Republic of Korea, France, and Australia, with Korean and US arrivals up 53 percent and 47.3 percent respectively.

It also saw a considerable increase in arrivals by sea.

Saigontourist Travel Service in Ho Chi Minh City said the company received a cruise ship with 300 Japanese visitors at the central Da Nang port on the first day of the lunar New Year, January 29.

The guests spent three days touring Da Nang, the former imperial capital Hue, and the historic Hoi An town before traveling on to HCMC.

Saigontourist also said 3,000 more tourists from Hong Kong and the UK would arrive in February and April on well-known cruise ships like Star Cruise, Ameda, Saga Rudi, and Pacific Venus.

Hanoitourist Travel Co. said in Hanoi it had, since Jan. 28, received more than 70 foreign visitors running travel companies and tourism insurance firms in Hungary.

The company plans to hold a conference to acquaint the visitors with the tourism scene in Vietnam.

Reported by Tr. Binh, M.Q. – Translated by Thu Thuy

Source: www.thanhniennews.com