France, Britain and Germany are the Vietnamese tourism sector’s three major European target markets

The number of British tourists coming to Vietnam is mounting rapidly with 19.3 percent more UK tourists in Vietnam last year than the year before, according to the Vietnam National Administration for Tourism (VNAT).

France, Britain and Germany are the Vietnamese tourism sector’s three major European target markets.However the French and German markets have been growing at a slower pace than Britain.
The Nguyen Brothers company, a new PR-travel firm established by young Vietnamese in Britain, will promote the Saigontourist brand in the UK aiming to turn it into a leading Vietnamese tourism name in Britain and the EU.

Under a contract sealed between the British company and the Hanoi branch of Saigontourist Thursday, Nguyen Brothers Ltd. will conduct market surveys and seek Britain travelers for Saigontourist.
Saigontourist and Nguyen Brothers will work together to increase the number of EU tourists to Vietnam and promote Vietnam’s image in the bloc.
Vietnam tourism’s heavy hitter
Saigontourist opened in 1975 in Ho Chi Minh City as the city’s first tourism-based business and formed into Saigontourist Holding Company in 1999.
The operator has been ranked by the VNAT as one of the leading tourism corporation in Vietnam.
Saigontourist operates tours, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, retail shops, taxis and training facilities.
The company now runs eight travel service companies, 56 hotels, 13 resorts and complexes, and 24 restaurants. It has also cooperated with 50 local joint ventures, private businesses. It is also part of nine joint ventures with foreign partners.

It operates three Vietnamese restaurants in Japan, one restaurant in Germany and one representative office in Japan. The operator plans to open more Saigontourist branches in Southeast Asia.

The company received over 1.47 million international tourists last year and over 1.2 million guests stayed at Saigontourist-run hotels.

The national tourism industry expects to receive 4.2-4.4 million foreign visitors and 18.5 million local tourists in 2007. Read more news about travel and tourism at: http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/