Vietnam sees high growth in West European tourist arrivals after visa waiver program

Vietnam saw a year-on-year increase of 20.1 percent in the number of tourists from West European countries in the first five months of 2016, according to statistics by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on Tuesday.

The figure is considerably higher than the level of 5.35 percent growth in 2010-2014 period, Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA cited the administration as reporting.

In July 2015, Vietnam launched a visa exemption program for citizens from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Vietnam currently exempts visa for nationals from 22 countries, including member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In 2016, Vietnam expects to welcome 8.5 million foreign visitors and 60 million domestic travelers, earning some 370 trillion Vietnamese dong (around 16.6 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue.

Among attempts to lure more foreign visitors, Vietnam also implemented various programs, including visa waivers and cut in visa fee.

In 2015, Vietnam welcomed some 7.9 million foreign visitors and 57 million domestic travelers, earning 337.8 trillion Vietnamese dong (over 15 billion U.S. dollars).

(APD)