Vietnam welcomes over 3 million foreign visitors in Q1

The number of international arrivals surged by 30 percent on-year in the first quarter.

Vietnam welcomed more than 3 million foreign visitors in the first quarter of 2017, a 30 percent increase from the same period last year, official data showed. Over 70 percent of arrivals were from Asian countries.

In March alone, over 1 million international visitors arrived in Vietnam, representing an on-year jump of 21 percent.

Coinciding with the China-ASEAN Year of Tourism 2017, Chinese visitors topped the pile with a record high of nearly 1 million arrivals from January-March.

South Korea remained in second place with over half a million visitors touching down. Vietnam has been offering a 15-day visa waiver for Koreans since January 2015.

Most visitors chose to fly to Vietnam, accounting for over 80 percent of arrivals during the first three months.

In a bid to give the tourism industry a major push, the Vietnamese government has launched its much-touted online visa system for travelers on short holidays or casual business trips.

The country is on track to reach its target of welcoming 11.5 million international visitors this year, which is projected to contribute over $20 million to the economy.

Tourism is expected to contribute 10 percent to Vietnam’s gross domestic product by 2020 when the country expects to receive up to 20 million foreign visitors and earn $35 billion in tourism revenue.

Vietnam's government has recently issued an etiquette guide for tourists to remind them to behave appropriately during their time here.

By VnExpress