The increase was thanks to the effective implementation of tourism demand stimulus measures, said the GSO.

Most of Vietnam’s key tourism markets saw growing numbers of visitors, with Japan taking the lead, posting a 55.4 percent growth rate, followed by the Republic of Korea (52.2 percent), France (39 percent) and Malaysia (13.5 percent). However, the GSO said the total number of overseas holidaymakers dropped 7.7 percent during the first eight months of this year to 2.5 million.

To prevent a decrease in the number of foreign tourists to the country due to the global economic crisis and the spread of the A/H1N1 influenza, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has taken various measures to stimulate tourism demand, particularly the deployment of the programme “Impressive Vietnam.”
From now through the end of the year, the industry will continue to carry out its national action plan on tourism development, increase promotional programmes both at home and abroad, and tout the country’s attractions through international mass media, the administration said.

The sector would also diversify tourism products, upgrade infrastructure and improve the professionalism and English skills of staff in an effort to lure more visitors, especially on the occasion of the 1,000^th anniversary of Hanoi-Thang Long in 2010.