Hanoi welcomed its 2.5 millionth foreign tourist on December 20, fulfilling its set target two years ahead of schedule.
The lucky visitor is Mori Hajime, a Japanese national, who was presented with flowers, gifts and an insignia at a ceremony held in the city on the same day, and attended by leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Mori said he was glad to be the 2.5 millionth foreign visitor to Hanoi and that it is even more significant as this year Vietnam and Japan celebrate the 40 th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
Statistics released by the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism showed that in the third quarter of this year, total visitors to Hanoi reached more than 4.6 million, up 11.2 percent from the same period last year.
The figure included over 731,000 foreign travellers, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year.