Vietnam welcomed nearly four million foreign arrivals between January and September of 2010.

This number is a huge increase compared to previous years: up 34.2 percent from last year’s figure, according to statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

Of the 4 million tourists, around 37,500 traveled by sea, an increase of 22 percent from the same period last year.

On October 15, Viet Excursion Company welcomed a five-star cruise liner named Diamond Princess at Phu My port in HCM City. The cruise ship carried 2,585 visitors and 1,063 crew members from 47 different nations and territories.

Meanwhile, HCM City’s tourism sector is organizing more entertainment and art programmes for tourists, hoping to receive its 3 millionth visitor late this year.

PV