Vietnam welcomed around 410,000 foreign tourists in July, bringing the total number of foreign visitors to the nation in the first seven months of the country to more than 2.9 million, a year-on-year rise of almost 35%.

Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade is putting together five tours of the city’s traditional craft villages to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Hoang Tuan Anh, visited Mexico from May 23-28 to strengthen bilateral ties in fields under his charge.

Delegates from nations in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) are discussing community-based ecotourism planning and management at a workshop in the ancient city of Hue, Thua Thien-Hue Province.

The first Rice Festival for heightening the values of the age-old rice civilization and honouring rice growers has been held in the Mekong delta province of Hau Giang on November 28. In his opening speech, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung emphasized that the Rice Festival is significant in bringing together rice producers, businesses, importers, distributors, consumers and scientists to seek opportunities for cooperation and partnership.

As many as 21 countries have registered to take part in Hue Festival 2008, an increase of 10 countries compared to the festival two years ago, according to the event organisers.

A four-day festival celebrating the culture and sports of the Khmer ethnic group is set to take place in Can Tho city, Can Tho province, on November 23.

With the theme "Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development", the Hue Festival 2008 promises to be a great, impressive, and attractive festival with hundreds of specific cultural and tourist programs aiming at enhancing unique cultural values of Vietnam and Hue Ancient Capital.

Khmer ethnic minority people in southern Tra Vinh province are gearing up for Chol Chnam Thmay New Year festival celebrations set to begin after the year’s first harvest.

The Government has approved a proposal by the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak to host the 2009 national tourism year.