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The 15 millionth international visitor to Vietnam was Mr. James Kopenec, an American citizen. Mr. James Kopenec, along with nearly 3,000 passengers and crew members, arrived at the port at 11:00 AM on December 19th on the 5-star Celebrity Millennium cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean.
Along with the 15 millionth visitor, the 14,999,999th and 15,000,001st visitors, a Belgian and Japanese national, also received gifts and commemorative plaques from the Vietnamese tourism industry. These three lucky visitors arrived in Ha Long on a long cruise, following the route Singapore - Laemchabang - Phu My - Chan May - Ha Long - Hong Kong.
Calling it a “memorable day” for Vietnamese tourism, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, shared: “Since welcoming the 1 millionth international visitor in 1994, Vietnamese tourism has experienced strong growth. The event of welcoming the 15 millionth international visitor is truly a proud milestone for the tourism industry, proving that Vietnam is increasingly becoming a friendly, attractive, and safe destination, recognized by international friends. This also serves as a foundation for Vietnam to continue orienting tourism development as a key economic sector.”
James Kopenec, the 15 millionth lucky visitor, said he chose to travel to Vietnam because "Vietnam is truly beautiful." Paul, a tourist from Capetown (South Africa), shared: "This is the most beautiful port I've ever visited. It's spectacular. From the ship, we had a panoramic view of the islands. The scenery is stunning."
According to statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in the first 11 months of 2018, the number of international visitors to Vietnam reached over 14.123 million, an increase of 21.3% compared to the same period in 2017. Prior to that, in 2016, the number of international visitors to Vietnam exceeded 10 million for the first time. Following that, in 2017, it reached 13 million.
In 2018, tourism promotion and market expansion activities were vibrant. Domestic tourism infrastructure was increasingly improved and service quality enhanced, and many Vietnamese tourism projects received prestigious international awards… Therefore, the goal of Vietnam reaching 16 million international visitors for the whole year of 2018 is likely to become a reality.
