International arrivals to Vietnam reached more than 4.7 million in the first half of 2016, an annual increase of 21.3 percent.

The figure for June was 700,446, down 7.5 percent from the previous month but up 29.8 percent from one year ago.

According to the General Statistics Office, the local tourism sector also served approximately 32.4 million domestic travellers in the six-month period.

Total revenue of the period was estimated to hit 200.3 trillion VND (9.1 billion USD), up 22.1 percent year on year.

This year, Vietnam set a goal to welcome 8.5 million foreign and 60 million domestic travellers, which is expected to bring in 370 trillion VND (16.65 billion USD) for the sector.

Vietnam is considered one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in Southeast Asia, driven by the entrance of international hoteliers, an improved visa policy and investment in key infrastructure.

VNA