Foreign visitors at a tourism destination in Thua Thien - Hue province

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) reported at a meeting yesterday that an estimated 18 million foreign visitors came to Vietnam in 2019, up more than 16 percent from the figure of 2018.

The number of domestic travellers also rose by 6 percent to 85 million.

In total, the tourism sector earned more than VND720 trillion (nearly US$16.7 billion), an increase of 16 percent on a yearly basis.

The average growth of tourists in the three consecutive years from 2016 was 22 percent a year, putting Vietnam among the 10 countries with highest tourism growth in the world.

Next year, Vietnam will host a number of major events that are expected to draw tourists, including the Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix and the National Tourism Year 2020. VNA

Vietnam upbeat about 18 million international tourists in 2019

The tourism industry, especially inbound tourism, is considered the "gold mine" for Vietnam.