4:59:44 PM | 8/10/2008
Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam has received more than 960,000 foreign visitors from 160 countries and territories so far this year, according to the Hanoi Cultural, Sport and Tourism Department.
This figure is expected to increase to 1.5 million by the end of this year.
China topped the list of Hanoi’s tourist markets, with visitors from the country representing 12 per cent of the total number of foreign visitors. It was followed by France, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the U.S.
The number of domestic visitors to Hanoi has also increased sharply since the city was expanded in August, reaching 4.9 million over the first nine months of this year. The capital expects to receive a total of 7.75 million local visitors during 2008.
Currently, Hanoi boasts 34 hotels ranked 3-5 stars, which meet only 70 per cent of international tourist demand during this “hot” tourism season.
Hanoi is not only the tourism center but also tourist distribution center for Vietnam. At present, the number of foreign tourists to Hanoi accounts for 33 per cent of that of the whole country. (VNA)
Vietnamese
