Ha Noi, Feb. 25 (VNA) - Viet Nam attracted an estimated 320,000 international tourists in February, up 13 percent against the same month last year.
Russia, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Japan and Germany remained the mainstays for the tourism sector, said the Viet Nam Tourism Administration (VTA).
VAT further said that the number of international tourists coming to Viet Nam by ship jumped in February. The Saigon Tourism Service Company, Saigontourist, said that it received big contracts to serve more than 3,000 visitors from different countries like the United Kingdom, the US, Germany, Australia and Singapore.
This signals a future increase in tourists coming to Viet Nam by cruise ship after a three-year plunge largely due to fears of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Surveys conducted in major tourism cities such as Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang said that their hotels' occupancy rates topped 90 percent, largely thanks to an upsurge in foreign visitors.
Tourist activities are especially vibrant in February when "echoes" of the traditional Tet holiday still continue. This is because of more diversified tours offered by tourist agencies to sightseeing spots associated with traditional festivals like the Huong Pagoda, Yen Tu mountain, Tran Temple and Lim festival, aside from popular destinations like central ancient Hoi An city, highlands Da Lat city, Phu Quoc island and the cultural heritage site of Ha Long Bay. These tours have attracted a great number of Vietnamese people who have increasingly found tourism within reach due to higher living standards.
In some famous tourist locales, demands for rooms of some hotels far outstripped their capacity.-Enditem
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