About 12.6 million international tourists have visited Vietnam this year, a 3.4-fold rise from 2022, surpassing the target of 8 million set earlier, the General Statistics Office ( GSO ) reported on December 29.The yearly figure, however, is equivalent to only 70% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019, the agency said, adding that in December alone, it stood at nearly 1.4 million, up 11.2% month-on-month, and 93.9% year-on-year.Meanwhile, some 5 million Vietnamese travelled abroad in the year, two times that in 2022. During the final month of 2023, the number was estimated at 352,100, a rise of 23.2% from the same period last year. Vietnam has won the World’s Leading Heritage Destination 2023 title of the World Travel Awards. (Photo: VNA)Revenue from lodging and catering services this year reached 673.5 trillion VND (27.77 billion USD), accounting for 10.8% of the total value and expanding by 14.7% compared to the previous year.The agency attributed the hikes to efforts by localities in developing tourism products, and cultural and sport activities, with Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Can Tho among those reporting increases in tourism revenue.The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said the 2023 National Tourism Year , hosted by the central coastal province of Binh Thuan under the theme of “Green convergence”, has wrapped up successfully, featuring more than 200 national and international events.Binh Thuan welcomed a record number of 8.5 million holidaymakers in the year, and raked in 23 trillion VND from the sector, doubling that in 2022. It has been among the nine localities nationwide posting the highest tourism revenue, contributing to boosting the country’s tourism recovery and promoting the land and people of Vietnam to international friends.The 2024 National Tourism Year will be hosted by the northern province of Dien Bien, marking the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory which played a decisive role in ending the resistance war against French colonialists.With nine UNESCO-recognised heritage sites, including five cultural, three natural, and one complex heritage, Vietnam has won the World’s Leading Heritage Destination 2023 title of the World Travel Awards.This is the 4th time that Vietnam has obtained the title, as it did in 2019, 2020, and 2022./.

Source: Viet Nam News December 29, 2023 14:30 UTC