Vietnam has received a record five million foreign arrivals this year, an increase of 34.8 percent from 2009.

The country’s tourism industry has enjoyed great success in 2010 with total revenues of VND96 trillion, according to a report on the government website Saturday.

As the economy has recovered, the number of local travellers has increased as well, reaching 28 million, the government report said, without giving comparative figures.

The industry saw a downturn last year, after recording 4.23 million foreign arrivals in 2008.

Speaking at a ceremony to welcome the 5 millionth tourist, a Chinese visitor who landed in Hanoi on Friday, Nguyen Van Tuan, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said the new record was important for the local tourism industry, proving that the country was an increasingly attractive destination for foreign travellers.