vietnam tourism stats 10 juil 2

saigon times weekly

.More tourist spending expected
Vietnam welcomed 1.275 million international visitors in the first half of this year, up 10.1% over the same period last year.
According to Vietnam National Administration for Tourism (VNAT), visitors from major markets maintained strong increase with Japan up 25%, South Korea 49%, France 13%, Australia 12% and China 11%. Local visitors numbered 6.1 million, up 4.7%. Hotel occupancy averaged 54%. However, foreign tourists spend little in Vietnam, averaging US$450 a tourist, lower than the world's average of US$700 and other regional countries like Thailand and Singapore (US$1,300). According to Pham Tu, VNAT deputy director, the main reasons are poor tourist products and services.
The tourism industry will try to improve services to stimulate more spending, hoping to increase the average spending of foreign visitors to Vietnam to US$700 by 2005. Tourism authorities have held a series of promotional events in Germany, France, Belgium, China and Korea so far this year.
The industry expects to welcome 2.5 million international visitors and 12.2 million local tourists this year and earn VND23 trillion, the highest so far. The Government has approved a VND280-billion budget for tourist infrastructure development this year, in addition to VND100 billion left from last year