Tourism in Vietnam continues to grow. A total of 7.94 million international guests visited the country in 2015, which is more than the year before. Total tourism revenues also continued to rise, reaching a record high of 15.4 billion US dollars in 2015. Experts are confident that this positive trend will continue in the coming years and that tourism will further consolidate its role as the country's main economic factor.

The development is supported by extensive promotional measures of the state government. Important impulses for international tourism in Vietnam are expected above all from far-reaching visa facilitation and the establishment of the South East Asian Economic Community.

With its unique cultural landscape, natural attractions, long sandy beaches, numerous adventure trails and first-class resorts, Vietnam has developed into an important international travel destination in recent years. It is probably above all the country's diversity and contrasts that fascinate the people so much: the mixture of lively cities on the one hand and the traces of a centuries-old culture on the other, the authenticity that the country tries to preserve and the extraordinary Vietnamese cuisine, of course.

The motto of the tourism year 2016 is "Discover Southern Vietnam". The focus of tourism marketing is on the destinations of Phu Quoc and the Mekong Delta. Other important events are the Vietnam International Travel Mart - VITM 2016 (14 - 17 April), Hue International Festival 2016 (29 April - 4 May), Beach Leisure & MICE Travel Mart - BMTM Danang 2016 (24 - 26 June), 5th Asian Beach Games 2016, Da Nang (24 September - 3 October), International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City - ITE HCMC 2016 (8 - 10 September).

At the ITB 2016 in Berlin, selected Vietnam experts gave short presentations on Vietnam as a travel destination facilitated and moderated by Kai Partale at a press conference and a product seminar on Central Vietnam and reported on current tourism policy, its development and prospects. The increasing importance of Vietnam as an international travel destination was highlighted at the Vietnam reception with UNWTO Secretary General, Dr. Taleb Rifai.