Vietnam records 21 percent increase in foreign tourists

Vietnam welcomed some 4.7 million foreign visitors in the first six months of this year, up 21.3 percent from the same period last year, according to data released on Monday by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

The Southeast Asian country in June alone is reported to have received 700,446 international arrivals, down 7.5 percent from May but up 29.8 percent from last June.

The Vietnamese tourism sector has recorded some 32.4 million domestic travelers during the first half of this year, according to the General Statistics Office.

The country's total revenue from tourism services from January - June is estimated at around VND200.4 trillion ($8.9 billion), up 22 percent year on year, said the statistics office on its website.

Vietnam has set a target of welcoming 8.5 million foreign tourists and 60 million domestic travelers this year, which would help the country earn VND370 trillion or $16.5 billion in tourism revenue.

Vietnam has recently granted visa exemptions for U.S. citizens and tourists from five Western European countries to boost tourism.

By An Hong / VnExpress