Hanoi Tourism Sector Employs 70,000 Workers

Hanoi Tourism Sector Employs 70,000 Workers

The tourism industry in Vietnam’s Capital City of Hanoi is now employing 70,000 workers including 20,000 direct and 50,00 indirect employees, according to local Tourism Service at a conference reviewing its operation in the last five years on May 20.

The employees are working for 4,000 travel and service companies with 136 international tours operators and 400 accommodation providers.

At the moment, Hanoi is home to 158 three-five star hotels with around 110,000 standardized rooms. Since 2000, four to six local hotels and travel companies have ranked in the national top ten best hotels and travel companies.

According to the Hanoi Tourism Corporation, it plans to provide another 440 rooms in three- and four-star hotels, and lease 10,000 sq.m of office space by 2008, hoping to boost this figure by another 5,000 sq.m by 2010.

The figures have helped the city to become the second largest tourism destination, serving 34 per cent of the total foreign arrivals to the country, jumping from 20 per cent five years ago.

In the first three months this year, Hanoi welcomed around 262,000 foreign visitors, posting a large on-year increase of nearly 50 per cent.

Last year, the city received 950,000 foreign tourist arrivals and 3.5 million local visitors, earning tourism revenue of around VND5.3 trillion (US$337.57 million), including VND2.3 trillion (US$146.5 million) from hotel and restaurant businesses.

In 2005, the city targets to serve 4.5 million tourists, including one million foreigners, and earn VND6 trillion (US$382.2 million) in total revenues, up 10 per cent.

Vietnam & World Economy, VNS