The number of international tourists arriving in Vietnam reached over 800,000 in July, a 41.2 per cent year-on-year increase, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said.

More than 5.5 million foreign tourists have visited the country since the beginning of this year, a 24 per cent year-on-year increase.

It is estimated that most Vietnamese tourist markets have expanded, the largest increases being in the number of visitors from Hong Kong and mainland China. The number of tourists from European countries for whom visa-free travel to Vietnam is permitted such as those from Italy, Spain and Britain has also increased by 30.4 per cent, 24.2 per cent and 23.4 per cent, respectively.

The only decline has been in the number of Cambodian tourists, which fell 17.6 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of domestic tourists rose in the first seven months of this year, reaching more than 38.2 million, leading to an increase in the gross income from tourism.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is finishing a project for orienting VN's tourism towards the key economy of the nation, which include implementing various methods such as enhancing the effectiveness of Vietnamese tourism promotion through the establishment of tourism development funds or offering easier immigration procedures.

VNS