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Vietnam world’s 4th fastest-growing tourist destination

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Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam

THE Cu Chi tunnels, the Viet Cong’s network of secret underground passageways used during the Vietnam War, are one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist attractions.
Some 1,000 visitors flock daily to the site, located about 45 miles from downtown Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The tunnel system – dug by hand – at one time measured more than 120 miles, stretching from the Cambodian border to the outskirts of what was then Saigon. Only a few short sections of the tunnels are accessible today and have been adapted to suit larger tourists.
Vietnam generated over $4 billion in tourism receipts in 2008. Since the opening of its economy to the world markets in the 1990s, the country has experienced unprecedented growth. Being a source as well as destination market, the Vietnamese tourism industry has grown nearly twice as fast as GDP in recent years.
Recently, the World Travel and Tourism Council named Vietnam as the world’s fourth fastest-growing tourist destination. In 2008, the country recorded around 4.25 million foreign visitor arrivals, an increase of around two per cent from 2007. However, this growth was comparatively slower than over 16 per cent recorded in 2007 due to global economic slowdown. Total outbound tourists from Vietnam also achieved an all-time record high in 2008.

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