In a list created by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Tourist Destinations all over the world, Vietnam is among the privileged nomination.
With its immaculate natural views, delicious cuisine, friendly people and overall rich history and culture, Vietnam deserves to be in the list. Ha Long Bay and Nin Binh are just some of the many world class spots that tourists from around the world make sure to visit. Its pristine beaches, majestic mountains, lush forests, breathtaking caves, powerful waterfalls, amazing rivers and fantastic deltas continue to attract people from all over the globe through time.
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Aside from its untouched, beautiful landscapes, Vietnam is also famous for its one-of-a-kind but delectable cuisines that are surprisingly cheap, something that tourists surely enjoy and come back to. Moreover, Vietnamese people are known to be warm and accommodating to their visitors, making them feel at home in a supposedly different place.
In November 2017, Vietnam received more than 1.17 million foreign tourists, a 14.4% rise against October of the same year. This figure is equivalent to 11.6 million visitors in the first 11 months of 2017, a 27.8% increase compared to the same period in 2016. 10 million international tourists entered Vietnam in 2016, up by 25% compared to 2015 and the first time that the country ever experienced such surge in its tourism considering it only had 2 million visitors in 2000.
With its rising tourism industry, Vietnam plans to make it its major economic sector by 2020, with a 20 million foreign tourists and 82 million domestic visitors target which will bring in a 10% rise to its GDP or equivalent to $35 billion in revenue.
In the same light, the country’s tourism sector has executed new guidelines for investing in its infrastructure and attracting even more tourists. These new policies include visa exemptions for tourists from South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian countries; and extension of visa-free programs through June of 2018 for visitors from Western Europe, including those from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. In February of 2017, an e-visa system was launched to cater to tourists from 46 countries. It can be found at: http://vietnamtourism.vn/plan-your/trip/visa-requirements.
Eco-tourism and community tourism will also be given importance, emphasizing on primary products found in islands and coastal areas. Airlines are asked to open new flight destinations that will connect Vietnam to other important tourism markets.
Electricity is planned to be lessened in order for tourism-related businesses to deliver more and better service, while correct land use tax rates will be charged for tourism projects to entice more investors into the country. Among the projects encouraged are integrated tourism and services such as shopping centres and entertainment centres which are guaranteed tourist magnets, thus income-generating businesses.
Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, confidently stated that Vietnam will be able to catch up with Indonesia in terms of tourism growth and visitor arrival in 2017 and be included in the Top 3 in ASEAN, currently led by Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
It is predicted that since tourism will be turned into the central economic sector by 2020, other sectors of the society in Vietnam will also follow with the development pattern. Vietnam is seen to become among the chief Southeast Asian nations with strong tourism growth.
The other countries included in UNWTO’s list of Top 10 Fastest-Growing Tourist Destinations are Palestine, Egypt, Northern Mariana Islands, Iceland, Tunisia, Nicaragua, Mongolia and Israel.