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The information was released at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s regular press conference for the third quarter of this year, which was held in Hanoi on October 16.

Nguyen Van Tuan, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, praised dynamic tourism promotion activities this year, noting that they have reached a number of new markets.

According to Tuan, the country has counted 11.7 million foreign arrivals to date. At the current pace, the figure would reach about 15.7 to 15.8 million by year’s end. Vietnam aims to serve between 15 and 16 million foreign tourists in 2018.

Currently, 52 international airlines have entered the Vietnamese market, and air travellers account for 84.4% of total foreigners to Vietnam.

The National Tourism Administration reported that the rate of second-time visitors reached 40.4% last year, and average daily spending by foreign visitors from most markets increased. Spending by visitors from the Republic of Korea rose from US$ 133.4 to US$171.5 a day, while that of Chinese visitors went up from US$118.6 to US$130.1 per day.

Cheap tours, which offer low prices but encourage tourists to use more shopping, food and entertainment services at the destinations, was a hot topic at the press conference.

Concerning the issue, Tuan said the management of low-cost tours should meet the market demand, control their quality as well as protect tourists’ interests and the image of destinations.

He said tighter monitoring and strict fines, including revoking operation licences of violated businesses and tour guides, should be applied.