The number of international arrivals to Hanoi reached nearly 1.9 million in 2011, a year-on-year increase of 11 percent, according to the capital city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

A logo of My Son sanctuary, a world cultural heritage site in the central province of Quang Nam, was announced on December 28. 

The largest tourism development project in Vietnam will start in eight northwestern mountain provinces next year.  

“Vietnam – Timeless Charm” and the five-petal lotus have been selected as the slogan and symbol of the Vietnamese tourism in the 2012-2015 term.

Curvalle Bernard Francois from France is the six millionth foreign visitor to Vietnam this year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).  

HCM City aims to receive 3.8 million foreign arrivals in 2012, 8 percent more than in 2011, according to the Municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his girlfriend Priscilla Chan have surprisingly chosen Vietnam as a destination for their Christmas holiday this year.

The occupancy rate of hotels in the tourist resort city of Sapa has increased dramatically following the news that the temperature there is forecast to fall below zero degrees Celsius on Christmas Eve.

Nui Chua National Park in the central coastal province of Ninh Thuan is considered “a desert” thanks to its dry conditions and low rainfall.

Fusion Maia Danang has been listed in the 8th annual Luxe List of the award-winning travel magazine DestinAsian. 

Nearly nine hundred British tourists and sailors aboard Voyages of Discovery will dock at Saigon port in HCM City on December 23 to begin their eight day trans-Vietnam itinerary.

Since the beginning of 2011, Ho Chi Minh City has welcomed 3.5 million international visitors, fulfilling the year's plan and representing a year-on-year increase of 12.9 percent.

Located on Luoi Hai Mountain, Choi Waterfall is considered the diamond of Cu Dong commune, Thanh Son district, in the northern province of Phu Tho.

A seminar on tourism development co-ordination among central coastal provinces was held in Tuy Hoa city in the south-central province of Phu Yen on December 19.

The successes and failures of Italy’s tourism industry can be very valuable for the policy-making process to develop Vietnam’s tourism industry.

The central and Central Highland provinces of Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Kontum have agreed to support each other in tourism development to attract foreign visitors from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand through the Bo Y border gate.  

The second campaign to vote for  “Ho Chi Minh City-the 100 interesting things” was launched by the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on December 17.  

Vietnam is expected to welcome the six millionth international visitor in late December, marking a successful year for the country’s tourism, according to the National Administration of Tourism. 

The Quang Nam provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on December 13 hosted a workshop to launch a tourism promotion project in its disadvantaged areas. 

The Sao Mai Tour Company is the first tourism enterprise in southern Binh Thuan province which has been granted an international traveling business licence by the Vietnam Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

The first phase of the Ho Tram Strip project, to build a top-notch beach resort in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, has been completed and is expected to open the door to tourists in early 2013.

Vietnam Airlines launched its first direct flight to the UK's London Gatwick Airport, on December 9.  

More than 50 delegates from domestic and foreign travel agents and European tourism magazines gathered at a seminar in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province on December 2 to discuss promoting Vietnam sea tourism in Europe.

A tourism programme called “Return to the Roots” has attracted large numbers of visitors, contributing to the industry’s annual revenue growth of 16.7 percent.  

Travel agents are offering many attractive tours for Christmas and New Year holidaymakers.

In preparation for the 2012 National Tourism Year, the Hue Festival will open on April 7 next year.

The Spanish government will provide 400,000 euros in non-refundable aid for a project to help Vietnam raise the capacity of its tourism sector from now until 2020, with a vision for 2030.

A conference on promoting tourism in southeastern Vietnam was held in Tay Ninh province on November 26.  

Archi Invest Joint Stock Company inaugurated a new resort by international standards, called Nine Ivory Eco Resort & Country Club in Hanoi’s outlying Ba Vi district on November 24.

Hue Festival 2012 will coincide with the National Tourism Year for the north central coastal region, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced at a press briefing in Hanoi on November 23.