Tourists from China were up by 52.2 percent and Thailand by 34 percent.

Tourists from Sweden and Finland, who had high purchase power, also increased by 60.8 percent and 46 percent, respectively.

The surge has been attributed to campaigns promoting the National Mekong Tourist Year in Can Tho city and the “returning to the roots” tourism programme in the northern provinces of Yen Bai and Phu Tho.

Luxury hotels in tourism-booming areas such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang beach city in south central Khanh Hoa province report high occupancy rates of up to more than 90 percent.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said the industry hopes to attract 5 million foreign tourists and serve 21 million domestic holiday makers to yield VND64 trillion in 2008.