The General Statistics Office (GSO) has reported that over 518,000 international arrivals came to Viet Nam in October 2011, a rise of 17.8% over the same period last year. Overall, Viet Nam has welcomed 4.83 million international arrivals in 10 months of 2011, a rise of 15.8% compared to the same period of 2010. The target of welcoming 5.3-5.5 million international arrivals this year is coming. Viet Nam tourism has been continuing to promptly complete remaining proposal works in this year.

In October and November, the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) implemented many tourism promotion programs abroad as well as inside the country, include taking part in Singapore Tourism Fair, JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agents) Travel Fair in Japan, a tourism fair in Kunming (China), World Travel Market (WTM) in the UK; organizing roadshows in Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian (China); joining the ASEAN Tourism Conference in Brunei; participating in UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) Executive Council in Korea, the 3rd World Ecotourism Conference and the 1st Ministerial Roundtable on Ecotourism in Cambodia, International Cruise Tourism Conference in Japan, holding a roadshow in Ukraine, Vietnamese Cultural Days event in Norway and Vietnamese cuisine show in Australia. In the country, tourism promotion activities are carried out such as the final voting for Ha Long Bay as New7Wonders of Nature in many cities and provinces, introducing Viet Nam tourism for Russian and Eastern European tour operators at the tourism roadshow in Nha Trang and for Japanese ones in Ho Chi Minh City; taking part in the First International Tea Festival in Thai Nguyen Province, the Second Viet Nam Rice Festival in the Mekong delta province of Soc Trang; holding an investment promotion meeting in Tay Ninh and provinces in the southeast region, a central region tourism promotion meeting…

In addition, the VNAT has tried to complete the strategy and master plan on tourism development until 2020 with a vision to 2030, the legal documents, the projects on attracting tourists from the target markets, the standards on cruise accommodations facilities, the new logo and slogan for Viet Nam tourism; review the 2011 Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo and make plans of International Travel Expo (ITE) for period of 2012-2015; review the National Tourism Year 2011 and make plan on the National Tourism Year 2012; conduct the program on promoting tourism combined with poverty elimination and rural economic restructuring; and hold training courses in provinces.

The VNAT has prepared for activities in the first quarter of 2012 such as participating in the ITB in Germany, the MITT in Russia, Travex in Indonesia; developing tourism database; releasing tourism publications; promoting tourism on social media.

The achievements of the tourism sector have been highly appreciated. However, to reach the year’s targets soon and continue keeping Viet Nam's reputation as an attractive destination, Viet Nam tourism has been trying to do series of activities such as improving tourism promotion programs and activities, intensifying market researches and enhancing tourism human resources, diversifying methods of providing tourism information and services, taking all opportunities to hold and join events within and outside the country to promote Viet Nam tourism. (Source: TITC)