“Even though the number of UAE tourists visiting Vietnam is low now, about 300 or so per month, we want to push this to very significant levels in the very near future,’’ Nguyen Quang Khai, Ambassador of Vietnam to the UAE said here on Thursday.

“Vietnam has become one of most charming destinations for foreign tourists. The number of foreign tourists visiting Vietnam is increasing sharply, and has touched 2.6 millions in the first six months of 2010 while it was only 3.8 millions in the whole of 2009,’’ the Ambassador said while addressing a workshop on ‘Unearthing the Vietnam Tourism Potential’ at the Vietnam Embassy here.

“We have put a target to attract six million foreign visitors as well as 25 to 26 million local tourists in 2010. We want tourist income to reach $4 billion to $4.5 billion per year. We strongly believe that we will be able to achieve this target,’’ he said..

“Vietnam is now considered by international tourists as the new destination of the world. The number of tourists travel to Thailand is always higher than that of Vietnam, but if considering the growth rate, the index of Vietnam is higher than Thailand. Vietnam’s tourism may develop well if there is the effective cooperation among aviation, hotel and tourism services,” Nguyen said.

With an annual growth rate of around eight per cent Vietnam is viewed as an attractive investment destination, as it is both secure and profitable. The UAE companies themselves have invested about $1 billion in various projects in Vietnam, and projects worth billions of dollars are in various stages of negotiation, the Ambassador said.

“Tourism development will become one of the leading economic sectors, based on effective exploitation the advantages of natural conditions, ecological environment, traditional and historical culture, maximum mobilisation internal resources, he said.

The Vice Consul and Head of Vietnam Trade Office NGO Khai Hoan said exports of Vietnamese goods were increasing very significantly in the recent years